Help us recreate iconic film costumes for our holiday party

November 23, 2009 9:22 AM

[CostumeFilter]: My company is having a Hollywood-themed holiday party in two weeks. Please help me think of a good costume for myself and my boyfriend. Difficulty factors: He has a beard, I'm short and curvy.

The idea is red carpet moments, classic Hollywood, or memorable screen roles. Ideally this would be something highly recognizable, like the Marilyn Manson/Rose McGowan red carpet look (but nothing x-rated) or, say, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Cleopatra. Unfortunately, I can't think of many "memorable" red carpet/Oscar moments that couples have shared, and I don't want to just buy a nice dress (boring!) when we could go full costume instead.

The couple with the best outfit wins a significant amount of spending money and a trip to Hollywood, so we are motivated; he is willing to shave the beard if it's worth it.

So far, we've kicked around the idea of going as young Obi-Wan and Padme Amidala or Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz (he'd make a reluctant cowardly lion) but we don't want to get TOO crazy on spending money and have a short amount of time to work on it, since the Thanksgiving holiday's about to start.

Both of us have black hair and he wears glasses, if that helps. The celebrities we most closely resemble naturally are Tori Amos (me) and a mix of Charlie Chaplin and Justin Long (him).

We don't have to go as a specific couple from the movie itself, just two characters from the same film will also work but I'm having trouble finding stuff like this by poking around on IMDB. Googling for Hollywood couples is equally unhelpful, since I'm trying to cross-reference roles and memorable looks. Thanks for any suggestions!

posted by Unicorn on the cob to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

I would definately go with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert if he's willing to keep a moustache only.

You could do Sean Connory with a "bond girl" he has a beard now.

Pirate of the Caribbean and you can be the female lead (brain fizz, can't think of her name).

And there's always Lord of the Rings characters. Aragorn had a beard. :)
posted by stormpooper at 9:28 AM on November 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

I don't know if this helps, but your profile pic reminds me of Diablo Cody.
posted by runningwithscissors at 9:33 AM on November 23, 2009

Beard: Phillip Seymour Hoffman in some
movie I can't remember

short and curvy: Marissa jaret winokur
posted by dfriedman at 9:36 AM on November 23, 2009

Not sure if it will be as immediately obvious, but Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton had a pretty notorious red carpet moment (him in the stripped button-down shirt, her in the leather pants and tshirt). This was the red carpet in which they made out the whole time, and informed anyone who interviewed them that they just had sex.
posted by twoporedomain at 10:07 AM on November 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

You have already won.

Go as Princess Leia and Chewbacca, but as sort of impressionist versions of them. So, you wear a dashing, flowing white suit but put your hair up in the cinnamon buns, and he dresses all in brown and wears Chewie's bandolier. And you have him on a leash.
posted by dirtdirt at 10:07 AM on November 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

When you said beard, I immediately thought of Joaquin Phoenix's weird Letterman appearance. Not sure you would make a good Letterman. Although there is this amazingly awkward photo.

He can go as an Oscar, and you can go as someone who has won an Oscar. Maybe Diablo Cody, as mentioned above.
posted by kathrineg at 10:42 AM on November 23, 2009

My lack of movie knowledge really should stop me from answering, but my love of full body paint won't give up. Could you go as an award winner and he as the award?
posted by syntheticfaith at 10:52 AM on November 23, 2009

If he's willing to shave his head, instead of his beard: Princess Aura and Ming the Merciless.
posted by fings at 11:48 AM on November 23, 2009

If you're going to go the "Hollywood Actress + Giant Academy Award" route, consider dressing up as Bjork in her swan dress.
posted by 23skidoo at 1:06 PM on November 23, 2009

Hm, interesting suggestions so far... Still thinking more of characters where we'll walk into the party and people will immediately know who we are.

Maybe I shouldn't have put curvy. I'm about 5 foot 1, 119 pounds, but far from Hollywood thin which excludes a lot of the more iconic looks, like Audrey Hepburn.

Since Diablo Cody's been to the Oscars exactly once and isn't famous in a visually recognizable way (like, say, Amy Winehouse is), I don't think she would work. Unless we do the Oscar thing, where he's all in gold. My goal was to make us immediately recognizable.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 1:17 PM on November 23, 2009

In that case, Ursa and Zod (if party guests are in their 30s) or Team Zissou (if party guests are in their 20s).
posted by 23skidoo at 1:54 PM on November 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

Juno... and the guy who knocked her up?
posted by Pleadthefifth at 2:12 PM on November 23, 2009

How about Howard Hughes and one of his many starlets? Think Hughes after he's gone off the deep end. Beard, bathrobe, tissue boxes as shoes, yellow legal pad with instructions for everyone to pretend he isn't there..

You could be Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, Ava Gardner.... There really are a lot to choose from. You could even just be a random starlet. Feather boa, sparkly gown, false eyelashes. You'd pretty much be Crazy Howard's arm candy.

Sorry, the idea just popped into my head as soon as you said "Hollywood" and "beard".
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:11 PM on November 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

And here's a photo! Thanks a ton, 23skidoo. Yeah, could've been more accurate I suppose, but not when I sewed both outfits in two days.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 6:02 PM on December 7, 2009

Uh, photo here. I fail all internets.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 6:02 PM on December 7, 2009

omg those ruuuuuule
posted by 23skidoo at 6:31 PM on December 7, 2009

One more... 23skidoo, I think I owe you a beer! People LOVED it. I might bust this out again, with improvements, for A-Kon next year.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 11:44 AM on December 8, 2009