At a shopping booth in Joy City at Beijing's downtown commercial center of Xidan, Guo Jing picks up a fake-bloody mask and puts it over her head.
“Do I look scary enough?” she asks one of her friends.
Guo has been busy costume hunting for a Halloween party on Wednesday evening, even though the 23-year-old has no idea what the festival means.
“I'd just want to relax and have fun at the party,” she says.
Guo works at a publishing press in Beijing and frequent overtime has left her under a lot of stress.
Like Guo, many young Chinese celebrate Halloween as an excuse to relax from daily pressures.
In department stores, supermarkets and wholesale markets, Halloween costumes and masks are on show. At Taobao.com, China's largest online shopping platform, there are 240,000 Halloween items for sale.
The owner of an online shop called Qianqifang House Decoration on the platform has sold more than 5,000 Halloween cloaks in a month, among other items.
Cao Baoming, an expert with folk customs, says celebrating Western festivals such as Halloween has become a trend in China but that cultural connotations embedded in such events have been neglected.
Few Chinese people who celebrate Halloween know that the festival is an occasion when people stock up on food and worship the dead to survive winter. It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
“Trick-or-treat is not popular in China, and young people are just making use of the occasion for parties and other recreational activities to reduce stress,” he says.
Some 75 percent of Chinese workers are feeling more pressure this year than last, according to a poll conducted in September by serviced office space provider Regus.
The survey, which canvassed the opinions of over 16,000 workers worldwide, put the global average at 48 percent, concluding China held the highest rate of increasing stress levels of all the countries polled. The leading causes of stress were identified as employment, finances and customers.
While the result remains controversial in China due to Japan's greater reputation for stressed-out employees, Chinese workers are indeed experiencing more pressure from work than before, said Xiao Minzheng, director of Peking University's Center for Human Resource Development and Management Research.
The poll said stress levels rose for 45 percent of workers in Japan and 58 percent of those in Germany, which came second in Regus's rankings of increased stress.
Fu Cheng, a sociologist with Jilin Provincial Academy of Social Studies, says young people celebrating western festivals were mostly born in the 1980s. They have to face pressure from work, supporting their family, housing loans and other factors.
Apart from while-collar workers, university students also like celebrating Halloween. Wang He, a senior at the Northeast Normal University, is going to a Halloween ball to escape the pressures of job hunting.
“I want to be a vampire,” says Wang, adding she wants to have fun in the limited time she has on campus.
Zheng Xiaohua, director with the Psychology Institute of Changchun City, capital of Jilin Province, says festival celebrations have become an important way for young people to release stress.
But it should not be the only way. Zheng advises people to expand their interests into other areas such as traveling, reading and walking.
2012年10月31日 星期三
2012年10月30日 星期二
Costumes fit for a King
Those dressing up as a dancing zombie from Thriller for Halloween have more than one Michael to thank for their costume. For 25 years until Michael Jackson's death in 2009, Michael Bush created many of the garments the world saw on stage, in videos and in the late entertainer's life. From the cropped trousers and blinged-out socks to, yes, dozens of those famous quilt-seamed military-inspired leather jackets.
The Thriller jacket itself - without question the most famous of these - predates Bush and was designed by Deborah Nadoolman (noted theatre and film costume designer and historian, and wife of Thriller director John Landis) and was auctioned in June for a princely sum.
But as part of Jackson's inner circle, Bush, along with his late partner Dennis Tomkins, began designing the singer's concert costumes and personal wardrobe in 1984 - including making refinements to that iconic glove. Jackson made the first crystal-studded glove himself, but he soon preferred their versions.
"In earlier times the stones were thick and all the same size," recalls Bush, "and thick, a bit like Mickey Mouse." Bush refined and sculpted the design using graduated sizes of the iridescent aurora borealis crystals preferred by Jackson because they cast off more light. "To this day, when you walk around his glove it looks like it's moving - it's got its own life."
Bush's new memoir, The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson, is a lavish coffee-table retrospective that includes costume sketches, never-seen personal photographs and detailed images of designs in progress. The entertainer often made gifts of his costumes back to Bush and Tomkins. Tomkins died last year and Bush will be auctioning most of their collection in December with Julien's of Hollywood, after the touring exhibitions in London and in Tokyo are finished.
Stepping out of the wings after so many years, Bush has been experiencing the effect of his costumes in a different way. "That has zapped me to reality, to see the power the finished garment had," he says. "Because I saw it in a hundred pieces on the work table."
When he brought one of the famous crystallized gloves to an event in Bath recently, "I looked up and I had 80 people standing there, like the kids in line at Macy's in New York waiting to see Santa," Bush recalls on the phone from New York. "It was so humbling to see how this little piece of rhinestone has meaning for people."
The main reason Bush is parting with the historical garments now is the problem of storage. For years they were "shoved in closets, piled in boxes, shoved under my bed," he marvels. "I can't protect this any more - the storage, the moth balls. It is fabric, it has to be stored in the right climate." For example, one of the shirts Jackson wore in Dirty Diana is now in delicate condition. "It's French voile. Over 25 years and now simply taking it off and on the mannequins for these exhibitions, it is starting to fall apart and it will be lost."
The book contains other interesting details - such as the fact that Jackson would dance only in Florsheim shoes. "He learned to dance in those shoes because they're what his family could afford when he was little. He'd say, 'I don't care what you do from my ankles up, do not touch my shoes. And don't polish them.' Comfort was the main concern to the dancer. By the time the tour was over, the shoes all fit him like a pair of socks."
The only exception was the pair of custom-made "lean" shoes the trio patented, which bolted to the floor and were designed to make the magic 45-degree leaning move from Jackson's 1987 Smooth Criminal video possible on the live concert stage.
Jackson's flamboyant stage wardrobe came with other practical considerations. The entertainer could also lose up to five pounds of water during a two-hour show, Bush recalls, and as the sets progressed his costumes got progressively smaller, accordingly. "As thin as he was, and he had no hips! We had gimmicks like elastics in the waist of his pants to help them stay up but you could wring water out of his clothes when you took them off."
Bush hasn't exactly retired: He will be touring his book for the next six months through Hard Rock Cafés across Europe, but says he's unlikely to design more stage costumes anytime soon. The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson, is published by Inside Editions; Julien's of Hollywood hosts The Collection of Tomkins & Bush auction Dec. 2.
The Thriller jacket itself - without question the most famous of these - predates Bush and was designed by Deborah Nadoolman (noted theatre and film costume designer and historian, and wife of Thriller director John Landis) and was auctioned in June for a princely sum.
But as part of Jackson's inner circle, Bush, along with his late partner Dennis Tomkins, began designing the singer's concert costumes and personal wardrobe in 1984 - including making refinements to that iconic glove. Jackson made the first crystal-studded glove himself, but he soon preferred their versions.
"In earlier times the stones were thick and all the same size," recalls Bush, "and thick, a bit like Mickey Mouse." Bush refined and sculpted the design using graduated sizes of the iridescent aurora borealis crystals preferred by Jackson because they cast off more light. "To this day, when you walk around his glove it looks like it's moving - it's got its own life."
Bush's new memoir, The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson, is a lavish coffee-table retrospective that includes costume sketches, never-seen personal photographs and detailed images of designs in progress. The entertainer often made gifts of his costumes back to Bush and Tomkins. Tomkins died last year and Bush will be auctioning most of their collection in December with Julien's of Hollywood, after the touring exhibitions in London and in Tokyo are finished.
Stepping out of the wings after so many years, Bush has been experiencing the effect of his costumes in a different way. "That has zapped me to reality, to see the power the finished garment had," he says. "Because I saw it in a hundred pieces on the work table."
When he brought one of the famous crystallized gloves to an event in Bath recently, "I looked up and I had 80 people standing there, like the kids in line at Macy's in New York waiting to see Santa," Bush recalls on the phone from New York. "It was so humbling to see how this little piece of rhinestone has meaning for people."
The main reason Bush is parting with the historical garments now is the problem of storage. For years they were "shoved in closets, piled in boxes, shoved under my bed," he marvels. "I can't protect this any more - the storage, the moth balls. It is fabric, it has to be stored in the right climate." For example, one of the shirts Jackson wore in Dirty Diana is now in delicate condition. "It's French voile. Over 25 years and now simply taking it off and on the mannequins for these exhibitions, it is starting to fall apart and it will be lost."
The book contains other interesting details - such as the fact that Jackson would dance only in Florsheim shoes. "He learned to dance in those shoes because they're what his family could afford when he was little. He'd say, 'I don't care what you do from my ankles up, do not touch my shoes. And don't polish them.' Comfort was the main concern to the dancer. By the time the tour was over, the shoes all fit him like a pair of socks."
The only exception was the pair of custom-made "lean" shoes the trio patented, which bolted to the floor and were designed to make the magic 45-degree leaning move from Jackson's 1987 Smooth Criminal video possible on the live concert stage.
Jackson's flamboyant stage wardrobe came with other practical considerations. The entertainer could also lose up to five pounds of water during a two-hour show, Bush recalls, and as the sets progressed his costumes got progressively smaller, accordingly. "As thin as he was, and he had no hips! We had gimmicks like elastics in the waist of his pants to help them stay up but you could wring water out of his clothes when you took them off."
Bush hasn't exactly retired: He will be touring his book for the next six months through Hard Rock Cafés across Europe, but says he's unlikely to design more stage costumes anytime soon. The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson, is published by Inside Editions; Julien's of Hollywood hosts The Collection of Tomkins & Bush auction Dec. 2.
2012年10月29日 星期一
Angelina Jolie's Kids Go Halloween Costume Shopping
Boo! Angelina Jolie took kids Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne shopping in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Sunday, but the kids appeared hardly impressed with their Halloween outfits. Vivienne, 4, emerged from the store with a unicorn outfit on, while twin brother Knox toted around a rubber alligator. Shiloh, 6, walked out with nothing.
The "Maleficent" actress and mother of six recently made news when it was reported that three of her children (Pax, Zahara and Vivienne) had also been cast in the fantasy Disney movie.
Kim Kardashian got aquatic this Halloween weekend, transforming into Darryl Hannah's mermaid look from the flick, "Splash," sporting a long, blond wig and a seashell top. Yet, to complete her costume, Kardashian had Kanye West as her "captain." Kardashian tweeted a photo of the two of them together, writing "Me & my captain," before the two attended the 2nd Annual Midori Green Halloween Party in New York.
A host of other star-studded couples got into the early Halloween spirit, including Ryan Seacrest, who shared a photo of himself and girlfriend Julianne Hough, with the caption "Bonnie, Clyde, and the jail yard dogs."
Fergie and husband Josh Duhamel got creative with their Halloween costumes, dressing up famous self-promoting actors Angelyne and Dennis Woodruff.
"The Voice" coach Christina Aguilera, took the sexy route this Halloween. The "Your Body" singer sported a revealing fish-net look with a large pink wig and white crown, while her boyfriend Matthew Rutler was her knight in shining armor.
In an almost unrecognizable transformation, "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWoww" Farley traded in her club gear for a pair of suspenders this Halloween. JWoww and fiancé Roger Mathews got nerdy in Las Vegas as they made themselves into geeks with bowties, plaid pants and taped-up glasses.
Diddy seems to have made a full recovery from his recent car accident, partying at the playboy mansion dressed as Prince. Cassie, who dressed up as a sexy Cleopatra, tweeted a photo of herself and Diddy, with the caption "Cleopatra & Prince! Happy Halloween!!!! #turnup."
Emma Roberts didn't have to look too far for inspiration for her Halloween costume, turning heads in Beverly Hills as she dressed up as Aunt Julia Roberts's infamous prostitute outfit from the classic flick, "Pretty Woman."
Yet, the partying didn't just happen here in the States, before they dropped their new single, "Little Things," One Direction's Liam Payne got heroic dressing up as the caped crusader Batman, parting the night away with Olympic diver Tom Daley, who went as the Penguin.
The "Maleficent" actress and mother of six recently made news when it was reported that three of her children (Pax, Zahara and Vivienne) had also been cast in the fantasy Disney movie.
Kim Kardashian got aquatic this Halloween weekend, transforming into Darryl Hannah's mermaid look from the flick, "Splash," sporting a long, blond wig and a seashell top. Yet, to complete her costume, Kardashian had Kanye West as her "captain." Kardashian tweeted a photo of the two of them together, writing "Me & my captain," before the two attended the 2nd Annual Midori Green Halloween Party in New York.
A host of other star-studded couples got into the early Halloween spirit, including Ryan Seacrest, who shared a photo of himself and girlfriend Julianne Hough, with the caption "Bonnie, Clyde, and the jail yard dogs."
Fergie and husband Josh Duhamel got creative with their Halloween costumes, dressing up famous self-promoting actors Angelyne and Dennis Woodruff.
"The Voice" coach Christina Aguilera, took the sexy route this Halloween. The "Your Body" singer sported a revealing fish-net look with a large pink wig and white crown, while her boyfriend Matthew Rutler was her knight in shining armor.
In an almost unrecognizable transformation, "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWoww" Farley traded in her club gear for a pair of suspenders this Halloween. JWoww and fiancé Roger Mathews got nerdy in Las Vegas as they made themselves into geeks with bowties, plaid pants and taped-up glasses.
Diddy seems to have made a full recovery from his recent car accident, partying at the playboy mansion dressed as Prince. Cassie, who dressed up as a sexy Cleopatra, tweeted a photo of herself and Diddy, with the caption "Cleopatra & Prince! Happy Halloween!!!! #turnup."
Emma Roberts didn't have to look too far for inspiration for her Halloween costume, turning heads in Beverly Hills as she dressed up as Aunt Julia Roberts's infamous prostitute outfit from the classic flick, "Pretty Woman."
Yet, the partying didn't just happen here in the States, before they dropped their new single, "Little Things," One Direction's Liam Payne got heroic dressing up as the caped crusader Batman, parting the night away with Olympic diver Tom Daley, who went as the Penguin.
2012年10月28日 星期日
Halloween costumes to die for
Six fashion folk tell ROSEMARY MACCABE what they'll be wearing for Halloween
CORINA GAFFEY
In real life: fashion editor of Kiss and Stellar. Halloween costume: Minnie Mouse
“I'm going to Disneyland Paris this week, so, inspired by my trip, I'm going to dress up as Minnie Mouse. Boutique by Jaeger have a great burgundy skirt with polka dots that would be perfect for putting a fashion spin on it. Minnie Mouse has been really fashionable this year, too – she was even at London Fashion Week.”
LOTTIE RYAN
In real life: broadcaster Halloween costume: astronaut
“I'm dressing up as an astronaut – we are having a dress-up day in 2FM for Barnardos, and I saw this photograph of Ryan Tubridy in an astronaut suit from the costume department, so I asked if I could have it. I love Halloween – I think it's a great excuse to just be silly and for adults to act like kids. Holidays are family things in my house because I've such a young family – we have a party for all the cousins; we do old-fashioned games like bobbing for apples and watch scary movies.”
DECLAN LEAVY
In real life: editor of dailyupdate.ie Halloween costume: Roman warrior
“I'm either going to be the YMCA Indian or a Roman warrior – a sexy Roman warrior. There's not much coverage in either outfit. I go for sexy. On other people, I love seeing funny, but not on myself. I'm not that fussed about Halloween in general, but my thing is just to get it out of the way so we can start thinking about Christmas.”
SEAN JACKSON
In real life: photographer Halloween costume: Andy Warhol
“I'm going as Andy Warhol – with a wig, the glasses and then just some groovy threads. I wanted to do something that was iconic, as opposed to costume-y. I dress up most years, but only if there's a party on. I don't hang around the house in a witch's outfit.”
LEONARD DALY
In real life: make-up artist Halloween costume: Edna from Hairspray
“Myself and my friends are doing a Hairspray theme – I'm going as Edna Turnblad from Hairspray, in a big pink sparkly dress, and a wig and make-up and full-on drag. My cousin has a Halloween ball every year, and we have a trophy and everything. I've won it for the last three years.”
Box clutch (49.95), by Ale Walsh at Cows Lane Designer Studio, Temple Bar
DANA ARIKANE
In real life: model Halloween costume: Samsara from The Ring
“I don't have an outfit yet, and I'm working that day, so I want to do something quick. I'm thinking of going as Samara from The Ring, because I have long, black straight hair, so I'm planning to wear something white and look really scary like her. I like Halloween – the last few years were the first few that I've done something for it. I'm always kind of busy, and it takes a lot of effort.”
A red show-stopper
Any tips on where to shop for a red party dress? I have it in my head that I want a red dress for the upcoming party season. I had a look online last night but nothing really appealed to me. I would be on the more generous side when it comes to sizing.
Bernie, by email
I call this the Emily VanKamp effect; anyone watching Revenge will know what I mean. Red dresses have never looked so stylish as they do set against a Hamptons background and offset by a mane of blonde waves.
When shopping for red dresses, don't be tempted to go for something overly fussy. Because the colour is so “wow” on its own, all you'll need is a few accessories and some killer heels.
This burgundy dress from Oasis (94, above) doesn't look all that dressy at first, but paired with a statement necklace and heels, it could make a serious impact. Sleeves are always a winner, it's not too short and it's not bodycon, so won't give you away if you happen to overindulge during the festive season.
Karen Millen has another option in the shape of this tea dress with pleated skirt (215, below left). Its intricate neckline will draw attention away from your midsection, and the pleated fluid skirt moves beautifully. The only worry with this one, aside from the fact that it's a little on the expensive side, is that Karen Millen is not known for its generous sizes, and a 16 can, more often than not, be a 12 to 14.
Sliding back down the price scale, this burgundy dress from Zara (49.95, below right) is really cute. It's a little shorter than the others, but the long sleeves and high neck balance out any fear of overexposure. Teamed with some chunky silver jewellery, it could be a real show-stopper.
Pleather-free zone
Magazines and blogs say they're everywhere, but I can't find a leather pencil skirt anywhere – and I'm talking real leather, not pleather. I'd love one in black or navy and I have a budget of 250-300. I'd prefer not to buy online so I can try it on first.
CORINA GAFFEY
In real life: fashion editor of Kiss and Stellar. Halloween costume: Minnie Mouse
“I'm going to Disneyland Paris this week, so, inspired by my trip, I'm going to dress up as Minnie Mouse. Boutique by Jaeger have a great burgundy skirt with polka dots that would be perfect for putting a fashion spin on it. Minnie Mouse has been really fashionable this year, too – she was even at London Fashion Week.”
LOTTIE RYAN
In real life: broadcaster Halloween costume: astronaut
“I'm dressing up as an astronaut – we are having a dress-up day in 2FM for Barnardos, and I saw this photograph of Ryan Tubridy in an astronaut suit from the costume department, so I asked if I could have it. I love Halloween – I think it's a great excuse to just be silly and for adults to act like kids. Holidays are family things in my house because I've such a young family – we have a party for all the cousins; we do old-fashioned games like bobbing for apples and watch scary movies.”
DECLAN LEAVY
In real life: editor of dailyupdate.ie Halloween costume: Roman warrior
“I'm either going to be the YMCA Indian or a Roman warrior – a sexy Roman warrior. There's not much coverage in either outfit. I go for sexy. On other people, I love seeing funny, but not on myself. I'm not that fussed about Halloween in general, but my thing is just to get it out of the way so we can start thinking about Christmas.”
SEAN JACKSON
In real life: photographer Halloween costume: Andy Warhol
“I'm going as Andy Warhol – with a wig, the glasses and then just some groovy threads. I wanted to do something that was iconic, as opposed to costume-y. I dress up most years, but only if there's a party on. I don't hang around the house in a witch's outfit.”
LEONARD DALY
In real life: make-up artist Halloween costume: Edna from Hairspray
“Myself and my friends are doing a Hairspray theme – I'm going as Edna Turnblad from Hairspray, in a big pink sparkly dress, and a wig and make-up and full-on drag. My cousin has a Halloween ball every year, and we have a trophy and everything. I've won it for the last three years.”
Box clutch (49.95), by Ale Walsh at Cows Lane Designer Studio, Temple Bar
DANA ARIKANE
In real life: model Halloween costume: Samsara from The Ring
“I don't have an outfit yet, and I'm working that day, so I want to do something quick. I'm thinking of going as Samara from The Ring, because I have long, black straight hair, so I'm planning to wear something white and look really scary like her. I like Halloween – the last few years were the first few that I've done something for it. I'm always kind of busy, and it takes a lot of effort.”
A red show-stopper
Any tips on where to shop for a red party dress? I have it in my head that I want a red dress for the upcoming party season. I had a look online last night but nothing really appealed to me. I would be on the more generous side when it comes to sizing.
Bernie, by email
I call this the Emily VanKamp effect; anyone watching Revenge will know what I mean. Red dresses have never looked so stylish as they do set against a Hamptons background and offset by a mane of blonde waves.
When shopping for red dresses, don't be tempted to go for something overly fussy. Because the colour is so “wow” on its own, all you'll need is a few accessories and some killer heels.
This burgundy dress from Oasis (94, above) doesn't look all that dressy at first, but paired with a statement necklace and heels, it could make a serious impact. Sleeves are always a winner, it's not too short and it's not bodycon, so won't give you away if you happen to overindulge during the festive season.
Karen Millen has another option in the shape of this tea dress with pleated skirt (215, below left). Its intricate neckline will draw attention away from your midsection, and the pleated fluid skirt moves beautifully. The only worry with this one, aside from the fact that it's a little on the expensive side, is that Karen Millen is not known for its generous sizes, and a 16 can, more often than not, be a 12 to 14.
Sliding back down the price scale, this burgundy dress from Zara (49.95, below right) is really cute. It's a little shorter than the others, but the long sleeves and high neck balance out any fear of overexposure. Teamed with some chunky silver jewellery, it could be a real show-stopper.
Pleather-free zone
Magazines and blogs say they're everywhere, but I can't find a leather pencil skirt anywhere – and I'm talking real leather, not pleather. I'd love one in black or navy and I have a budget of 250-300. I'd prefer not to buy online so I can try it on first.
2012年10月25日 星期四
Heidi Klum's Halloween Costume Revealed; Vivienne Westwood Visits Julian Assange
Heidi Klum's Halloween Reveal: Heidi Klum's Halloween parties are legendary, as are her costumes. Last year, the Project Runway host dressed up as a dead body and this year she's going as Cleopatra. She's released a special behind-the-scenes video about the costume on her website—giving fans a look at it's conceptual process all the way up to the final fitting. It'll make its official debut on October 31 at the FINALE nightclub in Manhattan.
Vivienne Westwood Visits Julian Assange: Vivienne Westwood paid a visit to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at London's Ecuadorian Embassy, where Assange is hiding out to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of sexual assault. And as if visiting weren't enough, Westwood wore a shirt featuring her face and the slogan, “I am Julian Assange,” which made it's runway debut during her Red catwalk show in September. This brings Assange's high fashion visit quotient up to two. Earlier this month Lady Gaga paid him a visit wearing Hedi Slimane's premiere designs for Saint Laurent Paris—marking the collection's public debut.
World's Largest Bra up for Auction: The world's largest bra is being auctioned off on eBay, with a starting price of just $800. Not bad for a piece of lingerie that's done doubletime as a building facade. If the bra were sized in western terms it'd be a size 1,360B.
Doutzen Kroes This Photoshopping Helps Fantasy: Fashionista bumped into Doutzen Kroes at Tuesday's Maison Martin Margiela for H&M party and picked her brain about photoshopping. The Victoria's Secret model admitted that not even she (who in person is even more perfect that in photos) looks like the same person in retouched pics, admitting, “You know like, I look at the pictures, and I know I don't look like the pictures.” But that doesn't mean that Kroes would want to do away with the process entirely. “I think people still want to believe in the fantasy and they just have to know that that's not always the way it is [in real life].” [Fashionista]
Others have suggested wearing a hat with cotton balls around the brim to depict clouds along with green Frankenstein makeup.
One thing is for sure, the festive masses will have enough time to get their costumes together. The Frankenstorm is expected to dump rain and snow across the East Coast for almost a week.
“It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco told the AP. “It's going to be a widespread serious storm.”
One costume that could be a hit and show fearlessness in the face of the storm would be Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel. Cantore has made his career as a storm tracker who doesn't hesitate to broadcast amid the most dangerous weather. Anyone who has sat down to watch storm coverage will recognize a Halloween partygoer that's wearing Cantore's trademark bald head and blue jacket.
While the free candy and cheap alcohol might be tempting, meteorologists are stressing the importance of safety because of the storm's relative unpredictability.
“We don't have any modern precedents for what the models are suggesting,” Cisco added.
Vivienne Westwood Visits Julian Assange: Vivienne Westwood paid a visit to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at London's Ecuadorian Embassy, where Assange is hiding out to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of sexual assault. And as if visiting weren't enough, Westwood wore a shirt featuring her face and the slogan, “I am Julian Assange,” which made it's runway debut during her Red catwalk show in September. This brings Assange's high fashion visit quotient up to two. Earlier this month Lady Gaga paid him a visit wearing Hedi Slimane's premiere designs for Saint Laurent Paris—marking the collection's public debut.
World's Largest Bra up for Auction: The world's largest bra is being auctioned off on eBay, with a starting price of just $800. Not bad for a piece of lingerie that's done doubletime as a building facade. If the bra were sized in western terms it'd be a size 1,360B.
Doutzen Kroes This Photoshopping Helps Fantasy: Fashionista bumped into Doutzen Kroes at Tuesday's Maison Martin Margiela for H&M party and picked her brain about photoshopping. The Victoria's Secret model admitted that not even she (who in person is even more perfect that in photos) looks like the same person in retouched pics, admitting, “You know like, I look at the pictures, and I know I don't look like the pictures.” But that doesn't mean that Kroes would want to do away with the process entirely. “I think people still want to believe in the fantasy and they just have to know that that's not always the way it is [in real life].” [Fashionista]
Others have suggested wearing a hat with cotton balls around the brim to depict clouds along with green Frankenstein makeup.
One thing is for sure, the festive masses will have enough time to get their costumes together. The Frankenstorm is expected to dump rain and snow across the East Coast for almost a week.
“It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco told the AP. “It's going to be a widespread serious storm.”
One costume that could be a hit and show fearlessness in the face of the storm would be Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel. Cantore has made his career as a storm tracker who doesn't hesitate to broadcast amid the most dangerous weather. Anyone who has sat down to watch storm coverage will recognize a Halloween partygoer that's wearing Cantore's trademark bald head and blue jacket.
While the free candy and cheap alcohol might be tempting, meteorologists are stressing the importance of safety because of the storm's relative unpredictability.
“We don't have any modern precedents for what the models are suggesting,” Cisco added.
2012年10月24日 星期三
Owner stitches with purpose
Professor Jason Lanker often tells his Old Testament Survey classes, “I married the Proverbs 31 woman.”
His wife Heather is the owner and designer for Heather Hill Clothing, a children’s clothing store on Broadway Street in downtown Siloam Springs. She is also a mother of two.
Above her sewing machine in her shop hangs a quote by Saint Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
Both Jason and Heather point to that quote as a description of Heather’s life and business.
“I live by that,” she said. “I still know what God has created me for. Sometimes I wonder, but I remember that showing people what I do is showing who God is.”
Jason said, “Her greatest desire is to glorify God. She knows that he hasn’t just made her to be a shop owner or a designer. He has also made her to be a wife, and a mother, and a friend. You could talk to anyone who knows her and they would say she is incredible, because she constantly gives of herself.”
Heather began her career as a designer after graduating college with a degree in home economics. At the suggestion of a professor, she went through the yellow pages and called every costume house in Hollywood.
She ended up with sexy pajamas and a job designing costumes for productions, theaters and individual buyers. They even made an Elvis costume for a Chinese man one time. Heather laughed describing the event.
Twelve years ago, when Jason and Heather had their first daughter, Madison, Heather quit that job to stay home with her.
“I kept sewing, but I sewed for her,” Heather said.
Jason said, “She couldn’t keep her hands still, so she started making clothes for the kids. She would go out places and people would say, ‘Where in the world did you get that?’ and she would say, ‘Oh, I made it.’”
Elise, their second daughter, was born nearly three years later.
“I didn’t start out wanting to design kids’ clothes. My daughter kind of marked my way in that,” she said. “I love costumes. As a kid, you can get away with wearing over the top kind of things. I love to mix and match prints, and kids love it, too.”
By the time the Lankers moved to Siloam Springs in 2006 for Jason to start his new job at John Brown University, Heather had developed a thriving design and wholesale business in Los Angeles and was selling to boutiques across the United States.
They thought she had everything arranged to be able to continue in Arkansas, but after moving she soon discovered the promised resources were no longer available and Heather was unable to continue her business.
Heather quickly fell into depression as she was left with only excess fabric and dashed hopes and dreams.
“I would leave her in the morning and she would just be crying in her bed,” said Jason. “I would come home after work and she was right at the same place I left her. She was just broken. I have never seen anyone in my life broken like that.”
One day Jason came home and said to Heather, “You know what? You have all this stuff. It is just sitting here. You are always better as a person when you are doing what you were made for. So just start making stuff again, start playing with fabric and being creative. You’re not wasting money; it’s just sitting in the garage. You’re not wasting any time; you’re just laying your bed. Just do something.”
Soon Heather had a bunch of little outfits and nothing to do with them. At the suggestion of some friends she sold them at the Dogwood Festival.
“I was hooked,” said Heather. “I kept making more one-of-a-kind outfits and travelled around the area selling them.”
The dream that was dead was coming alive again.
“One thing I love about her is she always wants to do what God wants to do,” said Jason. “If there was one area where she had her greatest will and desire it was her clothing, and even though it broke her and was really hard when we moved out here, I think when it came back to life it was like a resurrection. And because God had brought it back to life she was finally willing to give him that part of herself.”
Three years ago, selling at festivals and shows gradually led to leasing a small storefront downtown as their home ran out of room to comfortably produce the clothes. When another store, the Baby Closet, went out of business about 18 months ago, Heather Hill Clothing took over their lease and moved around the corner to Broadway Street.
This year, Heather embarked on a new adventure. At Jason’s encouragement, she entered the world of wholesale once again, even though at first she was unsure and a little gun-shy because of her previous experiences.
“At the show in Dallas, I told Jason I wouldn’t do it unless my first choice rep approached us and asked to carry the line,” said Heather.
“Not 10 minutes after I said that, he came up and said he loved my line’s look and he wanted to carry it.”
Finding a manufacturer in India, Heather quickly designed her line for spring 2013, so they would have plenty of time to produce. Her wholesale line is now rebranded as Heather Feather, and her handmade line remains Heather Hill.
“To me it is just the next step. I feel this is the beginning of something; I just do not know where it is going,” said Heather.
Jason said, “Through all this, the last four years, it is not just her business. So she does not just sew for her dreams anymore, she really sews because that is the way God made her. She sees that. She’ll sew for him and sell for him as long as he wants her to.”
His wife Heather is the owner and designer for Heather Hill Clothing, a children’s clothing store on Broadway Street in downtown Siloam Springs. She is also a mother of two.
Above her sewing machine in her shop hangs a quote by Saint Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
Both Jason and Heather point to that quote as a description of Heather’s life and business.
“I live by that,” she said. “I still know what God has created me for. Sometimes I wonder, but I remember that showing people what I do is showing who God is.”
Jason said, “Her greatest desire is to glorify God. She knows that he hasn’t just made her to be a shop owner or a designer. He has also made her to be a wife, and a mother, and a friend. You could talk to anyone who knows her and they would say she is incredible, because she constantly gives of herself.”
Heather began her career as a designer after graduating college with a degree in home economics. At the suggestion of a professor, she went through the yellow pages and called every costume house in Hollywood.
She ended up with sexy pajamas and a job designing costumes for productions, theaters and individual buyers. They even made an Elvis costume for a Chinese man one time. Heather laughed describing the event.
Twelve years ago, when Jason and Heather had their first daughter, Madison, Heather quit that job to stay home with her.
“I kept sewing, but I sewed for her,” Heather said.
Jason said, “She couldn’t keep her hands still, so she started making clothes for the kids. She would go out places and people would say, ‘Where in the world did you get that?’ and she would say, ‘Oh, I made it.’”
Elise, their second daughter, was born nearly three years later.
“I didn’t start out wanting to design kids’ clothes. My daughter kind of marked my way in that,” she said. “I love costumes. As a kid, you can get away with wearing over the top kind of things. I love to mix and match prints, and kids love it, too.”
By the time the Lankers moved to Siloam Springs in 2006 for Jason to start his new job at John Brown University, Heather had developed a thriving design and wholesale business in Los Angeles and was selling to boutiques across the United States.
They thought she had everything arranged to be able to continue in Arkansas, but after moving she soon discovered the promised resources were no longer available and Heather was unable to continue her business.
Heather quickly fell into depression as she was left with only excess fabric and dashed hopes and dreams.
“I would leave her in the morning and she would just be crying in her bed,” said Jason. “I would come home after work and she was right at the same place I left her. She was just broken. I have never seen anyone in my life broken like that.”
One day Jason came home and said to Heather, “You know what? You have all this stuff. It is just sitting here. You are always better as a person when you are doing what you were made for. So just start making stuff again, start playing with fabric and being creative. You’re not wasting money; it’s just sitting in the garage. You’re not wasting any time; you’re just laying your bed. Just do something.”
Soon Heather had a bunch of little outfits and nothing to do with them. At the suggestion of some friends she sold them at the Dogwood Festival.
“I was hooked,” said Heather. “I kept making more one-of-a-kind outfits and travelled around the area selling them.”
The dream that was dead was coming alive again.
“One thing I love about her is she always wants to do what God wants to do,” said Jason. “If there was one area where she had her greatest will and desire it was her clothing, and even though it broke her and was really hard when we moved out here, I think when it came back to life it was like a resurrection. And because God had brought it back to life she was finally willing to give him that part of herself.”
Three years ago, selling at festivals and shows gradually led to leasing a small storefront downtown as their home ran out of room to comfortably produce the clothes. When another store, the Baby Closet, went out of business about 18 months ago, Heather Hill Clothing took over their lease and moved around the corner to Broadway Street.
This year, Heather embarked on a new adventure. At Jason’s encouragement, she entered the world of wholesale once again, even though at first she was unsure and a little gun-shy because of her previous experiences.
“At the show in Dallas, I told Jason I wouldn’t do it unless my first choice rep approached us and asked to carry the line,” said Heather.
“Not 10 minutes after I said that, he came up and said he loved my line’s look and he wanted to carry it.”
Finding a manufacturer in India, Heather quickly designed her line for spring 2013, so they would have plenty of time to produce. Her wholesale line is now rebranded as Heather Feather, and her handmade line remains Heather Hill.
“To me it is just the next step. I feel this is the beginning of something; I just do not know where it is going,” said Heather.
Jason said, “Through all this, the last four years, it is not just her business. So she does not just sew for her dreams anymore, she really sews because that is the way God made her. She sees that. She’ll sew for him and sell for him as long as he wants her to.”
2012年10月23日 星期二
They are all helpful cosplay approaches to find out with regards to wholesale snapback hats
A cheap hats is usually a small some thing that can operate for just about any range of cosplay costume. You will find all sorts of various kinds of costumes that may require the use of hats as a ordinarily means of producing the total costume appear total. It will aid to make use of quite a few tactics when wanting into receiving a fine cosplay hat ready for one’s cosplay outfit.
It will quite first aid to seem in to the style and design from the hat. It must unquestionably be slightly a thing that is going to become undertaking function together with the rest from the costume in terms of how it appears and just how it goes with a lot of colours. For example, a fine cosplay hat to get a sailor costume might be a single that’s navy blue or white in colour dependent on the colour on the key outfit. The material must unquestionably also be the identical as that of what’s applied for the rest with the costume.
But a further tip to determine entails the development of your new era caps wholesale. The scenario with some cosplay hats is that they could be generated with economical plastic resources. This can be a bit some thing that may make a hat seem poor in major notch. It is going to help to look to get a hat that is not going to provide off a great volume of shine except if that hat is actually a single that’s going to operate with a metal definitely feel to it.
The following matter to see is how the match from the hat is going to operate. Even while it can be right that some hats can be a single dimension fits all hats not every single a single like this can be going to operate in that way. In easy reality, a fitted hat can be a tiny one thing that may aid to produce one’s cosplay costume alot a lot more appealing and precise. A fine matter to do in this scenario is usually to concentrate on receiving slightly something that is certainly fitted to ensure that it’s going to be a great deal less complicated for consumers to focus on the costume and not on some kind of strap that the costume can operate with.
They are all helpful cosplay approaches to find out with regards to wholesale snapback hats. The hat need to absolutely be a single that is going to become very nicely made and is definitely going to match one’s head. It’ll aid to be good that the components is really a single which will match the total outfit as pretty properly. Utilizing these concerns can aid to produce a hat look in certain amazing on any person who’s sporting a fine cosplay costume.
Wielding an iPhone 5 and a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I loaded up on apps, got on board with Google Wallet, and left my real wallet at home. No cards, no cash. I've ordered everything from my Halloween costume to sushi to plane tickets -- throughout the Bay Area and even for a vacation in Hawaii - using purely mobile means.
What I've found: Although we're a long way from where we were even a few months ago, being able to live completely walletless is still a long ways off. There are just too many entrenched forces -- primarily government agencies, mom-and-pop stores, and anyone who requires an ID -- for this change to happen quickly. However, on the mobile payments front, it's pretty darn doable (and in fact, enjoyable) -- at least if you live in a major metropolitan area.
It will quite first aid to seem in to the style and design from the hat. It must unquestionably be slightly a thing that is going to become undertaking function together with the rest from the costume in terms of how it appears and just how it goes with a lot of colours. For example, a fine cosplay hat to get a sailor costume might be a single that’s navy blue or white in colour dependent on the colour on the key outfit. The material must unquestionably also be the identical as that of what’s applied for the rest with the costume.
But a further tip to determine entails the development of your new era caps wholesale. The scenario with some cosplay hats is that they could be generated with economical plastic resources. This can be a bit some thing that may make a hat seem poor in major notch. It is going to help to look to get a hat that is not going to provide off a great volume of shine except if that hat is actually a single that’s going to operate with a metal definitely feel to it.
The following matter to see is how the match from the hat is going to operate. Even while it can be right that some hats can be a single dimension fits all hats not every single a single like this can be going to operate in that way. In easy reality, a fitted hat can be a tiny one thing that may aid to produce one’s cosplay costume alot a lot more appealing and precise. A fine matter to do in this scenario is usually to concentrate on receiving slightly something that is certainly fitted to ensure that it’s going to be a great deal less complicated for consumers to focus on the costume and not on some kind of strap that the costume can operate with.
They are all helpful cosplay approaches to find out with regards to wholesale snapback hats. The hat need to absolutely be a single that is going to become very nicely made and is definitely going to match one’s head. It’ll aid to be good that the components is really a single which will match the total outfit as pretty properly. Utilizing these concerns can aid to produce a hat look in certain amazing on any person who’s sporting a fine cosplay costume.
Wielding an iPhone 5 and a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I loaded up on apps, got on board with Google Wallet, and left my real wallet at home. No cards, no cash. I've ordered everything from my Halloween costume to sushi to plane tickets -- throughout the Bay Area and even for a vacation in Hawaii - using purely mobile means.
What I've found: Although we're a long way from where we were even a few months ago, being able to live completely walletless is still a long ways off. There are just too many entrenched forces -- primarily government agencies, mom-and-pop stores, and anyone who requires an ID -- for this change to happen quickly. However, on the mobile payments front, it's pretty darn doable (and in fact, enjoyable) -- at least if you live in a major metropolitan area.
2012年10月22日 星期一
Halloween costumes take cue from the big and small screen
Halloween costumes typically take their cue from pop culture so you need look no further than the big screen, video games and mobile phone apps to find this year's hottest trends: Angry Birds,Christmas Costume ,Batman, zombies and superheroes.
“Superheroes are this year's biggest Halloween costume theme, as influenced by major blockbuster hits The Amazing Spiderman, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, says Party City's vice president of marketing, Bill Furtkevic. “It's especially popular with adults and works as a great theme for couples or groups.”
The trend toward personalized costumes is a treat this Halloween. “Costume designers have fashioned customized head to toe looks with thousands of accessories to create trendy and personalized costumes,” says Furtkevic.
Because pieces are sold separately, trick or treaters can pick and choose which accessories work best for their style and budget.
The new Flutter Fairy line of costumes, for example, offers a wide variety of mix and match options for young girls so their dreams of becoming a bumblebee, aquatic fairy or rainbow fairy can take flight. As an added bonus, they can use the accessories to play dress up all year long.
Walmart has cast its costume web far and wide and snagged Spiderman as a top choice among trick or treaters. “One of the things propelling its sales is that the costume has changed from the original,” says category buyer Joe Winters. “Children who had the old costume are excited to get the new costume. It's one of our top costumes for boys this year.”
Other favourites:
Angry Birds: In this phenomenally successful computer game, cannonball shaped birds with really bad attitudes work to bring about the demise of green pigs. Take a slingshot to choose which one of these unisex costumes is right for you (they're available for kids and adults alike).
Super Mario Brothers: Sure, the video game has been around since the mid 1980s but Mario and his twin brother Luigi remain endearing icons, which translates into winning costumes.
Zombies: TV shows like The Walking Dead have breathed new life into this timeless genre, which has limitless options (zombie cheerleaders, zombie doctors and so on). Events like the Toronto Zombie Walk also add to the craze.
Monster High: This popular toy category translates into a ‘fangtastic' choice for girls. “It's followed by Disney Princess, in particular because of Rapunzel, the most sought after Disney princess costume,” says Winters.
Traditional: Of course, traditional costumes like pirates, witches, princesses and Ninjas are always in style and can be an affordable option to the hottest trends, he notes.
Pirates, vampires and witches are also favourites among adults. Declare your love for one another with couples costumes like Fred and Wilma, Caesar and Cleopatra, caveman and cavewoman, and Popeye and Olive Oyl, says Winters.
Have something a little more retro in mind? RetroFestive, a Canadian online retailer of quirky Christmas merchandise, offers Halloween costumes for adults from holiday classics like A Christmas Story, Nightmare Before Christmas and the following:
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Grinch Deluxe costume includes a one piece Santa suit, matching Santa hat, signature Grinch latex mask (with see through mesh eyes) and furry gloves.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Selections include the Griswold 00 Blackhawks Official Hockey Jersey.
Elf: Channel Will Ferrell with the Buddy the Elf costume.
“Superheroes are this year's biggest Halloween costume theme, as influenced by major blockbuster hits The Amazing Spiderman, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, says Party City's vice president of marketing, Bill Furtkevic. “It's especially popular with adults and works as a great theme for couples or groups.”
The trend toward personalized costumes is a treat this Halloween. “Costume designers have fashioned customized head to toe looks with thousands of accessories to create trendy and personalized costumes,” says Furtkevic.
Because pieces are sold separately, trick or treaters can pick and choose which accessories work best for their style and budget.
The new Flutter Fairy line of costumes, for example, offers a wide variety of mix and match options for young girls so their dreams of becoming a bumblebee, aquatic fairy or rainbow fairy can take flight. As an added bonus, they can use the accessories to play dress up all year long.
Walmart has cast its costume web far and wide and snagged Spiderman as a top choice among trick or treaters. “One of the things propelling its sales is that the costume has changed from the original,” says category buyer Joe Winters. “Children who had the old costume are excited to get the new costume. It's one of our top costumes for boys this year.”
Other favourites:
Angry Birds: In this phenomenally successful computer game, cannonball shaped birds with really bad attitudes work to bring about the demise of green pigs. Take a slingshot to choose which one of these unisex costumes is right for you (they're available for kids and adults alike).
Super Mario Brothers: Sure, the video game has been around since the mid 1980s but Mario and his twin brother Luigi remain endearing icons, which translates into winning costumes.
Zombies: TV shows like The Walking Dead have breathed new life into this timeless genre, which has limitless options (zombie cheerleaders, zombie doctors and so on). Events like the Toronto Zombie Walk also add to the craze.
Monster High: This popular toy category translates into a ‘fangtastic' choice for girls. “It's followed by Disney Princess, in particular because of Rapunzel, the most sought after Disney princess costume,” says Winters.
Traditional: Of course, traditional costumes like pirates, witches, princesses and Ninjas are always in style and can be an affordable option to the hottest trends, he notes.
Pirates, vampires and witches are also favourites among adults. Declare your love for one another with couples costumes like Fred and Wilma, Caesar and Cleopatra, caveman and cavewoman, and Popeye and Olive Oyl, says Winters.
Have something a little more retro in mind? RetroFestive, a Canadian online retailer of quirky Christmas merchandise, offers Halloween costumes for adults from holiday classics like A Christmas Story, Nightmare Before Christmas and the following:
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Grinch Deluxe costume includes a one piece Santa suit, matching Santa hat, signature Grinch latex mask (with see through mesh eyes) and furry gloves.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Selections include the Griswold 00 Blackhawks Official Hockey Jersey.
Elf: Channel Will Ferrell with the Buddy the Elf costume.
2012年10月21日 星期日
Have Halloween Costumes Become Too Sexy?
For every Darth Vader and princess in the costume aisle are two sexy nurse outfits — sometimes geared toward teens and tweens. Has it gone too far, or is it all in fun for one day a year?
Witches and ghosts,sexy pajamas , goblins and naughty Alice in Wonderlands wearing thigh-high stockings — it used to be that the fear of razor blades in apples was the greatest threat to the innocent fun of Halloween. Now, it appears that racy costumes have taken over.
A Patch site in Santa Cruz, CA perused a local party store and found that the children’s costume section had been shoved to the back in favor of R-rated fare throughout, in plain view. A reporter for U-T TV in San Diego wondered about the message sent by racy adult costumes in her report.
It could just be how California does things. But Patch columnist Heather Geyer posed a similar question a year ago here in Milwaukee.
Not everything has gone off the moral cliff, however. At the Party City store in Brown Deer on Green Bay Road, the main costume aisle started with toddlers at one end and ended with adults at the other. While the standard sexy nurse costumes were on display — signs only; the outfits are tucked away — it was not an aisle that would lead one to drag their 10-year-old through as fast as possible.
So have Halloween costumes gone completely from scary to skanky? Or is this just one time a year when tweens, teens and grownups can push a few boundaries in the name of fun and full-size Snickers bars? Vote in our poll then join the discussion in the comments. And tell us what your favorite all-time costume is, or what you'll be dressed as this year.
Read the story behind-the-story, how WGN Radio's Steve Betrand wound up co-emceeing a Halloween costume contest for pets in Highwood.
This was one of the many events held in the suburb's
What is your dog going to be for Halloween? A costume contest for pets is among the many events going on in Highwood The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest 2012 (October 18-20). The contest for best costumes benefitted Placing Paws from Libertyville. Cindy Falstad of the rescue group was a contest judge.
Other judges included Marius Geykman, a Karen Pryor Academy trainer. I had no idea I was on stage with a KPA dog trainer who's presented at conferences with people I know quite well. Talk about being your dog expert. And he represented Sara McLoudrey's Root Dog Training (the only Victoria Stilwell certified trainer in the area).
Also, judging David Eisendrath of Camp Dogwood. This is actually what it sounds like - a camp to go with your dogs, where dogs can be dogs....It's a lot of fun. I know - we've done it many times.
Apparently, this event is also featured in HGTV "Pumpkin Wars,"which airs October 31, 7 p.m. CDT. That is, in part, because of the 32,000 jack-o-lanterns on Pumpkin Walls lining the streets of Downtown Highwood,
The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest - one highlight are the endless rows of Jack O' Lanterns. The intent, apparently, to break a Guinness book of World Records.
How to make quality special effects makeup for Halloween or any other costume event was the subject of a workshop on Saturday in downtown Parkersburg.
Arthur Collins, a Little Hocking native now living in Youngstown, was leading the workshop on making quality costumes on a shoestring budget at the Dils Center on Market Street.
Collins, 37, has been involved in many aspects of film, especially in his favorite genre, horror.
Witches and ghosts,sexy pajamas , goblins and naughty Alice in Wonderlands wearing thigh-high stockings — it used to be that the fear of razor blades in apples was the greatest threat to the innocent fun of Halloween. Now, it appears that racy costumes have taken over.
A Patch site in Santa Cruz, CA perused a local party store and found that the children’s costume section had been shoved to the back in favor of R-rated fare throughout, in plain view. A reporter for U-T TV in San Diego wondered about the message sent by racy adult costumes in her report.
It could just be how California does things. But Patch columnist Heather Geyer posed a similar question a year ago here in Milwaukee.
Not everything has gone off the moral cliff, however. At the Party City store in Brown Deer on Green Bay Road, the main costume aisle started with toddlers at one end and ended with adults at the other. While the standard sexy nurse costumes were on display — signs only; the outfits are tucked away — it was not an aisle that would lead one to drag their 10-year-old through as fast as possible.
So have Halloween costumes gone completely from scary to skanky? Or is this just one time a year when tweens, teens and grownups can push a few boundaries in the name of fun and full-size Snickers bars? Vote in our poll then join the discussion in the comments. And tell us what your favorite all-time costume is, or what you'll be dressed as this year.
Read the story behind-the-story, how WGN Radio's Steve Betrand wound up co-emceeing a Halloween costume contest for pets in Highwood.
This was one of the many events held in the suburb's
What is your dog going to be for Halloween? A costume contest for pets is among the many events going on in Highwood The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest 2012 (October 18-20). The contest for best costumes benefitted Placing Paws from Libertyville. Cindy Falstad of the rescue group was a contest judge.
Other judges included Marius Geykman, a Karen Pryor Academy trainer. I had no idea I was on stage with a KPA dog trainer who's presented at conferences with people I know quite well. Talk about being your dog expert. And he represented Sara McLoudrey's Root Dog Training (the only Victoria Stilwell certified trainer in the area).
Also, judging David Eisendrath of Camp Dogwood. This is actually what it sounds like - a camp to go with your dogs, where dogs can be dogs....It's a lot of fun. I know - we've done it many times.
Apparently, this event is also featured in HGTV "Pumpkin Wars,"which airs October 31, 7 p.m. CDT. That is, in part, because of the 32,000 jack-o-lanterns on Pumpkin Walls lining the streets of Downtown Highwood,
The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest - one highlight are the endless rows of Jack O' Lanterns. The intent, apparently, to break a Guinness book of World Records.
How to make quality special effects makeup for Halloween or any other costume event was the subject of a workshop on Saturday in downtown Parkersburg.
Arthur Collins, a Little Hocking native now living in Youngstown, was leading the workshop on making quality costumes on a shoestring budget at the Dils Center on Market Street.
Collins, 37, has been involved in many aspects of film, especially in his favorite genre, horror.
2012年10月18日 星期四
Top Topical Halloween Costumes
So many good options this year!
Newsweek. Dress as a ghost and if anyone asks, murmur sadly about the “transition to digital.”
Poorly restored Jesus fresco. (This one is a popular choice, but it's a great idea. Here's how to do it right.)
Miley Cyrus's style evolution. Show up as a fully clothed tween. Leave as a pantsless Draco Malfoy.
Joe Biden + Paul Ryan make a great couples costume, if you are a couple with serious problems. Have one of the pair constantly chuckle and express disbelief and the other drink constantly from a giant water bottle and blink less often than they should.
Inevitable bacon shortage. This is everyone's worst nightmare. Dress as bacon. Insist, midway through the party, that you don't feel so good and maybe, just maybe, no one will ever see you again.
Clint Eastwood and Invisible Obama. This is a great couples costume if you are a couple of one. All you need is a chair and dozens of people so excited to see a celebrity who is not Jon Voigt that they say yes to everything you propose.
Honey Boo Boo. For bonus scares, dress up as someone who finds the TV show to be an offensive caricature. Then you can have the following interaction.
“Hey! I'm Honey Boo Boo!”
“Hey! I'm someone who finds the show to be exploitative and reprehensible!”
(Silence, angry stares.)
Own a string instrument? Dress up as the string soloist for “Call Me Maybe.”
Undecided voter. I have no idea how to dress up as one of these because I don't know who they are, what they look like, what they want, or anything about them. Neither does anyone else. Just dress as a unicorn.
Binder full of women makes a great group costume. If you can't gin up a group in time, just go as a loose leaf. A loose leaf is just like a regular leaf, but sexier. This also fills the unstated requirement of women's costumes that they be sexy. Bring reinforcements in case you fall out. For added sexiness, bring sheet protectors.
iPhone 5. Be cool and alarmingly skinny, but not quite as cool as everyone was hoping.
Short dress and cat ears. When people ask “Are you a Sexy cat?” respond, “No! I'm a woman who is conforming to societal expectations of what her costume should look like.” As they blink at you, disoriented, add, “It's a commentary.”
Swing state. Dress in purple. Show up with one candidate, leave with another. Demand constant attention.
Arlen Spectre. (Too soon?)
Female anatomy, according to Todd Akin. Dress as an angry squiggle that eats anything that threatens it. Constantly approach men demanding that they regulate you.
Newsweek. Dress as a ghost and if anyone asks, murmur sadly about the “transition to digital.”
Poorly restored Jesus fresco. (This one is a popular choice, but it's a great idea. Here's how to do it right.)
Miley Cyrus's style evolution. Show up as a fully clothed tween. Leave as a pantsless Draco Malfoy.
Joe Biden + Paul Ryan make a great couples costume, if you are a couple with serious problems. Have one of the pair constantly chuckle and express disbelief and the other drink constantly from a giant water bottle and blink less often than they should.
Inevitable bacon shortage. This is everyone's worst nightmare. Dress as bacon. Insist, midway through the party, that you don't feel so good and maybe, just maybe, no one will ever see you again.
Clint Eastwood and Invisible Obama. This is a great couples costume if you are a couple of one. All you need is a chair and dozens of people so excited to see a celebrity who is not Jon Voigt that they say yes to everything you propose.
Honey Boo Boo. For bonus scares, dress up as someone who finds the TV show to be an offensive caricature. Then you can have the following interaction.
“Hey! I'm Honey Boo Boo!”
“Hey! I'm someone who finds the show to be exploitative and reprehensible!”
(Silence, angry stares.)
Own a string instrument? Dress up as the string soloist for “Call Me Maybe.”
Undecided voter. I have no idea how to dress up as one of these because I don't know who they are, what they look like, what they want, or anything about them. Neither does anyone else. Just dress as a unicorn.
Binder full of women makes a great group costume. If you can't gin up a group in time, just go as a loose leaf. A loose leaf is just like a regular leaf, but sexier. This also fills the unstated requirement of women's costumes that they be sexy. Bring reinforcements in case you fall out. For added sexiness, bring sheet protectors.
iPhone 5. Be cool and alarmingly skinny, but not quite as cool as everyone was hoping.
Short dress and cat ears. When people ask “Are you a Sexy cat?” respond, “No! I'm a woman who is conforming to societal expectations of what her costume should look like.” As they blink at you, disoriented, add, “It's a commentary.”
Swing state. Dress in purple. Show up with one candidate, leave with another. Demand constant attention.
Arlen Spectre. (Too soon?)
Female anatomy, according to Todd Akin. Dress as an angry squiggle that eats anything that threatens it. Constantly approach men demanding that they regulate you.
2012年10月16日 星期二
Halloween Costume Options Let Adults Get Their Party On
Halloween costumes for adults are leaning a little bit sexy, a little bit spooky, a little bit super, a little bit ... stuffed?
According to Sandy Hawkins, an associate at the Spirit Halloween store in Hixson, a popular costume among adult males is Ted, the titular crass-talking teddy bear from the movie starring Mark Wahlberg. A fully committed partygoer can purchase a full suit for around $79, while the casual Halloweener might choose fuzzy hood and gloves for $29.99.
Ted is not the only pop-culture hero cropping up at costume stores. Outfits representing characters from "Glee," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Where's Waldo" are only a few of the beloved screen- and page-inspired costumes on the shelves. Superhero costumes also are being sold at high volume.
Traditional Halloween-themed costumes, like witches, cats and zombies, continue to be popular.
According to the National Retail Federation, witches are projected to be the No. 1 costume for adult women this season.
Marie Bogart, a flight attendant who lives in North Chattanooga, has worn several incarnations of witch costumes, she wrote in an email.
"I've been the scary one, gruesome one and sexy one or good one. Luckily you can transform witches into many different kinds, like Glinda the Good Witch or her evil sister on "The Wizard of Oz."
Bogart wrote she has always been a Halloween enthusiast.
Other Top 5 adult costumes are vampires, pirates, Batman characters and zombies.
"Zombies are hot," Hawkins said, "and they're fairly cheap to do."
A full zombie costume retails for about $50. Plenty of makeup, including fake blood and scars, is available as well.
For women, Halloween can be a time to show a little skin. Even traditional costumes come in racy versions, such as naughty nurse or sexy witch.
Companies such as Leg Avenue, which sells lingerie and burlesque wear as well as costumes, offer titillating options for costumes perhaps not always associated with more prurient desires. Sexy ladybug? Naughty Strawberry Shortcake? Or perhaps a reference to the TV show "How I Met Your Mother," slutty pumpkin? All ready and available, ranging from about $30 to $80.
"They're all pretty seductive," said Inez Gutierrez, associate at Spirit of Halloween.
For men who don't mind leaving little to the imagination, Gutierrez said Super Skins, one piece head-to-toe body suits, are flying off the shelves.
"We just restocked, and this is what we have left," she said, indicating the nearly bare shelves. Both solid-color and patterned versions are available, with themes such as American flag, skeleton and The Flash. Inflatable options, called Blimpz, also are on hand.
At Spirit, most full costumes, including outfit and accessories, range from $35 to $80 retail. For those choosing costumes on a budget, Spirit sells Halloween accouterments such as ears, tails, wings and wigs, which can be combined with homemade costumes or worn with street clothes for just a touch of spooky spirit.
Oftentimes, a touch of creativity can be just as important as cash to spend on a costume.
In response to a Facebook query, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumna Meghan Morrison wrote she is creating her own voodoo doll costume by sewing a heart onto a brown dress she already owns.
According to Sandy Hawkins, an associate at the Spirit Halloween store in Hixson, a popular costume among adult males is Ted, the titular crass-talking teddy bear from the movie starring Mark Wahlberg. A fully committed partygoer can purchase a full suit for around $79, while the casual Halloweener might choose fuzzy hood and gloves for $29.99.
Ted is not the only pop-culture hero cropping up at costume stores. Outfits representing characters from "Glee," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Where's Waldo" are only a few of the beloved screen- and page-inspired costumes on the shelves. Superhero costumes also are being sold at high volume.
Traditional Halloween-themed costumes, like witches, cats and zombies, continue to be popular.
According to the National Retail Federation, witches are projected to be the No. 1 costume for adult women this season.
Marie Bogart, a flight attendant who lives in North Chattanooga, has worn several incarnations of witch costumes, she wrote in an email.
"I've been the scary one, gruesome one and sexy one or good one. Luckily you can transform witches into many different kinds, like Glinda the Good Witch or her evil sister on "The Wizard of Oz."
Bogart wrote she has always been a Halloween enthusiast.
Other Top 5 adult costumes are vampires, pirates, Batman characters and zombies.
"Zombies are hot," Hawkins said, "and they're fairly cheap to do."
A full zombie costume retails for about $50. Plenty of makeup, including fake blood and scars, is available as well.
For women, Halloween can be a time to show a little skin. Even traditional costumes come in racy versions, such as naughty nurse or sexy witch.
Companies such as Leg Avenue, which sells lingerie and burlesque wear as well as costumes, offer titillating options for costumes perhaps not always associated with more prurient desires. Sexy ladybug? Naughty Strawberry Shortcake? Or perhaps a reference to the TV show "How I Met Your Mother," slutty pumpkin? All ready and available, ranging from about $30 to $80.
"They're all pretty seductive," said Inez Gutierrez, associate at Spirit of Halloween.
For men who don't mind leaving little to the imagination, Gutierrez said Super Skins, one piece head-to-toe body suits, are flying off the shelves.
"We just restocked, and this is what we have left," she said, indicating the nearly bare shelves. Both solid-color and patterned versions are available, with themes such as American flag, skeleton and The Flash. Inflatable options, called Blimpz, also are on hand.
At Spirit, most full costumes, including outfit and accessories, range from $35 to $80 retail. For those choosing costumes on a budget, Spirit sells Halloween accouterments such as ears, tails, wings and wigs, which can be combined with homemade costumes or worn with street clothes for just a touch of spooky spirit.
Oftentimes, a touch of creativity can be just as important as cash to spend on a costume.
In response to a Facebook query, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumna Meghan Morrison wrote she is creating her own voodoo doll costume by sewing a heart onto a brown dress she already owns.
2012年10月14日 星期日
For Halloween, Some Splurge on Decor, Costumes
Some families, like Danielle Mitchell's, go all out to make Halloween a spook-tacular celebration.
“We probably spend a couple hundred dollars a year because we like to decorate the house. Everything we can for the kids, and we have a lot of kids in my family, so everyone gets dressed up and do trick-or-treating. We make the house look all cool outside so all the trick-or-treaters have a good time,” said Mitchell.
She was just one of dozens of people at Fred Meyer getting an early start on their Halloween shopping.
“Years ago we used to spend a lot more, maybe 20 or 30 dollars and it was cheaper then. Now all the kids are out of the house so it's pretty much a bag of candy, five bucks,” said Ken Roberts.
From the candy to the costumes, it all adds up. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates each person will spend $80 on Halloween this year, that's up $8 from last year.
“It seems a little low to me. It seems a little low. I know a lot of people in town like to celebrate Halloween. A lot of times Upper Hillside is a cool place to go because they always go above and beyond,” said Mitchell.
October 31 isn't just for the little ones anymore.
“My son goes all out for his costume so I can see him spending 50 or 60 bucks for all the materials,” said Roberts.
An NRF survey shows 45 percent of people will dress up and more than half of Americans say they plan to decorate their home or yard.
“I guess it depends where you live. Right now we're in an apartment/condo where it's secure and locked up so to buy any type of decoration or something like that is a waste of money. But if you're in a house where there's a lot of kids coming through, I can see where you might want to spend a little more on the lights,” said Roberts.
Overall, Americans are expected to shell out $8 billion this Halloween.
“We probably spend a couple hundred dollars a year because we like to decorate the house. Everything we can for the kids, and we have a lot of kids in my family, so everyone gets dressed up and do trick-or-treating. We make the house look all cool outside so all the trick-or-treaters have a good time,” said Mitchell.
She was just one of dozens of people at Fred Meyer getting an early start on their Halloween shopping.
“Years ago we used to spend a lot more, maybe 20 or 30 dollars and it was cheaper then. Now all the kids are out of the house so it's pretty much a bag of candy, five bucks,” said Ken Roberts.
From the candy to the costumes, it all adds up. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates each person will spend $80 on Halloween this year, that's up $8 from last year.
“It seems a little low to me. It seems a little low. I know a lot of people in town like to celebrate Halloween. A lot of times Upper Hillside is a cool place to go because they always go above and beyond,” said Mitchell.
October 31 isn't just for the little ones anymore.
“My son goes all out for his costume so I can see him spending 50 or 60 bucks for all the materials,” said Roberts.
An NRF survey shows 45 percent of people will dress up and more than half of Americans say they plan to decorate their home or yard.
“I guess it depends where you live. Right now we're in an apartment/condo where it's secure and locked up so to buy any type of decoration or something like that is a waste of money. But if you're in a house where there's a lot of kids coming through, I can see where you might want to spend a little more on the lights,” said Roberts.
Overall, Americans are expected to shell out $8 billion this Halloween.
2012年10月11日 星期四
Popular Halloween costumes: Witches, superheroes, athletes, oh my!
Grown-ups want to be witches while kids are opting for princesses and superheroes.
At least that's the expert assessment of what partygoers will choose as
.
Almost 6 million adults are masquerading as a witch — black hats, warts and all – followed by vampires in the No. 2 spot (with 3.2 million people donning fangs and capes), according to the National Retail Federation.
As for kids, nearly 10% are set on Cinderella, Snow White or other princess frocks, while another 10% are favoring Batman and Spider-Man costumes. The superhero uniform also makes the Top 10 list for adults.
“The biggest theme this year is superheroes,” said Julia Darrenkamp, spokeswoman at Party City. “That is due to all the blockbuster movies this year like the Avengers, Spider-Man and Batman, which are popular with men and women.”
Revelers are also looking to the year's big events for costume ideas. Inspired by the London Summer Olympics, more than 1 million people will sport some sort of athlete uniform this year, the retail group said.
With the elections just weeks away, more than 760,000 politically conscious partygoers will don some sort of political costume.
“We'll see plenty of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney look-alikes out and about for Halloween,” said Pam Goodfellow of the research firm BIGinsight. “However, we expect these rivals will be able to find some common ground over the punch bowl or a bag of candy.”
Halloween is a big business for the costume and candy industry. People are expected to spend $8 billion on the holiday this year, the survey said. Nearly $3 billion of that goes to costumes.
Fergie is pulling off the Lindsay Lohan look way better than Lohan is these days.
The 37-year-old singer donned a long blond wig, and posed for a photo that she posted on Twitter, writing:
"What ever am I going to be for Halloween this year?"
Though she could be going for any number of costumes involving a blond wig, we think the pop star should settle on going as Lohan, since Fergie looked almost identical to the actress, who had extremely blond hair back in November 2004.
The singer is a big fan of Halloween, and last year she attended Heidi Klum‘s Halloween party, held at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown, dressed up as a child beauty pageant contestant from TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras." She wore a poufy, purple sequined dress, a giant crown and carried a large purple teddy bear.
At least that's the expert assessment of what partygoers will choose as
| sexy pajamas |
Almost 6 million adults are masquerading as a witch — black hats, warts and all – followed by vampires in the No. 2 spot (with 3.2 million people donning fangs and capes), according to the National Retail Federation.
As for kids, nearly 10% are set on Cinderella, Snow White or other princess frocks, while another 10% are favoring Batman and Spider-Man costumes. The superhero uniform also makes the Top 10 list for adults.
“The biggest theme this year is superheroes,” said Julia Darrenkamp, spokeswoman at Party City. “That is due to all the blockbuster movies this year like the Avengers, Spider-Man and Batman, which are popular with men and women.”
Revelers are also looking to the year's big events for costume ideas. Inspired by the London Summer Olympics, more than 1 million people will sport some sort of athlete uniform this year, the retail group said.
With the elections just weeks away, more than 760,000 politically conscious partygoers will don some sort of political costume.
“We'll see plenty of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney look-alikes out and about for Halloween,” said Pam Goodfellow of the research firm BIGinsight. “However, we expect these rivals will be able to find some common ground over the punch bowl or a bag of candy.”
Halloween is a big business for the costume and candy industry. People are expected to spend $8 billion on the holiday this year, the survey said. Nearly $3 billion of that goes to costumes.
Fergie is pulling off the Lindsay Lohan look way better than Lohan is these days.
The 37-year-old singer donned a long blond wig, and posed for a photo that she posted on Twitter, writing:
"What ever am I going to be for Halloween this year?"
Though she could be going for any number of costumes involving a blond wig, we think the pop star should settle on going as Lohan, since Fergie looked almost identical to the actress, who had extremely blond hair back in November 2004.
The singer is a big fan of Halloween, and last year she attended Heidi Klum‘s Halloween party, held at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown, dressed up as a child beauty pageant contestant from TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras." She wore a poufy, purple sequined dress, a giant crown and carried a large purple teddy bear.
2012年10月10日 星期三
Vintage Goes Virtual for The Rag and Bone
For 17 years, Shelley Banker served the vintage clothing and accessory market of State College. But at the end of this year, the doors of The Rag and Bone‘s East Calder Way storefront will be closed for good.
From Shelley’s sunny smile traced in bright red lipstick and the soundtrack of rude boy ska ricocheting off of an inventory of golf tees, costume jewelry, coke bottle glasses, and 50′s housewife dresses; it’s clear The Rag and Bone is far from running out of steam. As Shelley puts it, her business isn’t shutting down, but moving on.
All of the great vintage wares on the shelves of The Rag and Bone will be sold from the store’s Etsy account. Shelley will continue to purchase retro goods for resale and rent out garb for special occasions. She’ll also stay in touch with her faithful customer base through an active email list serv (theragandbone@statecollege.com).
And though the days of doing business exclusively in State College are over for The Rag and Bone after December 31st, Shelley is open to collaborating with local establishments to host truck shows and other special events.
By shedding the overhead and time commitment of a fully operating store front, Shelley plans to free up time for her to reinvent not just The Rage and Bone, but herself personally.
“I’m ready for a change,” she said with her hair tightly wound in a bun supported by chop sticks. Her radiant personality was only equaled by her 70′s era floral blouse. “I’ll use my online store as a stepping stone while I search for other outlets within the vintage industry.”
Some of her ulterior aspirations include dabbling with wholesale retail, traveling to antique clothing shows, and starting up her own line of retro-inspired apparel. In this way, closing her physical shop makes business sense and personal sense.
“It’s bittersweet because I’m going to miss having a store where customers can touch the products and try on different clothes, but it’s kind of like opening a new chapter — for The Rag and Bone and for myself.”
From Shelley’s sunny smile traced in bright red lipstick and the soundtrack of rude boy ska ricocheting off of an inventory of golf tees, costume jewelry, coke bottle glasses, and 50′s housewife dresses; it’s clear The Rag and Bone is far from running out of steam. As Shelley puts it, her business isn’t shutting down, but moving on.
All of the great vintage wares on the shelves of The Rag and Bone will be sold from the store’s Etsy account. Shelley will continue to purchase retro goods for resale and rent out garb for special occasions. She’ll also stay in touch with her faithful customer base through an active email list serv (theragandbone@statecollege.com).
And though the days of doing business exclusively in State College are over for The Rag and Bone after December 31st, Shelley is open to collaborating with local establishments to host truck shows and other special events.
By shedding the overhead and time commitment of a fully operating store front, Shelley plans to free up time for her to reinvent not just The Rage and Bone, but herself personally.
“I’m ready for a change,” she said with her hair tightly wound in a bun supported by chop sticks. Her radiant personality was only equaled by her 70′s era floral blouse. “I’ll use my online store as a stepping stone while I search for other outlets within the vintage industry.”
Some of her ulterior aspirations include dabbling with wholesale retail, traveling to antique clothing shows, and starting up her own line of retro-inspired apparel. In this way, closing her physical shop makes business sense and personal sense.
“It’s bittersweet because I’m going to miss having a store where customers can touch the products and try on different clothes, but it’s kind of like opening a new chapter — for The Rag and Bone and for myself.”
2012年10月9日 星期二
A deliberate mother’s guide to Halloween
How does a deliberate mother handle Halloween?
Does she work to make Halloween educational or meaningful (maybe delve into the history of Halloweeen or talk about the pros and cons of “scary”) or just accept it as a mostly meaningless but fun holiday?
Does she make the cutest homemade costumes ever for her kids or shy away from the whole dressing-up thing, worrying that it’s a waste of time and effort and doesn’t really advance her kids’ most important needs?
Does she make lovely homemade treats, embrace the candy, or strive to keep her kids away from all the sugar?
Does she plan fun parties and/or run her kids around to every Halloween celebration out there, ensuring they don’t miss out on any of the fun, or does she keep her kids away from the craziness and do some simple family activities at home?
I know wonderful mothers who handle Halloween in a host of different ways and I think that what really matters that we take a little time to think about what we really want Halloween to be for us and for our kids and then plan accordingly.
After years of trial and error with the various aspects of Halloween, here are some things we’ve found work well for our family:
Meaning
In our family, we talk a bit about the history of Halloween each year and Halloween has spurred some important talks about “fun scary” vs. “bad scary” and “fun tricks” vs. “mean tricks.” But ultimately, I think Halloween is mostly about plain old fun and doesn’t need to be deeply meaningful. At Easter and Christmas, we really talk about the “reason for the season” and share beautiful moments as we get into giving and think about specific aspects of our faith. At Thanksgiving, we’ve got several traditions that focus us on gratitude. But at Halloween, we just dress up and eat candy and have a good old time for the most part. To me, Halloween is a time to let the kid inside us out for a while, pretend to be something we’re not for a day, eat more candy than we should, and just plain have a good time.
Costumes
I grew up with a mom who sent us down to the dress-up drawer full of random old clothes to create our own Halloween costumes. We got creative and it all worked out fine.
My sister and brother ready to trick-or-treat
But I remember sometimes wishing that my mom, like some of my friends’ moms, was a little more interested in making super-cool Halloween costumes.
So when I became a mom, I was determined to support my kids’ Halloween costume dreams. I was pretty proud of the theme-based Halloween costumes we did for a few years and the kids love looking back at those pictures and remembering how cool their costumes were (they were actually pretty simple but hey, I made a real effort and the kids were thrilled).
Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook
As the kids got older, while I offered to help them make whatever costume they really wanted, my husband and I decided that the kids would need to use their own money for costume accessories or supplies. When they needed to put in the work and the money for costumes, it was interesting to see how simple their costume needs became! Now the kids are excited to recycle old costumes, adding in a few new accessories to spice things up.
If you look at this series of photos, you’ll see a lot of similar elements reused. Plus the kids found that it worked great to borrow and trade costumes and pieces of costumes from other families and shop after-Halloween sales for great stuff to use the next year. We’re stuck in a bit of a pirate, ninja, princess or fairy, and super hero rut. But everyone’s happy!
Does she work to make Halloween educational or meaningful (maybe delve into the history of Halloweeen or talk about the pros and cons of “scary”) or just accept it as a mostly meaningless but fun holiday?
Does she make the cutest homemade costumes ever for her kids or shy away from the whole dressing-up thing, worrying that it’s a waste of time and effort and doesn’t really advance her kids’ most important needs?
Does she make lovely homemade treats, embrace the candy, or strive to keep her kids away from all the sugar?
Does she plan fun parties and/or run her kids around to every Halloween celebration out there, ensuring they don’t miss out on any of the fun, or does she keep her kids away from the craziness and do some simple family activities at home?
I know wonderful mothers who handle Halloween in a host of different ways and I think that what really matters that we take a little time to think about what we really want Halloween to be for us and for our kids and then plan accordingly.
After years of trial and error with the various aspects of Halloween, here are some things we’ve found work well for our family:
Meaning
In our family, we talk a bit about the history of Halloween each year and Halloween has spurred some important talks about “fun scary” vs. “bad scary” and “fun tricks” vs. “mean tricks.” But ultimately, I think Halloween is mostly about plain old fun and doesn’t need to be deeply meaningful. At Easter and Christmas, we really talk about the “reason for the season” and share beautiful moments as we get into giving and think about specific aspects of our faith. At Thanksgiving, we’ve got several traditions that focus us on gratitude. But at Halloween, we just dress up and eat candy and have a good old time for the most part. To me, Halloween is a time to let the kid inside us out for a while, pretend to be something we’re not for a day, eat more candy than we should, and just plain have a good time.
Costumes
I grew up with a mom who sent us down to the dress-up drawer full of random old clothes to create our own Halloween costumes. We got creative and it all worked out fine.
My sister and brother ready to trick-or-treat
But I remember sometimes wishing that my mom, like some of my friends’ moms, was a little more interested in making super-cool Halloween costumes.
So when I became a mom, I was determined to support my kids’ Halloween costume dreams. I was pretty proud of the theme-based Halloween costumes we did for a few years and the kids love looking back at those pictures and remembering how cool their costumes were (they were actually pretty simple but hey, I made a real effort and the kids were thrilled).
Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook
As the kids got older, while I offered to help them make whatever costume they really wanted, my husband and I decided that the kids would need to use their own money for costume accessories or supplies. When they needed to put in the work and the money for costumes, it was interesting to see how simple their costume needs became! Now the kids are excited to recycle old costumes, adding in a few new accessories to spice things up.
If you look at this series of photos, you’ll see a lot of similar elements reused. Plus the kids found that it worked great to borrow and trade costumes and pieces of costumes from other families and shop after-Halloween sales for great stuff to use the next year. We’re stuck in a bit of a pirate, ninja, princess or fairy, and super hero rut. But everyone’s happy!
2012年10月8日 星期一
The Way I Was
As a Jewish gay man, I know that Barbra Streisand should be a double icon. A strong woman with a knack for musicals, she's in the gay pantheon right next to Audrey Hepburn and, l'havdil, Madonna. And for Jews, of course, she's the one who made it big, and did it her way: no name change, no nose job, no hiding of the intense Brooklyn accent, and still she got to kiss Robert Redford (and Kris Kristofferson… and Don Johnson… and James Brolin… and so on).
But can I make a confession? The first Streisand vehicle I experienced was “Yentl,” in 1983, followed by surreptitious listenings to my parents' copy of “The Broadway Album” on vinyl. By the time I came of age, Streisand was past her prime, at least in terms of celebrity. Indeed, whereas today I look back on “Yentl” as perhaps the absurd apogee of her status as a gay icon — Barbra in drag! — at the time, it seemed like yet another Jewish movie. When it comes to Babs, I missed the boat.
This month, Streisand's coming home to Brooklyn, performing five minutes away from my place in Park Slope. Yet, though Streisand will be close by geographically, she remains culturally distant. First, the home from which she came, and the one to which she is returning, is not familiar to me. Streisand's Brooklyn and Barclays's Brooklyn are each far removed from my own. The vanished, Yiddish-speaking Brooklyn of Streisand's childhood exists only as a shadow of its former self in a few Hasidic enclaves and frum communities to the south. And the Barclays Center is the antithesis of all that's good about the Brooklyn renaissance — the independent stores and restaurants, the diverse population, the locally oriented culture and food and music — and represents an odious corporate onslaught that reeks of Manhattan.
Moreover, I've had to get my Streisand knowledge all on my own. I had to learn about Streisand as history: first in books and videotapes, now on YouTube and Wikipedia. Queer icon Quentin Crisp once remarked that people get stupid wholesale and get wise retail. Certainly that's been my experience, not just with Streisand, but also with a host of other gay and Jewish icons, as well. By the time I was old enough to appreciate them, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen had already produced their most famous work. And if I can confess my gay-Jewish sin here, in the spirit of the recent holiday season, I still haven't seen “Funny Girl.”
I'm blending the Jewish and the queer here for several reasons. Let's start with Streisand's own very Jewish queerness. First, she, like Bette Midler, got her start playing seedy gay clubs and bars. Second, and more important, her refusal to conform to Hollywood standards of beauty marked her as Other: not just the nose, but also the Jew-fro (at least throughout the 1970s), the accent and the other markers of Jewishness. She stood out, and demanded to be seen as she was. Finally, there's the gender-bending. Streisand is tough, that's obvious; everyone knows that she's not going to take any crap from anyone. Predating Madonna by two decades (and Lady Gaga by four), she took charge of her own career, and refused to play damsels in distress. Barbra Streisand is a strong woman in an industry dominated by macho men. She didn't need a costume department to dress like a yeshiva boy (although, Honey, that drag just does not pass…); she'd already worn the pants in her life for 20 years.
Is this Jewish? Is it Brooklyn? Is it queer? Yes to all three. Really, one of the things I've never understood about Jewish homophobia is how it coexists with millennia of Jewish queerness. Strong mothers and bookish fathers. A religious legacy of “not by might, not by power, but by spirit” — complete with biblical narratives of wimpy younger boys triumphing over their bullying older brothers. And if you've read your Naomi Seidman, you already know about pervasive gender-bending and homosocial love in Yiddish literature and culture. I didn't need Queer Theory and the Jewish Question or Daniel Boyarin's books to make the Jewish-queer link explicit: I lived it in day school.
But can I make a confession? The first Streisand vehicle I experienced was “Yentl,” in 1983, followed by surreptitious listenings to my parents' copy of “The Broadway Album” on vinyl. By the time I came of age, Streisand was past her prime, at least in terms of celebrity. Indeed, whereas today I look back on “Yentl” as perhaps the absurd apogee of her status as a gay icon — Barbra in drag! — at the time, it seemed like yet another Jewish movie. When it comes to Babs, I missed the boat.
This month, Streisand's coming home to Brooklyn, performing five minutes away from my place in Park Slope. Yet, though Streisand will be close by geographically, she remains culturally distant. First, the home from which she came, and the one to which she is returning, is not familiar to me. Streisand's Brooklyn and Barclays's Brooklyn are each far removed from my own. The vanished, Yiddish-speaking Brooklyn of Streisand's childhood exists only as a shadow of its former self in a few Hasidic enclaves and frum communities to the south. And the Barclays Center is the antithesis of all that's good about the Brooklyn renaissance — the independent stores and restaurants, the diverse population, the locally oriented culture and food and music — and represents an odious corporate onslaught that reeks of Manhattan.
Moreover, I've had to get my Streisand knowledge all on my own. I had to learn about Streisand as history: first in books and videotapes, now on YouTube and Wikipedia. Queer icon Quentin Crisp once remarked that people get stupid wholesale and get wise retail. Certainly that's been my experience, not just with Streisand, but also with a host of other gay and Jewish icons, as well. By the time I was old enough to appreciate them, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen had already produced their most famous work. And if I can confess my gay-Jewish sin here, in the spirit of the recent holiday season, I still haven't seen “Funny Girl.”
I'm blending the Jewish and the queer here for several reasons. Let's start with Streisand's own very Jewish queerness. First, she, like Bette Midler, got her start playing seedy gay clubs and bars. Second, and more important, her refusal to conform to Hollywood standards of beauty marked her as Other: not just the nose, but also the Jew-fro (at least throughout the 1970s), the accent and the other markers of Jewishness. She stood out, and demanded to be seen as she was. Finally, there's the gender-bending. Streisand is tough, that's obvious; everyone knows that she's not going to take any crap from anyone. Predating Madonna by two decades (and Lady Gaga by four), she took charge of her own career, and refused to play damsels in distress. Barbra Streisand is a strong woman in an industry dominated by macho men. She didn't need a costume department to dress like a yeshiva boy (although, Honey, that drag just does not pass…); she'd already worn the pants in her life for 20 years.
Is this Jewish? Is it Brooklyn? Is it queer? Yes to all three. Really, one of the things I've never understood about Jewish homophobia is how it coexists with millennia of Jewish queerness. Strong mothers and bookish fathers. A religious legacy of “not by might, not by power, but by spirit” — complete with biblical narratives of wimpy younger boys triumphing over their bullying older brothers. And if you've read your Naomi Seidman, you already know about pervasive gender-bending and homosocial love in Yiddish literature and culture. I didn't need Queer Theory and the Jewish Question or Daniel Boyarin's books to make the Jewish-queer link explicit: I lived it in day school.
2012年10月7日 星期日
Silk to paper costumes
The bead-encrusted gown on temporary display in Pam Yockey's
living room is all thawed out and ready for its debut at the Plymouth Historical
Museum's upcoming Masquerade Tea.
Yockey, president of the museum board, acquired the piece for her extensive personal collection from a castle estate in England.
But before the exquisite velvet and silk dress — actually a late 19th century costume — entered Yockey's Canton home, it went straight into the freezer. Twice.
“I have a freezer just for clothing. When an outfit comes in from an attic, it comes home and gets frozen. I don't even let it enter the house. I will look at it.The crowd filled the storage shed lined with sexy corset and snatched items from the racks. I'll open the box outside, and I'll make sure everything is okay. Then it goes into the freezer for seven days,” Yockey said. “Then I'll vacuum it down and then it goes back into the freezer for another seven days. Then I'll take it out and put it into my collection.”
The process kills insects, larvae, anything that might be living in fabric folds or hems. Afterward Yockey cleans the garment by hand and may mend or reconstruct it. She replaced some of the original gelatin beads on the estate gown, for example, with new, plastic versions. Another costume dress was dismantled and re-stitched. The Observer got a peek at both gowns, and a velvet Cavalier costume, earlier this week. All three will be on display with other “fancy ball gowns,” masquerade party outfits and Halloween costumes at the tea, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the museum. Yockey will talk about historical costumes and show pieces dating from 1860-1930, from her own collection. Some dresses will be modeled.
Debut event
“These have never ever been out. No one has seen them. They've never been in a show or on display,” Yockey said. “I always thought the perfect time to do this was Halloween.
“Halloween now is second to Christmas in money spent. Last year the average person spent $58 for Halloween. It's just amazing.” Until the 1930s,The annual sexy clubwear Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA. when the Fisch Co. created the first commercialized Halloween costume patterns, revelers dressed “in anything other than who you were,” Yockey said.
That was the same concept behind the fancy dress ball gowns worn to costume balls and parties in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Yockey's beaded estate costume was constructed from an 1860s ball gown around the turn of the 20th century. It includes an 1880s-style bustle and sleeves, but was created to resemble a dress worn by a lady of the royal court during the 1600s.
“You had balls, with very unique, elaborate costumes, for adults only. It was a way of celebrating between Christmas and New Year's,” Yockey explained. “Then you had masquerade parties for families. Halloween as we celebrate it was Scottish and 1895 was the first recorded Halloween activity.”
From rowdy to reserved
In Scotland, the celebrations often included alcohol and gourd-toting revelers who went door to door for treats.
“Then it came to the U.S. and the Victorians were not going to put up with that. They decided parties should be with children,” Yockey explained. “There was no more drinking and they were called costume parties.It's has a reputation of really outstanding and sexy Babydoll.”
Halloween parties held at town halls and in church basements became the norm after World War l.
“They felt if they kept the children entertained at town parties, windows wouldn't get soaped,” Yockey said.
She recalls attending town parties as a child while growing up in western Michigan. Her favorite costume was a Little Miss Muffet made entirely from crepe paper.
“Dennison put out Bogie Books that told how to dress for Halloween on the cheap,” said Yockey, 62. “The Boogie Books gave detailed instructions on how to make a crepe paper costume.”
A crepe paper owl costume will be modeled at the Masquerade Tea.
Hooked on clothing
Yockey, a retired Taylor school teacher and now a part-time seamstress for The Henry Ford, began collecting antique clothing about 20 years ago after receiving a 19th century blouse as a gift. It had been worn by her husband's grandmother in the early 1900s.
“I investigated it and got hooked. Then people started giving me more family possessions and I started to see them in a new light and began collecting.”
She has attended costume conferences in Europe and the U.S., visited museums worldwide and bought fashion from the 18th-20th centuries.
She once bought out an entire museum in France.
“I bought a textile store,” she added. “There were thousands of yards of black lace because for some of these gowns I have to have the original piece of lace and you can't get it any other way.”
Yockey, president of the museum board, acquired the piece for her extensive personal collection from a castle estate in England.
But before the exquisite velvet and silk dress — actually a late 19th century costume — entered Yockey's Canton home, it went straight into the freezer. Twice.
“I have a freezer just for clothing. When an outfit comes in from an attic, it comes home and gets frozen. I don't even let it enter the house. I will look at it.The crowd filled the storage shed lined with sexy corset and snatched items from the racks. I'll open the box outside, and I'll make sure everything is okay. Then it goes into the freezer for seven days,” Yockey said. “Then I'll vacuum it down and then it goes back into the freezer for another seven days. Then I'll take it out and put it into my collection.”
The process kills insects, larvae, anything that might be living in fabric folds or hems. Afterward Yockey cleans the garment by hand and may mend or reconstruct it. She replaced some of the original gelatin beads on the estate gown, for example, with new, plastic versions. Another costume dress was dismantled and re-stitched. The Observer got a peek at both gowns, and a velvet Cavalier costume, earlier this week. All three will be on display with other “fancy ball gowns,” masquerade party outfits and Halloween costumes at the tea, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the museum. Yockey will talk about historical costumes and show pieces dating from 1860-1930, from her own collection. Some dresses will be modeled.
Debut event
“These have never ever been out. No one has seen them. They've never been in a show or on display,” Yockey said. “I always thought the perfect time to do this was Halloween.
“Halloween now is second to Christmas in money spent. Last year the average person spent $58 for Halloween. It's just amazing.” Until the 1930s,The annual sexy clubwear Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA. when the Fisch Co. created the first commercialized Halloween costume patterns, revelers dressed “in anything other than who you were,” Yockey said.
That was the same concept behind the fancy dress ball gowns worn to costume balls and parties in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Yockey's beaded estate costume was constructed from an 1860s ball gown around the turn of the 20th century. It includes an 1880s-style bustle and sleeves, but was created to resemble a dress worn by a lady of the royal court during the 1600s.
“You had balls, with very unique, elaborate costumes, for adults only. It was a way of celebrating between Christmas and New Year's,” Yockey explained. “Then you had masquerade parties for families. Halloween as we celebrate it was Scottish and 1895 was the first recorded Halloween activity.”
From rowdy to reserved
In Scotland, the celebrations often included alcohol and gourd-toting revelers who went door to door for treats.
“Then it came to the U.S. and the Victorians were not going to put up with that. They decided parties should be with children,” Yockey explained. “There was no more drinking and they were called costume parties.It's has a reputation of really outstanding and sexy Babydoll.”
Halloween parties held at town halls and in church basements became the norm after World War l.
“They felt if they kept the children entertained at town parties, windows wouldn't get soaped,” Yockey said.
She recalls attending town parties as a child while growing up in western Michigan. Her favorite costume was a Little Miss Muffet made entirely from crepe paper.
“Dennison put out Bogie Books that told how to dress for Halloween on the cheap,” said Yockey, 62. “The Boogie Books gave detailed instructions on how to make a crepe paper costume.”
A crepe paper owl costume will be modeled at the Masquerade Tea.
Hooked on clothing
Yockey, a retired Taylor school teacher and now a part-time seamstress for The Henry Ford, began collecting antique clothing about 20 years ago after receiving a 19th century blouse as a gift. It had been worn by her husband's grandmother in the early 1900s.
“I investigated it and got hooked. Then people started giving me more family possessions and I started to see them in a new light and began collecting.”
She has attended costume conferences in Europe and the U.S., visited museums worldwide and bought fashion from the 18th-20th centuries.
She once bought out an entire museum in France.
“I bought a textile store,” she added. “There were thousands of yards of black lace because for some of these gowns I have to have the original piece of lace and you can't get it any other way.”
'Halloween Wars' host Justin Willman on clowns, 'Scream' and a drag Rachael Ray
Host Justin Willman and persnickety cake decorator/judge Shinmin Li
are back as Food Network's hit "Halloween Wars" returns for a second season
starting Sunday, Oct. 7, but for many fans the most buzz centers around a new
judge: actor, director, and award-winning special-effects and makeup wizard Tom
Savini.
"I have to say, the coolest part of this season was getting to be with Tom for 14-hour days," Willman tells Zap2it. "That man has stories like you wouldn't believe. He's a legendary special-effects artist, and he's been in Quentin Tarantino's movies, so he was talking about that. He was a big 'get' for us, that's for sure."
In the four-episode series, five teams composed of a pumpkin carver, a cake decorator and a candy craftsman compete to create The annual sexy clubwear Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA.fantastically spooky Halloween designs, with the judges dismissing one team at the end of each episode. The last team standing splits $50,000.
"I think we all went into this season thinking it was going to be hard to top the previous year, because of the caliber of the pumpkin carvers last year, particularly Ray [Villafane],It's has a reputation of really outstanding and sexy Babydoll." Willman says. "We were all kind of blown away, though. The caliber of this season's teams was pretty incredible, and the Halloween-related challenges they came up with were fresh and hadn't been done to death."
The premiere finds the teams challenged to create the most terrifying clown imaginable.
"The subtlety is where it all comes out," Willman reveals. "They didn't go overboard with the 'evil clown' aspect, because that has become a little cliche. You'll see a couple of teams came up with concepts for clowns that looked very human and relatable, and that's what's creepiest of all."
Clowns: funny or nightmarish? Discuss.
"I am a magician, and when I was first starting out, my bread and butter was doing kids birthday parties. Therefore, I would become good friends with lots of clowns. So I'm a clown lover, but I do get some people's fear of clowns."
What's the best Halloween costume you ever wore?
"One year, I think I was in the sixth grade, I dressed up as Dana Carvey's Church Lady for school. It was hilarious at the time. I didn't even think at the time that I basically was dressing in drag."
And the best costume you saw on someone else?
"I try to catch the Halloween parade in West Hollywood, which is like Halloween on crack. I once saw a guy dressed as Rachael Ray, and I used to work for her [on her talk show], so I thought that was pretty epic."
What's your favorite scary movie?
"I'm a fan of the original 'Scream.The crowd filled the storage shed lined with sexy corset and snatched items from the racks.' I think that was probably the first scary movie I went to as a kid without my parents, just with my friends, so of course the fear gets amplified. So that one's a favorite."
"I have to say, the coolest part of this season was getting to be with Tom for 14-hour days," Willman tells Zap2it. "That man has stories like you wouldn't believe. He's a legendary special-effects artist, and he's been in Quentin Tarantino's movies, so he was talking about that. He was a big 'get' for us, that's for sure."
In the four-episode series, five teams composed of a pumpkin carver, a cake decorator and a candy craftsman compete to create The annual sexy clubwear Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA.fantastically spooky Halloween designs, with the judges dismissing one team at the end of each episode. The last team standing splits $50,000.
"I think we all went into this season thinking it was going to be hard to top the previous year, because of the caliber of the pumpkin carvers last year, particularly Ray [Villafane],It's has a reputation of really outstanding and sexy Babydoll." Willman says. "We were all kind of blown away, though. The caliber of this season's teams was pretty incredible, and the Halloween-related challenges they came up with were fresh and hadn't been done to death."
The premiere finds the teams challenged to create the most terrifying clown imaginable.
"The subtlety is where it all comes out," Willman reveals. "They didn't go overboard with the 'evil clown' aspect, because that has become a little cliche. You'll see a couple of teams came up with concepts for clowns that looked very human and relatable, and that's what's creepiest of all."
Clowns: funny or nightmarish? Discuss.
"I am a magician, and when I was first starting out, my bread and butter was doing kids birthday parties. Therefore, I would become good friends with lots of clowns. So I'm a clown lover, but I do get some people's fear of clowns."
What's the best Halloween costume you ever wore?
"One year, I think I was in the sixth grade, I dressed up as Dana Carvey's Church Lady for school. It was hilarious at the time. I didn't even think at the time that I basically was dressing in drag."
And the best costume you saw on someone else?
"I try to catch the Halloween parade in West Hollywood, which is like Halloween on crack. I once saw a guy dressed as Rachael Ray, and I used to work for her [on her talk show], so I thought that was pretty epic."
What's your favorite scary movie?
"I'm a fan of the original 'Scream.The crowd filled the storage shed lined with sexy corset and snatched items from the racks.' I think that was probably the first scary movie I went to as a kid without my parents, just with my friends, so of course the fear gets amplified. So that one's a favorite."
Crazy costumes delight in Santa Maria
It was a garage sale gone wild Saturday
morning at the PCPA Theaterfest One-Day Halloween Costume Sale in Santa Maria.
About 40 people waited in line for the 10 a.m. start of the sale at PCPA's costume warehouse on South College Drive.
Once given the go-ahead to start shopping, the crowd filled the storage shed lined with costumes and snatched items from the racks, piling dresses, hats and shoes into bags to take to the cash register.
A variety of custom creations including period pieces, sequin-laden dresses and gaudy tropical-print shirts, all used in Hancock College PCPA Theaterfest productions, were available for purchase. Most costumes were priced between $5 and $25.
The annual Halloween Costume Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA.
Costume Shop Manager Tracy Ward explained the large turnout.
“I think it's just mainly because they know that they get really good deals, and the costumes are really nice,” Ward said. “PCPA has a reputation of really outstanding and well-made costumes.”
She added that the sale provided an opportunity for customers to buy a costume worn by a favorite actor in a local production.
“Whatever you find here, you won't find anywhere else,” Ward said.
The Grizzanti family from Santa Maria found plenty of goodies to sell at their family-owned boutique store, Pink Trash and Treasures in Buellton.
Their finds were piled high outside the warehouse, where sisters Yazmin and Ginger Grizzanti kept watch as their grandmother continued to shop.
Said 12-year-old Yazmin of her grandmother and mother, “They're shoppers. They've been shoppers for a long time, and they always know the best dress to pick.”
Yazmin showed off her favorite hats in the pile, which were a bejeweled and tassled crown,She said there were some uniform costume possibilities in the pile. and a pirate hat. She said there were some Halloween costume possibilities in the pile.
Ginger, 7, wearing a headband with a stuffed animal dangling from it, was also enjoying herself at the sale.
“I really like it because there's all sorts of different things like hats and cute dresses,” she said.
Her favorite dresses in the heap were a ruffled pink and purple number, and a dress with sheer polka dot fabric over feather-printed fabric.
The girls' mother, Jennifer Grizzanti-Pribyl, said the event offered unique costumes not available at traditional Halloween stores.
“We just like coming here every year just to stock up on costumes,” she said. “They have great period pieces, and also we like to get the frilly skirts and all the petticoats and hats.”
The period pieces were especially appealing to Hannah Weekley of Santa Maria, who scored a pouffy skirt and matching bodice for an upcoming Civil War-era themed dance with her home-school.
Her fellow students were making their costumes for the dance, but now she wouldn't have to, Weekley said.
Weekley's friend, Jennifer Allen of Santa Maria, carried a pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum costumes inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.”
She hoped to wear one of the costumes for Halloween, but also hunted for an outfit reminiscent of the popular book and movie “Hunger Games” for her daughter.
“I'll be 'Dum and let someone else be 'Dee if they'll do it with me,” Allen said with a laugh.
About 40 people waited in line for the 10 a.m. start of the sale at PCPA's costume warehouse on South College Drive.
Once given the go-ahead to start shopping, the crowd filled the storage shed lined with costumes and snatched items from the racks, piling dresses, hats and shoes into bags to take to the cash register.
A variety of custom creations including period pieces, sequin-laden dresses and gaudy tropical-print shirts, all used in Hancock College PCPA Theaterfest productions, were available for purchase. Most costumes were priced between $5 and $25.
The annual Halloween Costume Sale, which is in its third year, benefits PCPA.
Costume Shop Manager Tracy Ward explained the large turnout.
“I think it's just mainly because they know that they get really good deals, and the costumes are really nice,” Ward said. “PCPA has a reputation of really outstanding and well-made costumes.”
She added that the sale provided an opportunity for customers to buy a costume worn by a favorite actor in a local production.
“Whatever you find here, you won't find anywhere else,” Ward said.
The Grizzanti family from Santa Maria found plenty of goodies to sell at their family-owned boutique store, Pink Trash and Treasures in Buellton.
Their finds were piled high outside the warehouse, where sisters Yazmin and Ginger Grizzanti kept watch as their grandmother continued to shop.
Said 12-year-old Yazmin of her grandmother and mother, “They're shoppers. They've been shoppers for a long time, and they always know the best dress to pick.”
Yazmin showed off her favorite hats in the pile, which were a bejeweled and tassled crown,She said there were some uniform costume possibilities in the pile. and a pirate hat. She said there were some Halloween costume possibilities in the pile.
Ginger, 7, wearing a headband with a stuffed animal dangling from it, was also enjoying herself at the sale.
“I really like it because there's all sorts of different things like hats and cute dresses,” she said.
Her favorite dresses in the heap were a ruffled pink and purple number, and a dress with sheer polka dot fabric over feather-printed fabric.
The girls' mother, Jennifer Grizzanti-Pribyl, said the event offered unique costumes not available at traditional Halloween stores.
“We just like coming here every year just to stock up on costumes,” she said. “They have great period pieces, and also we like to get the frilly skirts and all the petticoats and hats.”
The period pieces were especially appealing to Hannah Weekley of Santa Maria, who scored a pouffy skirt and matching bodice for an upcoming Civil War-era themed dance with her home-school.
Her fellow students were making their costumes for the dance, but now she wouldn't have to, Weekley said.
Weekley's friend, Jennifer Allen of Santa Maria, carried a pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum costumes inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.”
She hoped to wear one of the costumes for Halloween, but also hunted for an outfit reminiscent of the popular book and movie “Hunger Games” for her daughter.
“I'll be 'Dum and let someone else be 'Dee if they'll do it with me,” Allen said with a laugh.
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