Are You Sure It's A Great Idea For A Costume?

Having just come back from a costume party, a few thoughts that came up while I was observing everyone might help you the next time you go to a costume party or to get ready for Halloween.

1. Have a plan. Don't wait for last minute inspiration to strike. Sure, on the occasions when it does, it's a great feeling but more often than not, you're pulling things out of the closet at the last minute and trashing the house looking for something that you know you have but can't remember where it is.

2. Decide on a budget. I've seen some great costumes made of out old fabric sheers and poster paint and I've seen some great costumes that were tailor made for the person wearing them, with the resultant price tag. Decide on how much you want to spend and stick to it. You can still be wonderfully creative with old curtains and duct tape with enough time. Knowing how much you're willing to spend will also help you decide on your costume more easily. instead of picking up this and that for a 'Maybe I can put these together.....' Just think, if you decide to go as The Greatest American Hero you can get a red t-shirt and a pair of tights and you're pretty much done.

3. Do NOT finish the costume the day of the party. Plan on having the costume completed 3 or 4 days before the party date. Because, last minute details always come up where you have to run out and get something else to finish the costume. When you're trying to finish it at 7:30pm and the party starts at 8...you can figure out the rest. Which leads us to....

4. Try the costume on before the day of the party. We've all been there, had this great idea, assembled all the necessary items, got all the creative juices flowing...and when you dressed for the party discovered what you saw in your head wasn't what was looking back at you from the mirror. Yeah, OK, what's in your head always looks way better than the mirror does but when you have a catastrophic fail on the idea execution, you need to have time to fix it or to abandon it and redo. So finish it early and try it on. Which leads us to.....

5. How are your body functions going to function in this costume? Can you drink? Can you eat? Can you go up and down stairs? How's your vision in the costume? Can you sit down? Can you drive? Can you stand in it for several hours? Can you go to the bathroom? All of these need to be considered for the entire length of the party. Yes, you could change into street clothes at some point at the party but you will be in the costume for a certain amount of time and moving around so all these need to be considered.

6. Does the costume chafe or rub you anywhere? Anyone that has worn a too tight pair of shoes or a piece of clothing that chafed them for any length of time will tell you 'Don't do it!' What seems like a small irritation over a matter of hours can turn into a painful situation which, in some cases, may require medical attention. So twist around and move around and see if you're getting chafed. Now is the time to fix it while you have the time.

7. Consider the venue of the party that you're attending. Going as a belly dancer to an outside party when the temperature drops to 55 degrees is not going to be comfortable. Going as a Ghostbuster with full ghost busting backpack to an indoor, crowded apartment party where there's not much room is not going to win you any friends.

The main thing is to have fun. Sure, it's fun to win a costume contest and have people "Wow!" at your creativity but six months from now, will it mean that much to you or will the social interaction be what you remember? Have fun with the costumes but make sure you can have fun in the costumes.