It used to be that a Halloween costume was your basic witch, for girls, and monster, for boys. Ghosts were a wonderful unisex contraption, and the cheapest, requiring only the sacrifice of an old bed sheet. Skeletons were an equally convenient choice, requiring only the addition of paint on the old sheet. It also used to be that Halloween was for children. With both of these truths gone, every Halloween saw costumes becoming more and more intricate, until someone, somewhere, decided to broaden the spectrum of dead and gone entities, and dress up as a live and well personal idol. And so the new era of Halloween costumes began, opening up an entire market of live and dead president’s faces, Walt Disney characters, movie characters, movie and music stars, all with an entire market of their own, in accessories (complete with ears, tail and feet.) In fact, this year, it is expected that $6.9 billion will be spent on Halloween celebrations, this despite the current economic environment.
Halloween, however, has humble roots, and though it best suits the child to give their imagination free rein, a tasteful classic Halloween, costume may be the best choice, both for you and your child. Aim for comfort and decency, two aspects of fashion that have been steadily going out of style.
It has been said that nothing included in the Halloween tradition has ever gone out again. Indeed, fashionable Halloween costumes over time include:
· Characters from folklore: Princesses and Princes, Pixies and Fairies;
· Beloved characters from children’s literature: Peter Pan and Harry Potter;
· Various members of the superhero family: Superman, Batman, Ironman, Batgirl, Catwoman
All are tasteful traditional choices with death-defying popularity.
Males have no trouble over a good Halloween costume choice. If nothing else, they may throw on a tux and introduce themselves as “Bond. James Bond.” Avoid frightening outfits for younger boys, who may be too impressionable to absorb a blood-spattered zombie with knives through his head and missing limbs.
Modern female Halloween costumes, on the other hand, tend to be oversexed, which is something you want to avoid. Chose Pocahontas over a random sexy pirate, and Batgirl over a cheerleader’s outfit. Whether for yourself or for your child, avoid any Lady GaGa or Sexy-little-devil disguise. There is nothing in the spirit of Halloween that condones bad taster or immorality.
As the hysteria surrounding Halloween preparations snowballs to match that of Valentine’s Day, keep it simple, and focus on the most important factors of all: Friends and Family…and Food!
No comments:
Post a Comment