The naughty school girl. The drunk frat boy in a toga. A pimp, a whore, an ’80s-era girl or guy, a ninja, a dead anything-are you tired of wearing the same cliched costume, Halloween after Halloween?
Now is the time to think creatively. Everyone knows it’s the costume that makes a good Halloween party great, but if your interpretation of a mummy costume is some toilet paper wrapped around your head, be ready to spend the night by the punch bowl.
You don’t have to celebrate Halloween in shame this year: a creative costume is just around the corner. The dorm room is the perfect place to find the goods you need to make the costume that will have everyone talking, and keep you away from the punch bowl and in the spotlight this Halloween.
1. Robber
A cliched, but classic take on the white sheet-ghost costume. Guys, grab a pair of panty house from the girl down the hall. Cut or tie the legs so that they don’t hang over your face. Place the panty hose over your entire face to your chin. Wear some suspicious clothing, like an all black ensemble – hoodies are the perfect match. Thanks to some measly hosiery, you are now a robber. Unless you plan on launching a Liacouras Walk heist, don’t walk into 7-Eleven wearing the costume-they may mistake you for a real burglar.
2. God’s Gift to Women
It’s time for the guys to shine. Find a thick red or pink ribbon or scarf long enough to wrap around the waist. Tie it in a bow and attach a large tag (a sheet of printer paper will do) with the words, “From: God, To: Women.” The ladies will swoon.
3. California Raisin
A legendary icon in the food industry, the ’80s-era California Raisins – the stars of commercials to the tune of Marvin Gaye’s famous song “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”- are the perfect celebrity costume this Halloween season.
All you need is one large black trash bag, a pair of scissors, one pillow and shades. Cut holes in the trash bag for your arms and legs and stick the pillow in your pants (preferably stretch fabric sweat pants) for a larger, raisin-like chest. Put on the sunglasses for the final touch, and you’ve become the living version of a California Raisin.
4. Tickled Pink
This one’s for the girls. Wear all pink and grab that feather duster your mom gave you on move-in day. When someone talks to you, giggle and tickle them with your feather duster. You’re tickled pink!
5. The Quarter Pounder
Head to your local McDonald’s , order three Quarter Pounder sandwiches with extra cheese and … just kidding. A play on the popular McDonald’s sandwich, the quarter-pounder costume isn’t really food at all. All you need is a quarter and a hammer. When someone questions your costume, lay the quarter on a hard surface and slam that hammer down. Voila! You are a “quarter pounder.”
6. The Away Message
Lately, instant messenger programs have become just the opposite – “delayed messenger” would be more appropriate. When online, three quarters of your friends’ lists have away messages. The scariest monster of all this Halloween is technology and, if you dare, costumers can let it take on a life of its own with a few simple dorm room staples.
Find an old white shirt and use permanent market to write your screen name on the front. Take a Sharpie and a legal pad to the party, and whenever someone talks to you, hand them a piece of paper from the legal pad that says: “Auto response: I am away from my computer,” or some variation representative of your away message style. Get enough people to wear the costume and you’ve created your very own instant messenger program – just be prepared to “leave one.”
7. Baked Potato
Sure, you thought you’d need that industrial size box of aluminum foil when you first moved in, but now it’s Oct. 31 and the silver sheets have hardly been touched. Wrap that shiny stuff around your body, being sure to cover your chest and arms. What are you? Why, you’re a baked potato!
8. Spice Girl
A little corny, but it works. Attach containers of spice to your waist. Learn the words to the song “Spice Up Your Life,” sing the tune with a British accent, and you’ve become instantly transformed into what else but … a spice girl!
9. Cell Phone
There’s nothing more annoying than the person who just won’t get off his cell phone. Well, this Halloween you can be a cell phone. Wear all black or silver clothing. If feeling creative, draw a keypad on your shirt, but the crucial component to this costume lies in the sound effects. When in “costume” find a large group of people, preferably in deep conversation, and without warning burst into high pitched ring tone song. When on vibrate mode, just lie on the ground and shake. Remember to make the appropriate sound for voicemail and text message alerts as well and invite people to push your buttons!
10. Your roommate
Your roommate has this great shirt that you’ve always wanted to borrow. Well, now’s the time! The easiest costume of all is dressing like your roommate for Halloween. You can use the holiday as an excuse to scrounge through their closet for all your favorite things that you never dared asked to wear, until now.
Sammy Davis can be reached at S.davis@temple.edu.
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