As a stylist, Halloween is my favourite time of the year. And it excites us all, but some of us land up chasing costumes at the last minute. So, I felt like throwing a few ideas before you. Some are Halloween favourites and the others are just too much fun to pass on! But they aren’t just ideas, read on as I tell you how to get them!
For The Girls
Who: Catwoman
How: Black skinny jeans and a snug full sleeved tee (all in black) is what you need. Throw on some kitten ears in black and some red lips. A pair of sexy heels and toy gun is a must! To increase the richness factor of this look, try a shimmering crystal neck piece over the black tee, even if it’ s a fake one.
Where: For your kitten ears, shops like Party Hunterz and Madcaps in Bandra are prime hubs. But if you want to be innovative, then a black hairband, a pair of triangles cut from a plastic cup and glued on to the hairband works too. Simply cover it all with black duck tape from your local hardware store. Don’ t forget to get a pair of riding gloves from a bike accessory store near you and a gun from a toy store.
Who: The “We Can Do It” Gal
How: Borrow a slim fit man’s shirt in blue and button it half way to expose your white tank top. For the lower part, your own jeans and a pair of sneakers would work just fine. Tie a scarf around your head with the knot facing front. And doing a few push-ups before the big night will help you have that perfect muscle definition for your Halloween profile pic!
Where: You could check for a slim fit shirt with your brother or friend and wear it for the night. A cool printed scarf could be found at your local garment markets like Sarojini Nagar in Delhi, and Hill Road, Bandra in Mumbai.
Who: Wednesday Addams
How: Some pale, nude makeup and dark circles around the eyes. Define a middle part on your scalp and then, tie two braids with your hair on either sides. For your outfit, wear a simple white shirt under a black school uniform or a black pullover with a black flared skirt and a black pair of oxford shoes. Remember to button the collar all the way, so that it rests over the dress or the shirt like the Peter Pan collar.
Where: You could use your own shoes but if you want to really nail the look, Oxfords or similar shoes will have to be a part of your look. If you don’t want to splurge too much, Bata is your best bet for similar looking shoes. The rest of your outfit is probably already waiting in your own wardrobe.
Who: Fallen Angel
How: This is merely a twist on the usual angel costume. Take reference from Amy Lee‘s look in Evanescence‘s video, My Immortal. You will need a simple white dress and some light, net fabric in pure white to drape around, whimsically. A pair of angel wings will easily be available in costume stores. Get them and tear half a chunk out of one wing. Dust some soot or rub a charcoal on the edge of the ripped part to let it appear as it was burnt.
Where: The white dress could be anything from your wardrobe or just a pair of white tights and tank to cover the body, forming a lining for the drapes. Light weight net fabric could be found at any good fabric store at reasonable rates. And Linking Road, Bandra or any cool, street shoe stall may have those light pink ballet flats that you could use post Halloween on a regular basis. For the fairy wings, party costumes shops like Party Hunterz or Mad Hatter’s are perfect to source from.
Who: Black Swan
How: You will definitely need a tiara. Make sure you try to find a way to darken the tiara, you are the ‘Black Swan’ after all. A simple, black tube or tank top could go over a pair of opaque tights in light pink. Now, for the tutu, all you need is some stiff net and the YouTube video above will help you get around it. It’s simple and think about the amount of fun it would it be to be in character. Stick to the make up reference from the movie to nail the look. After all, without the make up, you’d just be … a ballet dancer in black.
Where: The tiara could be found at most costume shops. The net or tulle are available at your local fabric shops. Most lingerie shops sell opaque tights. If you’re in Mumbai, then, La Bisou on Hill Road, Bandra is your best bet.
For The Boys
Who: Jack Sparrow
How: You need to start with a pirate sleeved shirt and a waistcoat. You definitely need a wig. Wrap a dull coloured cotton scarf on it. A couple more scarves will go around your waist and dangle from the knots. A pair of harem pants could work perfectly for your look and try on your boots or a pair of suede moccasins for a style twist. Remember to line your eyes with a thick layer of kohl.
Where: The shirt and waistcoat are available at costume shops like Gem Dresswala and Maganlal Dresswala in Mumbai. For the harem pants, you could pick one up from Golmaal stores and then hand them over to your gal pal. Scarves can be found at most garment or fabrics shops but pick a light colour in a saturated tone. Your local junk jewellry store can help you find clip-on balis for your ears.
Who: Michael Jackson
How: If you’re going to be the King Of Pop, you have a heap of style ideas from Billie Jean to Thriller to Invincible. Just be sure to have a few staples for your costume like chains, studded belts, silver or white socks and a single white glove, black shoes, leather jacket and skinny jeans.
Where: If you’ re looking for a cool leather jacket, then, leather shops in Dharavi in Mumbai are the best options for great deals. But boutique stores on Water Field road in Bandra, Mumbai are stocked with really cool jackets and jeans. For your chains, you could head to Something Special on Hill Road in Bandra or the button and bobs stall filled section at Crawford Market. The leather gloves can be bought at any bike accessory shop and they would have a range to match your look.
Who: Clark Kent Changing Into Superman
How: This is a classic costume and ridiculously simple. You need a Superman tee worn under a white dress shirt and blazer. Open a few buttons in the center of the shirt to expose the superman logo. You definitely need to wear a pair of thick framed spectacles, because if you don’t, the world would know your identity!
Where: A Superman tee could be found at most cool t-shirt stores for men and the thick frames would be readily available at most opticians, especially the old ones.
Who: A mummy
How: You could get away with a couple of rolls of toilet paper wrapped all over your body. But technically speaking, you need something more durable that would last the night. Actual bandages work well, just don’t over do it because it will restrict your movement. Once all bandaged-up, you need to rub some dust to signify you’ve been mummified centuries ago and have just come back to life.
Where: A chemist would supply you with all the bandages, just make sure you secure it with pins or tack it at sections with a needle and thread.
Who: Man with head screwed on backwards
How: This is my personal favourite and it’s embarrassingly simple, but genius (If I could say so myself). Just wear your shirt, tie and blazer or whatever you plan to wear, but backside front to create an illusion that you have indeed turned 180 degrees!
Where: Your personal clothes will do!
These are just a few ideas that you could pull off. They are doable and crazy fun. At MissMalini, we love costumes and dress-up. Check out our bollywood dress-up post, it might give you ideas on doing a Bollywood theme look. Stay tuned for more Halloween themed posts and pictures from our very own Halloween dress-up day at work!