Glasses for Halloween

October 20, 2008 9:12 AM

HalloweenCostumeFilter: Girl, glass, freckles, CHEAP!

Hello all. It's down to the wire for figuring out a Halloween costume, but I'm ahead of my usual schedule. Anyway, I keep running up against a problem: Every idea I come up with seems like a good idea until I remember that I wear glasses, which just makes so many costumes (especially those involving fictional or historical characters) seem less than applicable. In the past I've just sucked it up and worn whatever, with glasses in place. But this year, I want something that incorporates my glasses into the costume.

So I'm looking for as many ideas as possible that have a character that is supposed to have glasses. A few specs (heh): I'm a female in her mid-twenties, with dark medium length hair, a ton of freckles, and red-framed glasses. I'm not opposed to donning a wig if need be, and I don't have contacts.

Last requirement: CHEAP. I'm in grad school and have zero cash, so the cheaper the better.

Also I kind of hate those costumes-in-a-bag from the big mall Halloween store, just because they look like cheap pieces of polyester shit (which they usually are). And speaking of big mall Halloween stores, I would prefer to not look like a slut, but I will consider it if it is a good idea.
Thanks for the help!

posted by greta simone to clothing, beauty, & fashion (29 comments total)

PS- No Sarah Palin suggestions please.
posted by greta simone at 9:16 AM on October 20, 2008

Velma?
posted by Memo at 9:18 AM on October 20, 2008

Velma from Scooby Doo?
posted by tristeza at 9:22 AM on October 20, 2008

There are tons of anime characters with glasses. You could carry a toy crossbow and wear a helmet to be Lucca from Chrono Trigger, for example. If you get a long blonde wig and have a navy suit, you could be Alexandra Cabot from Law and Order : SVU.
posted by mkb at 9:23 AM on October 20, 2008

Depending on the shape of your glasses, you could be Daria.
posted by hooray at 9:23 AM on October 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Also, Ugly Betty is out too. It's already being done by someone at my party.

Keep 'em comin'!
posted by greta simone at 9:26 AM on October 20, 2008

Pippi Longstocking with glasses?
posted by Lynsey at 9:27 AM on October 20, 2008

Edith Head. Flannery O'Connor. Emma Goldman. Coco Chanel.
posted by thivaia at 9:29 AM on October 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Building off of the red frames: Wear a red sheet like a toga, make yourself a red crown, and dress as an all-crimson version of the Staue of Liberty. Carry aloft a yellow sickle and hammer in one hand and the Communist Manifesto in the other, and call yourself The Statue of Stalinism. The actual Staue of Liberty doesn't wear glasses, but that's going to be the last thing people are going to notice.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:31 AM on October 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Enid from Ghost World
posted by fidelity at 9:35 AM on October 20, 2008

Edna Mode from The Incredibles?
posted by hellopanda at 9:37 AM on October 20, 2008

It doesn't relate to your glasses or anything else at all, but an ex of mine came up with the best last-minute costume idea ever -- he took his old graduation robe and added a rainbow wig and told people he was "The Supreme Court Jester."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:42 AM on October 20, 2008

Anastasia Krupnik, and seconding Daria.
posted by goo at 9:44 AM on October 20, 2008

The Tootsie Roll Pop Owl! You could probably easily make a mortarboard hat and giant Tootsie Pop from cardboard.
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:46 AM on October 20, 2008

Red glasses? Hello -- Sally Jesse Raphael.

Or, somehow be something other than a person, like red red wine glasses!
posted by barnone at 10:01 AM on October 20, 2008

Or "rose colored glasses"?
posted by barnone at 10:03 AM on October 20, 2008

Edith Head! Edith Head! When do you get to wear blue glasses?

Maybe too close to Palin, but slip on some Gap clothing, add script pages in your pocket and carry around off-brand mexican snacks. and viola! Liz Lemon
posted by The Whelk at 10:04 AM on October 20, 2008

Seconding Enid from Ghost World.

You could also do Janine Melnitz from Ghostbusters. She always had funky glasses so it's not like having red frames would be any different. And you can choose from different versions of her from the movies or the cartoon series. She wore regular clothes (either 80ish or secretary-ish) and if you really wanted to, maybe hand out some Ghostbuster business cards with their number on it when you meet people or something. Or act like someone's calling you on the phone, pick it up and go "Ghostbusters, waddaya want?"

Hmm, Yomiko Readman from Read or Die? Pretty doable if your wardrobe has a gray/dark skirt, brown vest, red tie, some kind of trenchcoat (optional). You could go the extra mile and have a carry-on sized rolling suitcase filled with books, or just carry some books, or glue together some pieces of paper to make a paper cascade for when she does her papermaster thing...but this might end up being one of those "gotta explain it" costumes if you're not in the right crowds, so er, yea, I'm more behind suggesting option one or two over this one.
posted by kkokkodalk at 10:47 AM on October 20, 2008

Go as the Dorothy Parker epigram: "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses."
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:54 AM on October 20, 2008

Gee thanks Roger. And for the record, the #1 pick-up line I get is tied between "I like your glasses" and "I like your freckles".

So far it looks like my options are a little limited. It's hard when most of these women have really no other defining features that say who they are, short of Velma's recognizable outfit.
posted by greta simone at 11:21 AM on October 20, 2008

I know you specifically said character, but I'm mostly offering archetypes in case those are allowable. Ignore whatever you don't like :)

sexy librarian/secretary/businesswoman - wear nice lingerie under a business-appropriate outfit, preferably something with either sensible shoes or nice heels; put your hair in a bun and make sure to put a pencil in it; occasionally pull off your glasses dramatically, unbind your hair, shake it out, and make sexy pouty faces...the more exaggerated the better. Carrying a stack of files you can theatrically refer to or drop would also enhance the costume.

scientist - white lab coat, black pants or skirt, eccentric-ish style to your hair, scientific props in your pockets, maybe a few of those plastic white mice strewn about your person.

super-nerd - put some tape on the glasses, wear mismatched but obviously completely functional clothes, put your hair up haphazardly (especially enhance any cowlicks), make your freckles as noticeable as can be, and add accessories for whatever nerd-dom you feel happiest representin'.

female waldo
posted by batmonkey at 11:36 AM on October 20, 2008

> Gee thanks, Roger.

Sorry if that came off wrong. It's classic Dorothy Parker - I don't think anyone has ever taken the saying seriously. Second suggestion: go as a Jane Fonda in 9 to 5.
posted by roger ackroyd at 12:20 PM on October 20, 2008

I'm going as Liz Lemon. Basically I'm going to wear a suit jacket and walk around saying "Blurgh!" Also, I have a friend who's going to wear a suit and tie so he can be Jack Donaghy. Just to get the point across, I might make a lemon-shaped sticker to wear, and maybe get my friend a GE button.
posted by kidsleepy at 1:08 PM on October 20, 2008

Oh Roger, no harm done. I was just being playful.
Thanks for the suggestions so far all.
I welcome more.
posted by greta simone at 1:14 PM on October 20, 2008

OK so I totally feel ya on not dressing like a slut (but that is a whole nother convo) but you could easily pull off "sexy librarian," "sexy teacher" or "sexy school girl."
posted by radioamy at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2008

Blue van Meer?
posted by paultopia at 3:36 PM on October 20, 2008

You just described me! And since we probably don't live in the same place or will go to the same parties, I'll share what I'm gonna be: Zombie Pippi Longstocking. I can't shed the specs (I'm blind without them) but I figure no one's going to care. I think it's fun to twist a childhood icon (and I once dressed up as Pippi) into something more grown up, so that's what I'm going to do.

You could also go as Harry Potter with a cute wig. Jeans, t-shirt, cape (I used a long black skirt once and just clipped it around my neck), purple scar, chuck taylors.
posted by cachondeo45 at 5:54 PM on October 20, 2008

Aside from the freckles you could be set to be Maddy, Laura Palmer's cousin from Twin Peaks. Obviously this would work best if your circle of acquaintances has any familiarity with TP.

My other suggestion is to be Lolita, because by some law I must refer to Nabokov's novel in at least 29% of my Ask.Mefi comments. And also because she had brown hair and freckles, and you could get away with glasses, I think. She has pink ones by the end of the novel.
posted by dorothy humbird at 1:32 PM on October 21, 2008

Diana Prince, (Wonder Woman's alter ego)
The Baroness (Coooooobra!)
Selina Kyle (Catwoman, especially the Michelle Pfieffer version)
Lisa Loeb (super easy if you have an acoustic guitar (or can borrow one))
posted by oddman at 8:41 PM on October 22, 2008