Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Ghouls and Goblins, Witches' Brew, and Pumpkins are just my thing; and for the past 5 years I've celebrated All Hallows Eve in Kent, OH.
Practically a 3-ring circus, 10,000+ people diverge on our tiny downtown in costumes that would make Howard Stern blush. Throw in a SWAT team (yes, I said SWAT team), a college-worth of kids drunk off their arses, 18 fraternities, 11 bars and you have yourself a par-tay! Ok, so on paper it sounds like an arrest for public intoxication waiting to happen, but I promise you...it's the time of your life.
A la Mean Girls, it's an excuse for girls to dress as skanky as possible without actually becoming strippers, a mistake many make in their first few years.
But a great costume takes meticulous planning. A) You want to look good. B) You want to stay warm, it can get down into the 30's at night. and C) You wanna be something that no one else is going to be (or at least be the best of what you are).
With a million manufactured costumes, how do you ensure you'll stand out in the crowd?
I think the key is finding the right costume and dressing it to the nines. Last year, my friend Lisa and I were Pin-ups. Both our costumes were store bought, then I added ribbon, star buttons for my 'rank', a silk cord off Josh's Class A uniform, and I even borrowed the classic 'envelope' cap from one of the female cadets. We had our hair done the day of and since stockings with seams were too expensive, we drew lines up the backs of our legs with marker.
The end result was a blast! We each received a handful of compliments, which made the costume worth all the effort.
This year I'm heading my bets. I'm being
Medusa and Josh is being
Perseus. I'll let you look up the mythology, but in short: Medusa was the most beautiful creature, cursed by a jealous Athena. Her hair turned to snakes and any man who gazed upon her turned to stone. Perseus eventually kills Medusa, by chopping off her head.
I'm opting for a simple white, Grecian style dress, though green isn't out of the question. Some leggings underneath will ensure warmth. I'll accessorize with gold and some snake bangles I found at the local vintage store. After scouring the Internet however, I've realized
this hideous thing is the only snake headpiece sold separately from a otherwise hideous costume. But of course, Martha was reading my mind when she came up with this up do' created with cheap extensions and rubber snakes. Much better, no?
(photo via
Martha Stewart)
I'm super excited to put it all together and even more excited to partake in my last Kent Halloween. What costume will you be donning this Halloween?
photo via Warner Bros.
photo via 
