Bill the beekeeper

There are some pretty dangerous jobs out there that it takes a special kind of person to get up and go to work every day. Risking life and limb for our benefit, these people deserve an applause every time they clock in. Lucky for you, their jobs could also make for some pretty hilarious Halloween costumes.

For example, say that your friends are really into Eddie Izzards comedy acts. If they are they would know one of the particularly funny jokes wherein he screams “Ah! I’m covered in bees!” (for those of who you have no idea what I’m talking about, please watch this clip.) If you went to a Halloween party dressed as a bee keeper you could milk that joke for all it was worth, especially if you were in-fact, covered in bees. All it would take are little yellow and black pompom balls that you get from the craft store. Just stick them all over yourself.

Or say, you wanted to dress as a job a little less obscure, you could go to the party as a SeaWorld Employee. Of course, this costume would have a bit of a twist to it. For example, you could buy as stuffed animal shark (or dangerous sea creature of your choice) and cut a slit where the mouth opens. Remove a bit of the stuffing and stick your hand or forearm in (depending on how big the stuffed animal is), to give the illusion that you’ve been bitten by something and it decided it was never letting go.

Then there is the very well know costume of the ‘snake charmer’, this one tends to get a little dirty; but if you don’t have any shame, then go for it. Your friends will either be laughing their butts off or will be solemnly shaking their heads in disapproval.

But does it really matter what they think, as long as you’re having fun?

ipod costume

Raise your hand if you love music! There are only a few people on this earth today that hate music, and there is something substantial wrong with their mental state. The rest of us love music. We listen to the radio or Cds in our cars, we carry mp3 players with us, we have music stored on our computers and in our phones, we sing in the shower, and hum or whistle when we’re in a good mood. Music is as much a part of humanity as opposable thumbs are. So this Halloween, instead of being something boring or common; show your appreciation for music by creating an original costume!

You could go the route of dressing up a the type of person who sings or plays the type of music you listen to. For example; dress as a punk if punk rock is what you listen too most, or a pop princess if you dig that type of thing. Or you could attempt a costume that was a little less humanoid and a little more specific.

Creating your favorite MP3 player out of cardboard and either wearing it or carrying it around as a gigantic prop would be interesting. Where it would show the current play list on the screen, you could list all of your favorite bands and songs to make it even more personal. Or perhaps you could construct a top or necklace out of old CD-Rs that have been collecting dust in your bedroom since everything is on your mp3 player now. If you’re not too much into this new technology and long for the days of vinal , you could do the same with records. Goodwill and other thrift stores generally have a section where people have donated their old records, and they go for less than a dollar each. Or maybe just go as the record player itself.

There are plenty of ways to show your love for music, just put on your favorite tunes for inspiration and get to working on that costume!

Marilyn Monroe

Occasionally people throw parties that have nothing to do with Halloween, themed parties where people dress up just for the heck of it; and one popular topic for these themed parties is having everyone dress up as ‘dead celebrities’. But why not bring this idea and carry it over to Halloween? I admit that to dress as certain people for this Halloween would be in bad taste, as they haven’t been gone for very long and there is still a lot of morning happening on their behalf; but people like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, Humphrey Bogart, Freddy Mercury, and Bettie Page are perfectly alright to dress as.

Think of it as honoring their memory by reminding people (in this case, fellow Halloween celebrators) of their amazing gifts and accomplishments in life. For a few of these celebrities there are costumes available to purchase based on what they are most remembered for. Generally the Elvis costumes will feature a white pantsuit with aviator sunglasses and lots of rhinestones to reassure people that yes, he was a king. For Marilyn the most easily available costume would be her white halter top dress from that oh-so-memorable photograph where she is standing in the street and steam from below is threatening to blow up her skirt.

For the others I mentioned -or anyone else you wanted to dress as- there are probably not as many options for buying a costume; but that doesn’t mean there are plenty of ways to get across who you are trying to be. Of course it helps if your friends (or the people at the party you are attending) have similar interest or knowledge but if not; welcome the challenge. Accessories and small details like having the exact hairstyle/color as this person (which can be achieved with your own hair or a wig) can be the make or break as to who recognizes the celebrity you are attempting to be, and who does not. Just remember though, that if you are attempting to make a wig look the way you want it to; under no circumstances should you use a flat iron or curling iron on it. It will melt the plastic and possibly ruin both the wig and your hairstyling tool. Attempt to get one that already looks generally like what you want, and style it using hairspray or gel.

As always, remember to have fun with it! Acting a little bit like the person you are trying to portray will definitely help in getting your point across, and will make the party more enjoyable for everyone. Unless the person you’re dressed as is a dictator of some kind. I wouldn’t recommend acting the part in that case.