Ah, Spring Autumn – when a young man’s fancy turns to love costuming.
If you are planning to dress up for Halloween (or any other costuming occasion), but haven’t yet made a decision on the costume itself, here are some guidelines that I use to help narrow the possibilities:
- Public Recognition: Is this going to be easily recognizable to my audience?
- Fun Quotes: Does this character have some well-known / funny dialogue I can memorize & recite?
- Fun Poses / Actions: Does this character have any recognizable poses / gestures / actions that I can imitate? Funny quotes won’t show up in photos, but a pose or expression, or gesture will.
- Cost: Approximately how much will this cost to assemble? Can I amortize that cost over time? Can I defray that by using materials I already have, or by purchasing used components, or making my own?
- Appearance: How closely do I physically resemble this character? How can I increase that resemblance; by dieting, exercise, adding a wig, cutting my hair, dying my hair, applying make-up, wearing contact lenses, adding padding, etc?
- Comfort: How comfortable will this be when and where I plan to wear it? Will it be too warm or too cold? Will it be heavy? Can I easily move / walk? How well can I see and hear? Can I sit and stand? Climb stairs? Go through doors? Use the bathroom?
- Re-use: Can I re-use this costume, in whole or in part, on other occasions or for other purposes? Can I find components that I already have and re-use them to make this costume?
- Easy to Make: How easy will this be to make, or how easy will it be to find the necessary parts? How much time, labor and materials will be required?
- Timeliness: Is this character in the public mind right now? Is it current or trending? Is there a significant anniversary or date that I can take advantage of (movie release, birthday, etc)?
These are just some simple criteria, in no particular order. I hope they’ve helped you decide.
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