5 Halloween Costume Tips and 1 Party Preview
/The witching hour is almost upon us! Mark Oct. 30 on your calendar for thrilling and chilling festivities at the Hollyweird Halloween party and a creepy costume contest.
The best part – employees near and far can enter the contest, and we’ve got tips to help you put together your ghoulish garb. County employees can show off their costumes in person Oct. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the COC. And you can enter the contest on the same day by emailing a photo of your cute, comical or creepy creation. (Details will be posted to InSite on the day of the big bash.) Employees will then vote for the “best in show” on Monday, Nov. 2.
With just one week to plan your outfit, where do you start? Luckily, one County employee has tips for creating wonderfully whimsical, startlingly scary or coolly clever costumes.
Roberta Hussey Nichols, office manager with the Multiple Conflicts Office, has an impressive resume as a costume creator. She’s a member of the San Diego Costume Guild and has donned her ornate outfits at events for the San Diego Symphony, San Diego History Center and the USS Midway. Some of her more memorable guises have been dressing as Cinderella at the San Diego Library and in a procession for Día de los Muertos in Old Town.
Roberta Hussey Nichols and her husband at a Día de los Muertos event in Old Town San Diego.
“It is fun to become that character. It is fun to come out of your own skin,” said Nichols, who claims Halloween is one of her favorite holidays.
Of course, the first step in fashioning a costume fit for a stunning superhero, marvelous mummy or wonderfully wicked witch is coming up with the idea. The creative process does not need to be a nightmarish feat. Nichols said employees can draw inspiration from anywhere – books, movies, comics, video games, historical figures, sports heroes and political figures are fair fodder.
Roberta dressed as Queen Regina from ABC's "Once Upon a Time."
The options for finding costume materials are also endless—from online to your local hardware store, swap meet and even your own closet. She said an idea can come from just one item, such as bell-bottom jeans to be a hippie or blue overalls to be a Minion.
Here are 5 tips so simple that they are almost spooky:
Start planning as early as you can. A week is plenty of time to make your costume fabulous.
Be comfortable. Wear comfy shoes if you can.
Try to act/be your character. What would they do or say? Do they have a certain walk or way of doing something? If it’s a character from a movie or TV, try to repeat something recognizable they said. Think of John Wayne’s walk, a zombie dragging one leg or Buzz Lightyear’s tag line, “To infinity and beyond!”
Props and accessories are key—what would Indiana Jones be without his hat? They also give you something to hold on to or pose with for photos.
Finally, have fun making and wearing your costume.
Now that you’ve picked the perfect costume, find out more about the other Halloween activities including a Lip Sync-Off, pumpkin bowling, scream-o-rama contest and other tricks and treats! Read more here. Don’t miss out on the fun – we’re dying to see you!