Halloween if you don't like to dress up?

[jphineas]

I want to throw this question out there because I have trouble with this every year. I'm not much for dressing up in a costume for Halloween, even when I was little I never really got into it. I'm wondering though if I'm attending a Halloween party, how should I dress? I don't want to put people off if I don't have a costume, but I just find most of them silly. Any ideas?

[LesserBlackDog]

Wear a suit and a skinny tie, buy a tube of Brylcreem, and bam, you're set, Mad Men style. Fake cigarettes and a lowball glass of rye are optional accessories.

[greg_s]

Mr. Rogers. Red cardigan, sneakers and a tie. Not the suit and tie James Bond or mad men look, but easy to pull off and be recognizable.

[Nick]

I don't like costumes (full fledged costumes that is), but that doesn't mean you can't have a costume you enjoy.


Take a trip to your local thrift store and try to find some fun old style clothes. For example, there's always suits and jackets straight out of the 70's/80's. Watch movies from past decades and try to copy someone. It's fun, yet you still get to dress 'nice'.


@greg_s, that sounds like an awesome idea.

[jphineas]

I'm thinking of maybe putting a tux or suit together and finding a masquerade mask that I like somewhere. Too much?

[Beefcake]

Sometimes you just need to pick up one prop item. Got a plaid shirt/jacket and toboggan? pick up a axe and bam your a lumberjack

[sean_fitzgerald]

buy a fedora and a cigar and you can be in the mafia

[Cannon]

James Bond, my suggestion as usual.


http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6885/qos0713.jpg


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http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qoWLRO8FsY...-Of-Solace.jpg

[LesserBlackDog]

I went the mafia/gangster route once. Helps if you have a pinstriped suit and saddle shoes or spats. Also a violin case.


@ Cannon - Dunno if people would "get" the James Bond stuff - most people still strongly associate James Bond with a tux and a gun, not Daniel Craig's casual wear. Not that you can't do it, of course, but you'll spend all night having to explain your costume to people.

[Cannon]

@BenR Sure, it has to be answered for, but it is a way to not dress up and look awesome still. "What is your costume?" "Bond, James Bond."

[Nick]

I think a big point of a halloween costume is for it to be instantly recognizable. You can still wear nice clothes, but when you have to explain it to multiple people then it's not good.


Try thinking of big events this year and play off those with nice clothes (big example is the whole wall street ordeal).

[Cannon]

@Nick Wearing a business suit wouldn't need explanation? I know I would ask who someone was trying to be if they wore a plain old suit...

[Nick]

Do something to make it look like a costume. Make-up, props, etc.

[Cannon]

@Nick Ah, well that is back to the problem of dressing up in a costume. The idea is to not get stuck with much costume-ness. But if it does need to be a costume, then I suppose it can be bearable.

[BenB]

I did Rorschach from the Watchmen last year. Khaki trench, leather gloves, pin stripe pants, a fedora, and then used some white tights with black sharpie pattern for the mask. If you're going to go this route, definitely give the sharpie a few days to air out and realize that you will be wearing a mask which complicates drinking/eating. Good news is that if you take off the mask, you're suddenly Inspector Gadget.


Sounds like maybe more of a costume than what you're thinking of, but it's really just the mask that defines it as Rorschach; the rest of the clothes are *almost* normal.