Halloween Costumes for Every Taste Level

By Renee

As a costume expert—I feel comfortable using the term “expert” because of the debt I’ve acquired while pursuing my Masters in costume design—I always view Halloween as a sort of personal challenge…yeah I see you over there Halloween, looking all smug and bored.  Your smirk seems to say “I’ve seen it all, hit me with your best shot”  (and the role of Halloween will now be played by Pat Benatar in this daydream scenario) and I will Halloween, I WILL!

So in an effort to show Halloween that I’ve still got it, here are this year’s suggestions for kick-ass costumes:

• Pat Benatar- Ok here’s the thing, I don’t really especially like or dislike Pat Benatar. As a kid my Uncle Rick gave me a boom box and two cassette tapes for my seventh birthday.  I listened to the Pat Benatar tape once or twice, before Best of Blondie stole my heart.  So I can take or leave PB, but since she’s now my subconscious’s official personification of Halloween, I think the first spot on my list is fitting.  AND what could be more fun than cutting up a t-shirt, throwing on a pair of leggings, a wide belt and running around all night singing into an unplugged microphone? And yes I’m speaking to the male readers.

• Gleeks- Glee is such Halloween gold I don’t even know where to start.  My top pick would have to be Sue Selvester, a tracksuit, a short blonde wig and a lot of snarky attitude and you’re done.  Or what about dressing up as Kurt, circa ”Single Ladies” with backup dancers (or EVEN better,  backup football players!)

• Taylor Swift and Kanye West (I am not endorsing blackface.)- The best couple costume this year has to be Taylor and Kanye, following his interruption of her VMA acceptance speech. And if you really want to get creative, turn it into a group costume, complete with an embarrassed Beyonce and Obama in an “I’m with Jackass ” shirt.

• I Am T-Pain- Going as rapper T-Pain not only means a kick-ass entourage and questionable fashion choices, it also means iphone apps.  And what’s better than Halloween with autotune… “Can I have some Caaaa-a-aaa-a-a-andy?”

• Monkey Baby- Monkey Babies are THE pet of 2009, and what better time to cash in on it then this Halloween? The hard part is finding an old lonely lady to parade you around asking people for candy.

• PK Swats- When all else fails, take whatever pet you have lying around and simply drape it over yourself. * Wearing your pet (in my case that would be my cat PK Swats) not only offers perhaps the laziest costume solution it also offers an instant conversation starter “hey nice pussy!”  And if someone tries to splash you with red paint for wearing fur, you can say with pride “my costume’s still alive, THANKS”.

*Renee Garcia and frothygirlz.com cannot be held liable for any accidents or injuries caused by wearing an animal as a costume.  If you do indeed wear your pet as a costume, you’ve brought it on yourself.