MeCos: The 2014 MetaFilter Halloween Costume Parade October 31, 2014 11:10 AM   Subscribe

You Asked, you beanplated, and you finally pulled it together. Show off the glory that is your (or your children's or your pet's) Halloween costumes! First person to post is the Grand Marshall. (Previously, which contains links to the other previouslies.)
posted by Room 641-A to MetaFilter-Related at 11:10 AM (60 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite

*puts on the Grand Marshall banner*

For our department Halloween costume contest, we were the Spice Girls. I'm Baby Spice. Sporty Spice is our manager and he was a great sport. We won second prize -- Hooray!
posted by kimberussell at 11:32 AM on October 31, 2014 [9 favorites]


Day of the Dead dancer.

Don't Pinata me, bro!
posted by tilde at 11:32 AM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]


I put together a merman costume for my nephew. I've made costumes for him and his older brother for years--this is the second-to-last one as he will be a high school senior next year.
posted by agatha_magatha at 11:33 AM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]


It's a selfie of my hat and a corner of my colorfully matching blouse. Not many peeps in the office so it really is a day of the dead in more ways than one.
posted by tilde at 11:40 AM on October 31, 2014


So, my 12yo son considered going as Beyoncé at the VMAs standing in front of the word FEMINIST, but in the end he decided to dress as himself, and when people ask him what he's supposed to be, he plans to say, "I'm a feminist. Does that SCARE you? BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T!"
posted by mothershock at 11:49 AM on October 31, 2014 [37 favorites]


I mainlined all five seasons of Daria in the two blissful stress-release weeks after my wedding in September, so...I'm Daria this year. This morning, I wore my costume to teach, so I got to be Professor Daria. I'm not sure any of my students got it, but after a brief explanation I felt cleared to be particularly snarky in class:

Student shows up, as usual, more than an hour late.
Student: You know, I just like English so much.
Me: Imagine how much you'd like it if you came to all of it.
Student 2: Burn!

Later: the always-late student's phone goes off, for the second time. It sounds like a siren.
Student: You think that's bad, you should hear my alarm.
Me: Because clearly you don't.
Student 2: Super burn!

(Last year I was Leslie Knope, so I guess I went right to the other end of the smart-girl spectrum, from extreme optimist to cynic.)
posted by ilana at 11:53 AM on October 31, 2014 [8 favorites]


I'm Captain Haddock from Tintin, but I seriously considered going as my boss's Outlook inbox because it's the scariest thing of which I can think.

No joke, SIXTY THOUSAND emails in her inbox! Her INBOX! Ten thousand UNREAD emails! WTF!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:58 AM on October 31, 2014 [6 favorites]


I posted this elsewhere in the Han Solo/Leia Daughter/Father thread already but here's the monkey in the banana tree. Well MsEld was the tree but I'll not go posting her picture willynilly.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:02 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]


because it's the scariest thing of which I can think

Funny, this check-engine pumpkin is the scariest thing I've seen represented in seasonal festive style.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:06 PM on October 31, 2014 [15 favorites]


I love the matching dog costume, RolandOfEld.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:22 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]


I'm a tourist, and little light thief has a triceratops head. I have other accessories, and he has a full costume, but that's all we captured this morning.

And today we had a potluck at work, and I brought monster mouths (apples with almond slivers for teeth, plus peanut butter or caramel goo). The marshmallow pumpkins with pretzel legs were terrible, and generally a waste of marshmallows and pretzels, FYI.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:31 PM on October 31, 2014 [8 favorites]


Little light thief looks ADORABLE! Wow! I really like the monster mouths, too! I will totally make those sometime!

Next time you want a Halloween pretzel/marshmallow treat, you could try Rice Krispies Treat Beholders! They are shockingly tasty and could probably be modified into Daleks fairly easily if that's more your thing.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:43 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]


I am very sad that it seems my years of costume building are over. This year my son decided at the last minute that, yes, he would go trick or treating after all, but that he would be going as a black hole. Basically, he's going to wear black clothing. All the credit of a costume with none of the effort.

Here's a look back at costumes past.
posted by bondcliff at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]


I am not sure of this year's costume yet (probably a black & orange halloween cat), so I will take this opportunity to show off last's year black&white costume, which went surprisingly well.
posted by insectosaurus at 12:50 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]


I'm a deer this year.
posted by Saminal at 1:26 PM on October 31, 2014 [20 favorites]


I've been walking around work wearing a pair of werewolf hands and talking about how I feel a little weird since being bitten by my cat. Maybe when 5 rolls around I'll let out a loud awooooooooo and run out, haven't decided yet.
posted by troika at 1:34 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]


People keep asking to see my appendicitis scar.
posted by tangerine at 1:56 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]


I am still working on my Star-Lord. I need to take another photo with my gun, ankle blaster things and orange headphones on.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:06 PM on October 31, 2014 [12 favorites]


Sugarplum Fairy/Ballerina Dentata (Cabin in the Woods reference).

I won scariest, and my rabbit-looking co-worker won best overall.
posted by too bad you're not me at 2:23 PM on October 31, 2014 [6 favorites]


June was a bat.
posted by saladin at 3:28 PM on October 31, 2014


Cruella. (No cigarette holder, because I was at an elementary school.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:28 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]


So I had a great plan for my son, but it turns out one-year-olds don't like costumes that involve baby doll arms without the baby dolls attached. Quite appalled, kept saying "baby!", so of course instantly abandoned.

The plan was to make him four extra arms, so he could be SpiderBoy: I had mounted them all on a panel that went under his specially-constructed top. And I had already given up on my plan of cutting out the doll eyes and sticking them to his forehead with latex too.

Finally, cutting the arms off the dolls was weird, because they had pressure-activated voice controls and kept crying as I cut.

Executive summary: I need more practice with making Hallowe'en costumes for toddlers...
posted by alasdair at 3:33 PM on October 31, 2014 [9 favorites]


I tried - and I think I pulled off - Vampire Luis Suarez. (He was the soccer player in the World Cup who bit the other player.)

Was going to do a fake blood of sorts, but nixed it at the last second as too messy. Overall, I'm pleased with it!
posted by spinifex23 at 3:35 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]


My daughter went as a ladybug
posted by cnanderson at 4:04 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]


Aaaaahhhh a ladybug with ridiculous cheeks oh my goodness aaahhhhhhh!
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:33 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]




The littlest Ghostbuster, and a closeup of his gear.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:06 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]


I assembled the minions.
posted by Liesl at 6:18 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]


Same bee costume as last year but since I'm running for Justice of the Peace again I decided to campaign a little.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:13 PM on October 31, 2014 [12 favorites]


My three year old was Batman and I was Robin.
posted by shothotbot at 7:21 PM on October 31, 2014


Li'l Epps and I were Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen. I let her pick the theme and her own costume, but decided to be Anna rather than Sven the Reindeer like she picked out for me. (Mbrubeck was willing to be Sven, but we couldn't find the reindeer headband from last Christmas. These things are tricky.) Li'l Epps is a bit under the weather, but as she says, "the cold never bothered me anyway!"
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:04 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]




Last-minute costume for work, along the lines of the check-engine pumpkin.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:30 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]


I didn't dress up, but I'm loving seeing all the beautiful people (and adorable munchkins).
posted by Dip Flash at 8:37 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]


Little gaspode was Glinda
posted by gaspode at 9:02 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]


I went as a Marxist.
posted by The White Hat at 9:34 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]


I was Dr. Chilton, TV-Flavor.
posted by The Whelk at 10:05 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]


I considered both Peter Quill and Fry (from Futurama), but didn't want the hassle of wigs or hair dye. And while the upcoming elections are scary, I did that in 2012.

So, since I clearly already possess his dashing good looks, I went with billionaire!Tony Stark -- a recycled blazer, aviator shades, a old wireless headset, and a custom ID badge. The arc reactor's just my iPhone (in airplane mode) duct-taped to the inside of a T-shirt running the app iGlow on a loop. Blame the rumpled collar on some impromptu "heart surgery" when I realized I hadn't turned off the auto-lock.

Things I Have Been Mistaken For:

- doctor
- professor
- Groucho Marx
- 1960s airline pilot
- Abbott and Costello (?)
- Sgt. Pepper's-era Ringo Starr
- Andy Kaufman character Tony Clifton
- Cochese from the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" video

Did I mention I had a photo ID badge right there on the lapel?

It's been a fun night.
posted by Rhaomi at 10:54 PM on October 31, 2014 [7 favorites]


Oh, Iron Man was one of four mini-pumpkin decorations I made for work. And I suppose all four represent topics that are fairly popular on the blue.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:29 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Gravity Falls. And yes, there was a leafblower.
posted by mikurski at 2:54 AM on November 1, 2014 [5 favorites]


Things I Have Been Mistaken For ...

Lazy costume suggestion: dress up as .. something, and let people guess what you are. And whatever they say, tell them "You got it! Not everyone sees it!"

It's more enjoyable when you're sober among a bunch of drunken folks, because they get so excited to guess costumes right (at least, that was my experience at college parties).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:00 AM on November 1, 2014 [3 favorites]


Last night, my method was to swing open the door, bang the staff on the ground, and just stare at them until they said "Trick or treat."

Tonight I'm going to a party, so I made Terrifying Taco Dip with layers of Beastly Beans, Ghoulish Guacamole, Sinister Salsa and Sour Scream. The top is shredded cheese and minced black olives, and it will be served with Halloween tortilla chips.

(And yes, I'm wearing my grad school commencement gown in the first photo. Tonight I'll wear the full regalia along with chains and shackles, and I'll be dressed as Student Debt.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:39 AM on November 1, 2014 [6 favorites]


Because I am a masochist, I hand sewed this thing for a half-hour of being worn. And it was worth it.

Josephine is... the cutest little shark bait I ever did see.
posted by Madamina at 12:13 PM on November 1, 2014 [11 favorites]


I'm too lazy to put forth any effort or filthy but scarce lucre on a costume practically no one would see, but here's what I did do: I put a sign on the front door that said WHO WANTS A POTATO? You might be surprised how many kids choose a potato over a handful of candy. I gave the kids a hard time for choosing potato, "What, look at this candy. Candy is delicious! You would rather have a potato?!? I think you're crazy!" The kids think it's lots of fun. My friend suggested I should offer them leeks next year: "Who wants to take a leek?" Leeks are much more expensive than potatoes. I'm not prepared to spend that much to indulge my sense of humor.

Maybe next year I'll pry open my wallet, get off my butt, and offer the kids mystery bags again. Upon preview, I see that I've already commented about Halloween potatoes.
posted by Daddy-O at 2:53 PM on November 1, 2014 [7 favorites]


I just realized I need to buy my strawberry a MF account.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:37 PM on November 1, 2014 [4 favorites]


My son was Ash (Pokemon trainer).
My daughter was a mermaid.
I was Painty the Pirate.
posted by plinth at 6:08 PM on November 1, 2014 [4 favorites]


emd3737 is visiting from Melbourne, so she joined me and my husband as 3/5 of the Belcher family from Bob's Burgers. ALLL RIIIIIIIIIGHT!
posted by web-goddess at 6:20 PM on November 1, 2014 [9 favorites]


"Brohst," or "bro ghost." (I know I'm late to the party, I just wanted to show this off.)
posted by bookwibble at 6:44 PM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Don't tell anyone here in New Orleans but I reused a costume because I didn't feel like making a new one. Once again I hit Frenchmen Street as Sad Pumpkin though by the end of the night it's more Drunk Pumpkin than anything. Here's a more professional shot from back when I first made the head.
posted by komara at 7:06 PM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]


I'm an astronaut reading the Thanos Quest comic book.

My husband (also a MeFite) had a matching suit, just different lighting.

We made up tons of stories about who/what we were and plan on wearing them to Interstellar and some other crazy BS because SPACESUITSPACESUITSPACESUIT.

I made up such a good story at work and did the moonwalk and had a functioning earpiece mic and and and...it won me 1st place and $500, y'all! I Love Halloween.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 11:36 PM on November 1, 2014 [4 favorites]


I'm down to using Grade F meat! - Lunchlady Doris

Thanks The Whelk! I've got my costume idea for next year. Hannibal Lecter in his murdersuit.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 7:01 AM on November 2, 2014 [4 favorites]


Doctornecessiter & I went as Michel Myère and Friedrich Krüger.
posted by troika at 7:49 AM on November 2, 2014 [9 favorites]


Hannibal Lecter in his murdersuit.

Word of warning, apparently show runner Bryan Fuller dressed up in the murder suit for last Halloween and found out it fogged up inside pretty much instantly and got unbearably hot so ...think ventilation.
posted by The Whelk at 8:08 AM on November 2, 2014


I couldn't find anyone to take a decent photo of me, so unfortunately this doesn't show the whole costume (which included a pair of awesome boots).
posted by Lexica at 8:46 AM on November 2, 2014 [2 favorites]


This is what I looked like at 04:30 the next morning after finally clocking out. The hat was post-party swag, the cravat & white shirt was what I bartended in.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 8:49 AM on November 2, 2014 [2 favorites]


kidpop was a flapper, new puppy Zelda was (briefly) a giraffe.
posted by mikepop at 6:06 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]


I was a Jayson Werth (Washington Nationals right fielder) gnome, which won me an honorable mention in my office's contest. I was also a My Little Pony (in a years-old costume) for the second party I went to since I got sick of the beard, but I don't think I have any photos.
posted by capricorn at 10:10 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


I went as Kenny G Money.
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:50 AM on November 5, 2014 [3 favorites]


I went as one of the members of The Mystic Order Of The KooKooMaHotCha from Bimbo's Initiation. So I dressed like this (here's one where you can see the "candle.") and chanted "WANNA BE A MEMBER? WANNA BE A MEMBER?" at everyone.
posted by louche mustachio at 12:07 PM on November 5, 2014


so late, because i was sick for halloween euggggh but here's mine. sloppy as hell--still half-sick and phoned-in (i wasn't gonna bother and was just putting on my "costume" for kicks to go to the grocery store but my partner got jazzed because he likes feminist frequency a lot so), shitty cam quality (and dark lighting because of endless rain right now), shitty non-existent 'shop skills, blah blah blah you get the point. but better late than never i guess.
posted by ifjuly at 4:51 PM on November 5, 2014 [4 favorites]


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