Your Halloween Costumes, Please

October 28, 2016 10:07 AM

Here and there across the site, MeFites have started to mention what they/their kids/their friends/their family are going as for Halloween. Tell us about your costume awesomeness. Provide photos for bonus points.
posted by DirtyOldTown to MetaFilter-Related at 10:07 AM (156 comments total)

I've done a test run at an early Halloween/birthday party. I'm West Covina Rebecca Bunch, complete with sparkly shoes and giant pretzel.
posted by angeline at 10:19 AM on October 28, 2016 [25 favorites]

I have no pictures yet but my space crazy kids are going as CONSTELLATIONS. I got them black pajamas (which they can wear all winter!) and light up LED earring studs to stick through the PJs in their chosen constellation pattern.

The baby is going to be an alien, we got her green PJs and an alien hat. The boys are arguing about whose exoplanet she comes from (of course).
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 10:57 AM on October 28, 2016 [44 favorites]

My son picked out a pink donut costume, of course.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 11:05 AM on October 28, 2016 [12 favorites]

My daughter is a Cattail from Plants vs Zombies, my wife made it and it's really excellent.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 11:16 AM on October 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

In honor of #FlashbackFriday, here's Baby Hermione, circa 2005. This Halloween, I'm hoping to recycle two cosplays from last year: Honey Lemon, and Dapper Day Honey Lemon! I am v. excited.
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:27 AM on October 28, 2016 [10 favorites]

Last night misterussell and I were Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood.
posted by kimberussell at 11:33 AM on October 28, 2016 [17 favorites]

Unfortunately, I am in the middle of a move back to Minneapolis, so everything is to cattawampus for me to do more than watch horror movies on Halloween. I will be dressed in my every day costume, which basically means I look like a Jewish lumberjack.
posted by maxsparber at 11:39 AM on October 28, 2016 [13 favorites]

We forgot until last night that today is costume day, so my son's outfit had to come from what he found in the garage. He's at middle school right now as a hiker with a Kelty external frame backpack, convertible pants, wide-brimmed hat with bug net, multiple compasses around his neck, a trekking pole, hiking boots, a whistle, paracord bracelet... We skipped the tent and sleeping bag because he rides his bike to school.

My daughter is a princess kitten, with fuzzy ears and a tiara and gloves, and a tail she sewed last night and pinned to a party dress.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:39 AM on October 28, 2016 [6 favorites]

My 16-year-old daughter is dressing as the iconic woman in the We Can Do It! poster. She wants to make sure everyone knows that the woman in the poster isn't actually called Rosie the Riveter (THIS is Rosie) so she will be educating people ALL NIGHT.

Husband and I haven't decided what we're doing for the parties we're going to tomorrow night. Bob & Linda? Grayscale movie stars? French kiss?
posted by cooker girl at 11:51 AM on October 28, 2016 [11 favorites]

I dressed up as my coworker. My coworker was not informed this was going to happen.
posted by phunniemee at 11:53 AM on October 28, 2016 [45 favorites]

My costume is almost complete (one of the components I was afraid wouldn't arrive in time got here yesterday) but I still need to spend some quality time with a couple of cans of primer and silver spray paint before it's ready. If we do a dry run tonight I'll try to get photos.
posted by Lexica at 11:58 AM on October 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

My youngest wanted to do it simple, so she has a dress that happens to come with three logos on it: batwoman, superwoman, and wonderwoman.

It seems to fit her personality pretty well. If she says that she loves someone (like my spouse) and I'm nearby, she'll also say, Don't worry, I love you too, papa. Actually, I love everyone. She doesn't like to play favorites and leave anyone out. So this may, in part, be about wanting variety, but it's probably about not wanting to make other superpeople feel bad.
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:04 PM on October 28, 2016 [14 favorites]

So i have more than a passing resemblance to Tim Curry, and people have been prodding me to do it for years...


I'm finally gonna be Dr. Frank-n-Furter. I have everything, finally(even size 13 platform heels!) and i didn't wimp out, it's all vintage clothes and crafti-fied things done up in the time i didn't think i had.

My friends doing a photoshoot with me, i'll post stuff when i get the files back.
posted by emptythought at 12:09 PM on October 28, 2016 [39 favorites]

I'm building a steampunk Ghostbuster costume that is coming together pretty well, if I'm honest. You can see a couple of construction pics here. I'll add more tonight.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:34 PM on October 28, 2016 [11 favorites]

My 5-yr-old is gonna be Doc McStuffins (yay!) & I am gonna be Dr. Doom. There’s almost certainly a unifying Affordable Care Act joke in there but I haven’t figured it out yet.

I was going to dress as a Hillary landslide (HFA shirt, muddy pants with rocks around the hem) but have been persuaded by election threads and by the sensibly superstitious mrs. per flower that this would be tempting the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing & basically a bad jinxing move.
posted by miles per flower at 12:37 PM on October 28, 2016 [11 favorites]

"Gravity Falls" will be the night's theme--my son is going as Dipper, and his friends will be with him, dressed as other characters. I dug up a fez and a suit jacket, so I'm going as Grunkle Stan. My daughter has her heart set on Niko from the Rick Riordan books, so I spent some time making her a little Hades/Cabin 13 T-shirt. Pics next week.
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:41 PM on October 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. I don't know how many man-hours have gone into it yet, but I made a custom-molded, fully articulating set of arm pieces made out of thermoplastic, and chromed the living daylights out of it. I just need to detail up the arm with the red star and some battle damage, and should be all set. I'll post photos of the finished outfit once I have it together. Here's a preview of the arm and the rest of the costume.
posted by rachaelfaith at 1:09 PM on October 28, 2016 [53 favorites]

HOT DAMN rachaelfaith
posted by cooker girl at 1:11 PM on October 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

That is a gorgeous costume.
posted by cooker girl at 1:11 PM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

My kid is going as Nyan Cat, complete with 8-bit mask, pink-glazed-and-sprinkles pop tart body, and trail of rainbows pooping out.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:27 PM on October 28, 2016 [16 favorites]

Thanks, cooker girl :) I get to put it all together when I get home today- first time I'll see the chromed arm together with the rest of it. I'm pretty psyched.
posted by rachaelfaith at 1:38 PM on October 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Lazy closet cosplay Holtzmann (OK, Holtzmann's fat cousin), because I have to teach until 9 PM. (And it seems like everyone's too busy to have a weekend party this year.) Booo!
posted by wintersweet at 1:40 PM on October 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

Each year I try to go as a pop star/musician (have been Courtney Love, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper), but this year I added an extra layer of cat pun, so I was Gwen Stepawni, Hollaback Cat. Gravies instead of bananas because my cat only eats the former.
posted by dearwassily at 1:45 PM on October 28, 2016 [19 favorites]

Oh my lord the Gwen Stepawni I am hooting
posted by angeline at 1:46 PM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

This year grumpybearbride and I are going as People Who Have Recently Moved And Want All Those Goddamn Boxes Out Of Our Apartment.
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:28 PM on October 28, 2016 [14 favorites]

my daughter and gf constructed impressive Pearl from Steven Universe and Eevee the Pokémon costumes for themselves, respectively; I am going to throw on my Solaire of Astora hoodie and call it a day
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:55 PM on October 28, 2016 [8 favorites]

im sombra diggin up everyone's receipts while wearing fancy leggings and a blankie
posted by poffin boffin at 3:13 PM on October 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

This is such a fun thread to read through while stuck in serious traffic
posted by Hermione Granger at 3:20 PM on October 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

As usual, I will be going as David Attenborough, in that I will not do any Halloween stuff, but I will provide voice-overs after the fact.

If I still had my little cat, I would call him Catty McCatface for the day.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:21 PM on October 28, 2016 [9 favorites]

She wants to make sure everyone knows that the woman in the poster isn't actually called Rosie the Riveter (THIS is Rosie) so she will be educating people ALL NIGHT.

She will be doing the Lord's Lady's work.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:23 PM on October 28, 2016 [8 favorites]

Last week, I gave Mrs. Ghidorah the sewing machine she'd been wanting for her birthday. This week, on Wednesday, I figured out my costume and bought materials. Last night, for the first time in roughly seventeen years, I used a sewing machine (sorry for using your present first, dear). I spent about 7 hours making a at with ears, and a special two tone green backpack, so that I can wander the overcrowded streets of Shibuya, overwhelmed by sleep deprivation, waiting for someone who knows Adventure Time to recognize the greatness of my homemade Finn the Human costume. No pictures as of yet, but it's going to be mathematical.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:28 PM on October 28, 2016 [10 favorites]

I've had a wonderful run with my kids where they have chosen the character, and I have built the costumes, but they are beginning to gravitate toward store-bought gear. Would it be so bad if I made myself an awesome costume next year? (I really thought about going as Bill Cipher, but then fez-possession + laziness kicked in.)
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:49 PM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

I've mentioned this on the site before but this is our little kraken's first Halloween! She is almost four months old. My father knows two jokes. One is:

Q: Why did the mushroom go to the party?
A: Because he was a fun guy.

The other is:

Q: Have you heard about the famous baby doctor Benjamin Spock?
A: He's not a baby at all, he's a full grown man.

We bought a tiny lab coat and stethoscope and our beautiful little monster will be going as the famous baby doctor Benjamin Spock. Daycare had a Halloween costume parade today and it was almost sickeningly adorable. No publicly available pictures but Miss Monster has a locked twitter account (littlest_kraken) with a costume preview.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 4:15 PM on October 28, 2016 [10 favorites]

Q: Why did the mushroom go to the party?
A: Because he was a fun guy

This one's weird because your dad hates parties and people who go to them even more than he hates his book club. If it were "Why did the mushroom sit in his chair reading six month old newspapers?" it'd make sense.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 4:22 PM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

My eldest loves Rei despite having not seen star wars. My youngest has an outfit more befitting her personality.

But who knew they could be best friends?
posted by smoke at 4:36 PM on October 28, 2016 [19 favorites]

This one's weird because your dad hates parties and people who go to them even more than he hates his book club.

Yeah but he detests people who are fun and part of the reason he hates parties is that they're full of them. It still makes sense if you picture him giving a dismissive little wave while he says "fun guy" like when he refers to people as lumpens or no-neck monsters.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 4:46 PM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

Also smoke your kids are ADORABLE! Oh my gosh!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 4:48 PM on October 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

Baby Kitty (8 months old) will be a lobster and will sit in a giant stock pot. Mr. Kitty and I will be chefs and hand out candy from our aprons and cooking pots.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 4:48 PM on October 28, 2016 [13 favorites]

Oldest son insisted on making his own robot costume. It's terrible, but he's so proud of it so I couldn't be happier.

Youngest son (4 years old) announced he wanted to be a Honey Bucket. I hope to God I have time to get this together this weekend.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:56 PM on October 28, 2016 [22 favorites]

i'm going as a big orange asshole

no, wait, that's someone else who's going ...
posted by pyramid termite at 5:05 PM on October 28, 2016

Aw thanks Mrs Pterodactyl. They get the job done, don't they? Good help me it's enough to make you go for a third.
posted by smoke at 5:11 PM on October 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Somehow I got roped into a themed-costume group for my work's Halloween party on Monday. The theme is "election memes" and some examples were given, and I initially picked "Skittles brand manager" because I figured I could wander around with a despairing expression on my face, and a bottle of booze in one hand and a basket of Skittles in the other, with a "Make Skittles Great Again!" sign taped to my shirt (I am lazy). But a slightly tipsy conversation last night with gingerbeer and jessamyn, who was visiting briefly (mostly to see our cat Yorvit, I believe, not that I blame her) brought to light a new possibility: Lesbian farmer! Which is even more perfect for a lazy lesbian like moi, who already has jeans and boots and flannel shirts, and a co-worker will lend me a hoe!
posted by rtha at 5:47 PM on October 28, 2016 [20 favorites]

I'm going as a white guy in an office in Korea. Very convincing.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:47 PM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm not getting dressed up this year and I'm SO HAPPY about that, but I am also loving all the photos and descriptions of everyone else's costumes. It's the best of both worlds! All joy, no work!
posted by lazuli at 6:52 PM on October 28, 2016 [5 favorites]

I won't be able to do anything this year, but I'll share the scariest costume I ever had. In 1999 I received a press kit at work for the movie Being John Malkovich. It came with a paper John Malkovich mask which ended up really scaring everyone! Nowadays, with high-quality color copies readily available, I highly recommend this approach for people looking for simple but effective costumes.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:15 PM on October 28, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'm not allowed to share a photo, but one of my nieces was a perfect 8-year-old Holtzmann from Ghostbusters: she chose Holtzmann because she said she wanted to be "the smart one who gets to play with stuff in the laboratory".

Good lord, I love that kid.
posted by easily confused at 7:39 PM on October 28, 2016 [18 favorites]

My 5-year-old is going as Calvin, which involves wearing a striped T-shirt and carrying a stuffed tiger (Hobbes). This will be the easiest costume ever, and super cute, but unfortunately I've been roped into going as Calvin's Mom (AKA Boringest Costume Ever, AKA Basically My Teaching Clothes).
posted by daisystomper at 8:16 PM on October 28, 2016 [13 favorites]

A bloodied shirt, a knife, ice cubes, a bath tub, a victim = the welcome we provided for guests at Halloween.
posted by honey-barbara at 9:01 PM on October 28, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm going to a movie themed party, but I was too uninspired to come up with a costume from an actual movie. So, I'm wearing a star dress that I already own and a star crown made out of dollar store craft supplies. Add some glitter and a glow stick wand and I'm the Hollywood stardom fairy.
posted by atropos at 10:51 PM on October 28, 2016 [5 favorites]

I got really excited about seeing photos of this until I realized "Baby Kitty" is actually a human

yeah as always i am 10000% more interested in seeing the costumes your cats and dogs and hamsters and parakeets etc are wearing for halloween

show me your puppers mefi
posted by poffin boffin at 11:49 PM on October 28, 2016 [8 favorites]

My little pink dinosaur.
posted by bobobox at 6:03 AM on October 29, 2016 [31 favorites]

Emery posing as a preppy punk rocker.
posted by cooker girl at 6:45 AM on October 29, 2016 [15 favorites]

Seven, my late chow mix, loved his Superdog costume because he knew he'd get all the attentions.

I bought a unicorn horn for the cat but can't figure out how to put it on him. Probably designed by cats.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:23 AM on October 29, 2016 [14 favorites]

The pet photos are the best, though the children are, as always, adorable.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:25 AM on October 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna do what my dad always suggested; put a condom over my head and go as a well-dressed prick.
posted by jonmc at 7:30 AM on October 29, 2016 [7 favorites]

I am lazily half assing due to owning existing costume components, but my daughter is going as Lucy Heartfilia.
posted by corb at 9:01 AM on October 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here's a preview of the arm and the rest of the costume.

oh no this is delightful and i am delighted
posted by poffin boffin at 11:52 AM on October 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Ha, sorry to disappoint with my offspring! We did try to put my namesake (suffocating kitty) in a Halloween costume once.....it did not end well.

On the plus side, it gave for a ready made "whiskey" costume from dollhouse.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 12:17 PM on October 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Blue Horse and Fire Chief.
posted by saladin at 2:23 PM on October 29, 2016 [14 favorites]

Okay. I got Cats In Costume. Remember me after I am murdered in my sleep.

Uncooperative Mina as Carmen Purr-anda

Slightly More Cooperative Trilby as The Little Purr-maid
posted by angeline at 3:32 PM on October 29, 2016 [22 favorites]

I was out last night at a bar with a mix of costumed and non-costumed patrons. I saw a guy wearing a sort of casual jacket no tie ensemble who looked exactly like Egg McMuffin. I nudged my friend and said "He's dressed as Evan McMullin." We lol'd.
posted by octobersurprise at 4:18 PM on October 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

Husband and I are Danny (1, 2, 3) and Wendy (1, 2) Torrance from my favorite Kubrick movie (and one of my favorite horror movies, or any movies in general really) The Shining. Reason being (aside from my love for it), they screened it in theaters last week for the holiday and then there was a "Stephen King Masquerade Ball" in town the following day where coming in King-themed costume got you a discount at the door, whee (also, first-scene,-back-in-Denver Wendy is ! for me; I've wanted to dress up as her in that scene for ages, considered it last year for a horror trivia night).

Some stuff I've been the past couple years and was fond of but didn't post here at the time include Magritte's Lovers; the fall I was sick so it was more a "digital" costume, my homage to Anita Sarkeesian; Krazy and Ignatz from the George Herriman comic (everyone at the party we attended thought he was Batman with oddly bent ears though, ha). And there was that year I Asked MetaFilter to help me be Asha Greyjoy (which, mwah you guys).

My jack o'lantern this year (sorry no pic of it lit up in the dark, just did it about an hour ago!) was a slapdash homage to the (uterus crowned-or-dentata,-you-be-the-judge!) cover art from Helium's Pirate Prude (and it was Earthbound's Mr. Saturn last year).
posted by ifjuly at 5:24 PM on October 29, 2016 [8 favorites]

greg tweet this immediately so all my ladyfrands can creep on ur wife
posted by poffin boffin at 6:35 PM on October 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

A bunch of people told me I looked like Eleven from Stranger Things, so...
posted by coppermoss at 7:09 PM on October 29, 2016 [14 favorites]

Pearl from Steven Universe. Ignore the slightly out of character hoodie it was chilly out.

I was going to use that costume last year, but some of the pieces hadn't arrived at the last minute, so I went as a poop emoji instead.
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:22 PM on October 29, 2016 [6 favorites]

I was Ms. Frizzle from the oft forgotten episode The Magic School Bus Prevents Pregnancy.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 8:03 PM on October 29, 2016 [25 favorites]

I had a great Woody from Toy Story costume that I put a lot of work into. Made a trial run
Last night for our little party tonight. Unfortunately, we are having record high temps in Memphis these days and it's too fucking hot to wear my Woody costume. Boo hoo!
posted by raisingsand at 8:17 PM on October 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

Belle and Gaston!

Why are none of your cats LeFou?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:53 PM on October 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

Why are none of your cats LeFou?

Someone had to take the picture.
posted by phunniemee at 5:54 AM on October 30, 2016 [15 favorites]

I was a Maid of Honor last night, so I missed most of the Halloween festivities, but I have a big bag of sticky googly eyes that I am going to cover myself with for ballet class tomorrow evening.
posted by ChuraChura at 6:22 AM on October 30, 2016 [5 favorites]

Ah, you're going as a panopticum.
posted by Too-Ticky at 6:47 AM on October 30, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have a big bag of sticky googly eyes that I am going to cover myself

yesss I made and wore a single 25" googly eye but the best part was my shoes, I made them for halloween but I think I might start wearing them year-round.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:14 AM on October 30, 2016 [29 favorites]

But how do you pick which eyes your laces go through?
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:30 AM on October 30, 2016 [3 favorites]

Last year I bought a shirt, so basically, I am going as Steven Universe every year until it falls apart or stops fitting, because I am incredibly lazy about this sort of thing.

Or I guess until I grow my hair out, but that seems unlikely.
posted by Sequence at 8:18 AM on October 30, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'll be out at tap class tomorrow night so I decoupaged a plain cardboard cat mask and will be wearing it for as much of class as I can manage.

All the tasty birdies. 😹
posted by halcyonday at 10:47 AM on October 30, 2016 [8 favorites]

I went to a part last night and was dressed as the night sky (Thanks for the idea, mefi!). Pics here and here.

Ironically, I posted the original ask because I had a blue ballgown I wanted to reuse from a wedding, but when I put it all together with the tulle and whatnot, I felt enormous, so I swapped out a different blue dress I had!
posted by firei at 11:11 AM on October 30, 2016 [16 favorites]

My husband and youngest son spent the past week making a D.Va mech (from Overwatch). Now we just need to keep the cat away from it for one more day.
posted by bibliowench at 11:53 AM on October 30, 2016 [8 favorites]

My kids are Ninja Turtles- wore the costumes to church this morning (shenanigans). My work department did an Annie-themed costume+skit and we WON Most Creative which was super fun. Just saw pics of my sister and her boyfriend as Curious George and The Man With the Yellow Hat which I loooooove.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:35 PM on October 30, 2016 [9 favorites]

I managed to get our kitty cooperate long enough to snap a pic of him as a witch. He looks quite enthused.
posted by cozenedindigo at 12:56 PM on October 30, 2016 [15 favorites]

> My 5-yr-old is gonna be Doc McStuffins (yay!) & I am gonna be Dr. Doom. There’s almost certainly a unifying Affordable Care Act joke in there but I haven’t figured it out yet.

Happy update: mrs. per flower will now be Dr. Zizmor, fleshing out our well-rounded weirdo family practice.
posted by miles per flower at 1:27 PM on October 30, 2016 [5 favorites]

I was Mystery Girl from Steven Universe. I felt certain no one would recognize me, so I was really happy when a friend walked up to me at the party and said, "Mystery Girl, right?" Made my night!
posted by ocherdraco at 1:52 PM on October 30, 2016 [13 favorites]

GREAT SCOTT! Mr. CmcG & I had fun at a friend's Halloween party.
posted by CMcG at 1:57 PM on October 30, 2016 [9 favorites]

No costume for me this year, but after some afternoon carving here's Secretariat's toothpick-toothed jack-o-lantern's and my fractal pumpkin.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:12 PM on October 30, 2016 [9 favorites]

I went to my department's Halloween party as Leeloo from the Fifth Element -- first time in actual honest-to-goodness drag! Contouring is fucking hard you guys. Also I think I didn't quite have the right foundation... should have coughed up for Kryolan, I guess.

We went out to a club afterward and as I got progressively drunker I tried out this Tatianna move a few times on the dance floor... not sure how it looked from the outside but in my head it was fierce af. Had a few mysterious bruises the next day though.
posted by en forme de poire at 4:39 PM on October 30, 2016 [5 favorites]

My wife helped me implement my "Bad Hombres Taco Truck" costume, Pictures available here.
posted by JMOZ at 5:24 PM on October 30, 2016 [27 favorites]

I should also mention that she went as "Second Debate Hillary Clinton," with Donald Trump lurking behind her constantly. It was, to be honest, a bit too scary for my taste.
posted by JMOZ at 5:36 PM on October 30, 2016 [10 favorites]

I decided to go the spooky route this year and went as a pretty convincing witch. My friends didn't recognize me!
posted by rabbitbookworm at 8:39 PM on October 30, 2016 [13 favorites]

So i have more than a passing resemblance to Tim Curry...I'm finally gonna be Dr. Frank-n-Furter.

...I'll post stuff when i get the files back.

posted by emptythought at 12:09 PM on October 28


Be prepared for an increase of the "linked by" number on your account page, with crush, muse, and/or spouse tags.
posted by she's not there at 4:16 AM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is barely a costume. Just the wig, blue lipstick applied more heavily than usual, and a bubble wand. Pastel and bubbly is scary enough for work, right?
posted by Karmakaze at 6:43 AM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm going to a swank arts group fundraising party tonight as a early Suffragette. I'm stupidly pleased with my costume choice, from my homemade votes for women sash to the lovely period clothing, but in this moment I'm also annoyed with myself that I didn't think about the possibilities of early voting in that getup.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 6:51 AM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm part of other people's costumes. The beginning and ending of my modeling career.
posted by tula at 6:54 AM on October 31, 2016 [6 favorites]

I present Penguin and Baby Penguin!
posted by Liesl at 7:48 AM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]

I saw a guy in a Gundam Wing costume which made me insanely happy because it reminded me of a great story about my late dad. My two younger brothers had tickets to a con one year and one had to drop out. So my dad went in his place and dutifully went up to every vendor looking for the Gundam Wing stuff baby brother had asked him to try and find. Only every time my dad asked, his inner Southerner caused him to pronounce "Gundam Wing" in a way that rhymed with "God Damn Wing." A few times, he actually tripped up and said "God Damn Wing." My other brother followed him around, stifling laughter and gesturing frantically for vendors to be cool and not stop him, or correct him.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 AM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yesterday my girlfriend and I threw a party just so we could show off our 1970s Christian ventriloquist couple costume.
posted by Timmoy Daen at 8:12 AM on October 31, 2016 [26 favorites]

At the request of my neighbor's youngins, who are going as as Drs. Grant and Sattler from Jurassic Park, I will accompany them in my inflatable T-Rex costume. HOWEVER. They also wanted zombies, so the request became zombie Jurassic Park, so they will be a zombie Grant and Elle and I will be zombie T-Rex.

It's going to be awesome.
posted by barchan at 8:37 AM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]

cozenedindigo: I managed to get our kitty cooperate long enough to snap a pic of him as a witch. He looks quite enthused.

Odd, our cats apparently lost the will to live once put in little witch costumes. Seriously, the highly rambunctious one went from maniac to faux rug in a pointy hat and cape. So we took them off, after taking some pictures (which I'll have to dig up at home).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:42 AM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wait, did Grant and Sattler turn the T-Rex into a zombie, or did the T-Rex turn Grant and Sattler into zombies?

THE PEOPLE DEMAND TO KNOW.
posted by Etrigan at 8:47 AM on October 31, 2016

Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler are too good, true, and models of pure humanity and science to turn a T-Rex into a zombie.

Obviously some other snotdick did it.
posted by barchan at 8:52 AM on October 31, 2016

I dressed as glamorous 40s witch Jennifer from I Married A Witch (played by Veronica Lake) but I do not currently have a pic, which is tragic because I looked faboo!
posted by supermedusa at 8:58 AM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Didn't feel like doing a full costume this year, but I am doing a mild tribute to Sheriff Hopper from Stranger Things today.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:05 AM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]

Our son wanted to be a headless horseman knight riding a dinosaur. We said sure.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 9:21 AM on October 31, 2016 [29 favorites]

She's not that tall, but she likes giraffes.
posted by Etrigan at 10:48 AM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]

Our son wanted to be a headless horseman knight riding a dinosaur. We said sure.

People talk about how there's no test to see if you're fit to have kids* but if there were this would definitely earn a high grade.

*Obviously complicated with foster care, adoption, &c.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:59 AM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

We are going as humbugs. That is to say, our home will sit dark and uninviting, while we huddle together watching tv all night.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:02 AM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]

Commander Lexi of the Space Patrol.
posted by Lexica at 11:05 AM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

Been kinda busy recently with a wedding and honeymoon, so there's been no Halloween costume planning going on. If I do go out tonight I'll probably just re-use my apathetic down-on-his-luck pumpkin papier-mache head (and associated outfit).
posted by komara at 11:07 AM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]

Someone pointed out to me that I had dressed as the Pantone colors of the year for 2016 (it was that soft pink and blue combo), which I really wish I had realized sooner, because I work with a bunch of designers and that would have been a much better costume than "odd looking outfit I threw together as quickly as possible."
posted by Karmakaze at 11:16 AM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

ClickHole: Please, No One Come Trick-Or-Treating To My House This Year, For I Will Be Masturbating To Pornography
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:00 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am handing out candy this year with friends, like every year, I usually start with wearing what i want first and then determining what the "costume" is when people ask, but this year I am sort of stumped. Ideas?
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 12:14 PM on October 31, 2016

Like some of your @replies say, if you have or can manage a nightcap and maybe a brass candlestick you'd be a pretty good Scrooge.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:18 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ideas?
maybe?
posted by phunniemee at 12:18 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

OOOH, Samara from The Ring. That's an awesome idea.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:21 PM on October 31, 2016

I wore TWO ties last Thursday (27th) when we celebrated halloween. I was Back from the Future (II). Almost no one got it. People thought it was supposed to be an optical illusion. My students had not seen BTTF. Rather than repeatedly trying to explain the 1980s, hover boards, empty pockets, auto-tying shoes and the BTTF franchise, I just said I was trying to start a new trend and it seemed like something people might do in the future. 'Twies', people, they're coming.
posted by infinite intimation at 12:28 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

Luna Lovegood.
posted by Shmuel510 at 1:37 PM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]

This seems like a good spot to drop a picture of the Supergirl costume I wore for voting and my friend's kid's Halloween party. (Not pictured, totally awesome cape, sparkly red shoes....I need to get a better pic.)
posted by PearlRose at 1:43 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

I am handing out candy this year with friends, like every year, I usually start with wearing what i want first and then determining what the "costume" is when people ask, but this year I am sort of stumped. Ideas?

Carry a box of matches and be Bertha Mason/Rochester? (Or don't folks read Jane Eyre anymore?)
posted by Karmakaze at 2:02 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ideas?

I'm with the Scrooge crowd, specifically Albert Finney's.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:09 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

This year I am Rowmwala Da OPA (Outer Planets Alliance Bartender) from The Expanse.
The quote in Lang Belta translates as "Free the Belt! You must say to yourself: "what can I do for the Belt?" The Outer Planets Alliance need you.
Also regarding slingshot club… wanna place a bet?"
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 2:16 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm Nurse Christine Chapel from Star Trek TOS this year, because I spend all my time with a grumpy blue-eyed Southerner who fixes things for a living (except they're computers rather than Vulcans).
posted by ilana at 2:18 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

I was a robot with some LED lights and a voice changer - photo. Video of my voice changer (pretty low quality video).
posted by too bad you're not me at 2:37 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]

I don't have photos of my (human) kids' costumes yet. They're going as "a ghost wolf pup" and "a goat."

But here are some photos of my (goat) kids in costumes:
Sarasaurus and Princess Pepper
posted by belladonna at 3:50 PM on October 31, 2016 [12 favorites]

I went as Steven Universe and my wife went as Amethyst. I'm not trying for anonymity, my four year old took the picture. Here's another.
posted by dirtdirt at 5:22 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]

My wife somehow inadvertently bought our son a @DaShareZ0ne costume. Look closely, the ribs are made of smaller skulls.
Also I made Pumpkimon.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:45 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

Report from my the costume contest at my mom's (very) senior apartment building:

The winner was Veronica, who was in a full-on, red flapper outfit, with spiderweb tights. Second place was Boris, who came as Ghostface from Scream, and third place (my favorite) was the woman who came as Lady Gaga with a bright red "Joanne" hat and sang a little song in Russian.

You'd think that the bearded man who wore Hello Kitty PJ bottoms, a chunky pearl necklace, a woman's top, a purse, a lady wig with pigtails and a scary deformed, melty face mask and was dressed as "scary babysitter" would have been the creepiest, but that went to Richard, the old dude who always tries to hug and kiss all the women, who put on a straw hat and came as Jim Dandy and did a gross Jim Dandy dance and who was, as always, the creepiest guy in the room.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]

My daughter was the Mad Hatter and Mrs. Plinth was the Cheshire Cat, my son was a Hogwart's wizarding student.
posted by plinth at 5:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [6 favorites]

Metroid Baby and I dressed our kid like a famous local busker: Keytar Bear!
posted by ignignokt at 6:01 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]

My pixelated face paint!
posted by vegartanipla at 6:07 PM on October 31, 2016 [28 favorites]

Someone mentioned to me that I was basically emoji ghost. 👻
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 6:19 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

Scorpius, an alien, and Orion. I think they came out really well! Although they took a lot of explaining during trick-or-treating. :)

(And my scarf is Milky Way from Cyperoptix, A++++)
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:51 PM on October 31, 2016 [9 favorites]

I ended up with googly eyes that were less sticky than advertised, so I bought a cheap batman mask, neon construction paper, and velcro and turned into Ballet Batman.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:35 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]

This year I was a Spooky Bat Queen (video no sound) I made my cape and I'm technically wearing lace cat ears for my bat ears and some rockin' makeup.

Last year I did Rosie the Riveter.

This year I did my husband's ventriloquist dummy makeup - and while he doesn't like his photo on (public) social media he let me upload it to my photobucket to share here. (Huge deal.)

I love seeing everyone’s costumes! And even though I’m stuck at home due to chronic illness, I still can’t help but dress up!! (And we also don’t get Trick or Treaters what I live either.) Mefi is like our own little Halloween parade!
posted by Crystalinne at 7:35 PM on October 31, 2016 [11 favorites]

Crystalinne, please tell your husband that the people who haven't publicly seen his photo think he's both handsome and dashing.

And you look fantastic! (I vote that more of us should wear more "weird" lipstick colors more often.)
posted by Lexica at 7:43 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thank you Lexica - He's an IT guy who is mega security (ad blockers, etc) and hates social media. He doesn't even have a photo on his LinkedIn. I can put them on Facebook for family but not anything public.... He's a weird bird. A handsome, weird bird.

It's a GREAT photo of him - most of the time he doesn't know what to do with this face but you tell him to be creepy - and well.. best photo.
posted by Crystalinne at 8:30 PM on October 31, 2016

My daughter made a costume for her dog: 1, 2.
posted by Rumple at 8:42 PM on October 31, 2016 [13 favorites]

Better video of my robot costume: here

Ended up winning the contest at work!
posted by too bad you're not me at 8:43 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

Two of my three kids went as Dwight Schrute this year, and while I don't have pics of them, here is the pumpkin I carved today in their honour.
posted by chococat at 9:00 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

I was Peggy Carter - spent probably three weeks making the Cap shield from the RPF forum's directions (holy hell, they lied about how easy it was to take the paint off) but I won my division of the costume contest, so hey, validation!
posted by tautological at 9:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [9 favorites]

Last minute costume - old dress + astronaut socks + same-day shipping for led string lights + packing tape = Twinkling Nebula Lady Gives You Candy
posted by Mizu at 3:10 AM on November 1, 2016 [6 favorites]

You had me at "astronaut socks!"
posted by Room 641-A at 4:37 AM on November 1, 2016

You too can have astronaut socks! (These are different from the ones I have but from the same store where I got them years ago, iirc.) They have a whole space & science sock category.
posted by Mizu at 9:04 AM on November 1, 2016

Still haven't gotten the nicer photos back, but I figured I gotta deliver at least what I have already 😘
posted by emptythought at 9:20 AM on November 1, 2016 [16 favorites]

Oh, thanks Mizu, those are the people that make my taco socks! They are excellent socks.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:04 AM on November 1, 2016

My daughter made a costume for her dog

omg what a good pupper yes who is the best lil skellington it you pupper
posted by poffin boffin at 11:43 AM on November 1, 2016 [3 favorites]

Jurassic World, nah, Jurassic Park all the way.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:15 PM on November 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

The highlight of the Halloween party I went to as a suffragette was finding someone dressed as Hillary Clinton and taking a picture with her.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 6:02 AM on November 2, 2016 [11 favorites]

I was only peripherally involved, but Mrs. exogenous and MrMoonPie and friends made a big octopus originally for the H St Festival in September (similar to before). As one does with a giant translucent octopus, for Halloween we illuminated it and set it up in a local corner park.
posted by exogenous at 7:48 AM on November 2, 2016 [7 favorites]

Hail the Great Octopus! It really is a great octopus.
posted by ignignokt at 8:17 AM on November 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was an October Surprise. Roughly 1 out of 5 got it without needing an explanation. (The skirt is hung withpotential surprises--emails, Billy Bush, Putin, Godzilla, etc)
posted by thivaia at 8:21 AM on November 2, 2016 [8 favorites]

Thank you! Since we weren't staffing our porch as usual, children lured by the glowing denizen of the deep received candy.
posted by exogenous at 8:22 AM on November 2, 2016 [6 favorites]

Our son, obsessed with all things cars and trucks and particularly police and fire vehicles, threw us for a bit of a loop when he said he wanted to be a fire truck. Well how the fuck do you do that? Oh well, off to the cardboard boxes and crafting and it inevitably disintegrating within an hour.

Nope, turns out there's a pre-fab firetruck costume out there and a fellow classmate's parent had seen it. It's sorta amazing how good the low-cost costumes have gotten; I recall things my parents grumbled at the price of which were just plastic that was ungodly hot and uncomfortable and which tore in no time at all. This thing is a nice fabric contraption that was all of $20 and looks as good now as when we took it out of the bag.

We still had a fireman's jacket and our choice of fireman's hats (grodd bless the fire department for their community outreach open houses and giveaways!) so we put those on him to make it more complete.

Turns out he's good at standing out. We saw a multitude of other kids in firefighter costumes but he was the only one in an ambulatory truck. Someone else had turned their wagon into a truck and were pulling their kiddo in it which looked nice but haha I didn't have to drag him around. Non-metaphorically, anyway.

My wife and I were kinda lame, her in a bought Red Riding-hood cloak and me in a flannel & hat carrying a small hatchet (with some clear car door edge-guard over the blade, of course) so no pictures worth sharing there. But I was pretty happy with how I dressed our contribution to a halloween block party.
posted by phearlez at 11:06 AM on November 2, 2016 [12 favorites]

I said I'd come back and post, so here's the final result of the Winter Soldier costume project.
posted by rachaelfaith at 1:46 PM on November 2, 2016 [23 favorites]

I went as Frodo wearing the one ring. Sorry, none of my pictures turned out.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:20 PM on November 2, 2016 [7 favorites]

Oooh, I attempted to do a makeup as Deep Drem
posted by louche mustachio at 1:17 AM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Louche Mustachio... that is brilliant, and one of the more creative ideas i've seen in years.

That said, i got a couple photos back.
posted by emptythought at 10:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

i was a banana guard.
posted by monologish at 2:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

My dog and I dressed up as a mermaid and a lobster.
posted by mollywas at 1:43 PM on November 9, 2016 [1 favorite]