Costumes for my clones!

August 7, 2008 7:20 AM

What can my triplet infants be for Halloween?

Last year, you helped with my Halloween costume when I was pregnant. This year, now that the babies are ex-utero, I need a costume idea for them!

Details:
- They'll be nearly 11 months old at Halloween
- They're identical boys
- They aren't walking, so they'll be sitting in strollers for this, which can be incorporated into the costumes
- I don't mind dressing up, but my husband is resistant to dressing up. Hmmph.
- We're in Louisiana, so it will probably be pretty warm

As in my last question, clever is best, though mildly offensive I suppose would be inappropriate. Inexpensive is best, since there are so darn many of them to dress. And I'm pretty crafty, so I can try to make them (hence the long lead time on this question.)

(For the record, I was a magic 8 ball last year.)

posted by pyjammy to clothing, beauty, & fashion (56 comments total)

I'm not sure exactly how to arrange it, but Cerberus would be a hoot.
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:26 AM on August 7, 2008 [7 favorites]

Three peas in a pod? You'd have to put them in matching hats, but you could make stroller covers for the pods and just stick their heads out.

Or they could be their own trio of superheroes :)
posted by DarlingBri at 7:26 AM on August 7, 2008

three peas in a pod?
posted by maloon at 7:26 AM on August 7, 2008 [2 favorites]

Huey, Dewey, and Louie?

The three Stooges?

Groucho, Chico, and Harpo?

The three-headed Knight from HOLY GRAIL?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:28 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Pac Man and two ghosts.
Mario, Luigi, and Bowser. (Or Princess Peach.)
"Three of a kind" playing cards. (And if you & a partner also dress as cards, then you'd have a whole hand.)
posted by mothershock at 7:30 AM on August 7, 2008

As the father of triplets (BGB) (finally! A question I'm fully qualified to answer!)...

We've done the 3 bears, (which worked well because we had an older sister who could be goldilocks... except that she wanted to be a ninja that year).

You could also do

Rub a dub dub, 3 men in a tub
3 blind mice
3 little pigs (you could be the wolf)
little sheep (with you as Bo Peep)
posted by Wild_Eep at 7:36 AM on August 7, 2008 [4 favorites]

The "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" monkeys?
posted by vulgariandisco at 7:36 AM on August 7, 2008 [5 favorites]

Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

mothershock's playing card idea is sweet. You could go as a full house.
posted by inconsequentialist at 7:36 AM on August 7, 2008

Three blind mice - and you get to carry a massive carving knife.

I have no other suggestions, but would love to see a photo of the 8 ball costume.
posted by handee at 7:41 AM on August 7, 2008

SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP!
posted by mightshould at 7:44 AM on August 7, 2008

The Jonas Brothers
The Pep Boys
Run-DMC
posted by box at 7:45 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Three Amigos
posted by Bunglegirl at 7:49 AM on August 7, 2008

Alvin, Simon and Theodore.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:49 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Cerberus is a great idea, as are many of the others, outdone only by the three bears plus a ninja.

Somehow, I think putting the three of them in little striped prisoner outfits with caps would be winning.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 7:51 AM on August 7, 2008

I think dressing them up as Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato to form a BLT would be hilarious. Then again I have a weird sense of humor.
posted by burnmp3s at 7:53 AM on August 7, 2008 [10 favorites]

How about dressing them up as an ant.. like those Front+Back horse costumes, but with 6 legs instead
posted by jozxyqk at 7:55 AM on August 7, 2008

You could dress them up as the three judges from American Idol. Put a table over their strollers with red Coke cups and the whole bit. Apologize later for the boy who gets to be Paula. (Idea partially taken from Cockeyed.)
posted by nitsuj at 7:57 AM on August 7, 2008

I'll second the marx brothers.
posted by vernondalhart at 8:02 AM on August 7, 2008

"We're in Louisiana, "

You're in Louisiana, where the "holy trinity" of cuisine is celery, bell peppers, and onions.
posted by orthogonality at 8:03 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oompa Loompas!
posted by Sassyfras at 8:09 AM on August 7, 2008

Oooh, great ideas so far, thanks!

I love the playing cards idea...three kings, I think. Aw, that reminds me that when they were born, after my doctor pulled the third one out, he said "three kings!" Awwww.

I'm saving the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys for when they're old enough to actually put their hands on their eyes, ears, mouth. Heh. Some of the others will work great when they're older and can walk (Larry, Curly & Moe, the ant costume, Pac Man and the ghosts, etc.)

Wild_Eep, thanks for your first-hand knowledge. If I had BGB, I'd dress them up as Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione. I'm a dork, yes.

handee - am looking for a photo of the costume. I know I have one somewhere...

orthogonality - ha ha, but I loathe celery and onions. I wouldn't want the boys to think I don't love them....
posted by pyjammy at 8:12 AM on August 7, 2008

Incorporating the stroller into the costume, how about a baby-vending machine?
posted by InfinateJane at 8:20 AM on August 7, 2008 [2 favorites]

Two Yip Yips and a telephone?
posted by LN at 8:32 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Can I buy your Magic 8 Ball costume from you?
posted by k8t at 8:32 AM on August 7, 2008

Wynken, Blynken, and Nodd

Incorporate the stroller as InfinateJane suggests...crafting it to look like a big Sabot. Put them in sleepy or fishermen clothes....
posted by Wink Ricketts at 8:33 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hmmm, I can see that you have an unusual opportunity to do 3-of-a-kind gags, but in the long run isn't the problem more about getting people to see them as individuals rather than as an interchangeable set?

I suggest thinking about their individual personalities and likes (OK, they are still very young) and designing three quite distinct costumes. Leave matching sets to those who are trying to build family cohesion amongst a more mixed group.
posted by Idcoytco at 8:36 AM on August 7, 2008

Inkin, Blinkin, and Nod. The stroller would then be dressed up to be the boat/shoe.

I think that any good costume also decorates or uses the stroller idea...
posted by zpousman at 8:38 AM on August 7, 2008

A RGB pixel!
posted by csimpkins at 8:40 AM on August 7, 2008 [3 favorites]

Idcoytco, don't worry, I don't intend on treating them like a unit for long. We don't dress them alike, we didn't give them rhyming names, and we hope to put them in separate classrooms when they're older. But right now, they're infants and so I don't feel bad about having their Halloween costumes be a matching set (and probably for the next couple of years too). But I do see your point, and as the mom of identical triplets, I worry a lot about how they will be perceived growing up and how I want them to grow up as individuals, not as "triplets".

k8t - my costume was pretty poorly executed, completely DIY. I wore all black and used black duct tape to adhere a garbage bag to my belly. And then made a "window" out of ziplock bags and put triangle-shaped fortunes in the bag. When someone would come up to me to ask a question (I had a sign that said "Ask me a yes or no question" around my neck) I'd pull a card out of the bag. If I can find a picture, I'll MeFi mail it to you.)
posted by pyjammy at 8:49 AM on August 7, 2008

Lock, Shock and Barrel characters from Nightmare Before Christmas.
posted by Morrigan at 8:50 AM on August 7, 2008 [2 favorites]

Alvin and the Chipmunks. You can be Dave, or whatever the weird 80s guy's name was.
posted by phunniemee at 8:51 AM on August 7, 2008

"my costume was pretty poorly executed, completely DIY. I wore all black and used black duct tape to adhere a garbage bag to my belly. And then made a "window" out of ziplock bags and put triangle-shaped fortunes in the bag. When someone would come up to me to ask a question (I had a sign that said "Ask me a yes or no question" around my neck) I'd pull a card out of the bag. If I can find a picture, I'll MeFi mail it to you.)"

Oh, that sounds simple enough. I'll be 10 days til due date on Halloween, so that'll be a fun one.
posted by k8t at 9:01 AM on August 7, 2008

Well, I might dress one in red, one in green, and one in blue and call them a pixel. But then, I'm a graphics nerd.
posted by madmethods at 9:04 AM on August 7, 2008

Lock, Shock and Barrel from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
posted by yeara at 9:06 AM on August 7, 2008

The thought of them side-by-side in a stroller makes me think of sardines in a can. Whether that's a good idea or not I'll leave up to you.

Alvin and the Chipmunks. You can be Dave, or whatever the weird 80s guy's name was.

Tobias Fünke. Definitely not his name on the show, but all I could think the whole movie.
posted by fogster at 9:09 AM on August 7, 2008

Ickle Me, Pickle me, and Tickle Me Too from the Shel Silverstein poem of the same name (in "Where the Sidewalk Ends"):"
http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/icklemepicklemeticklemetoo.htm
You could even use the stroller as their flying shoe!

We have two or three identical Crayola crayon suits that a subset of my little ones wear each year. The crayons are made of a cylinder of heavy felt (open in the back, and with shoulder straps) bearing carefully-cut black felt for the label, plus a conical hat (with a chin strap!) in the same color as the tip of the crayon. They often get extra candy because they match!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:16 AM on August 7, 2008

Three Muskateers (see last picture at bottom of page).
posted by marsha56 at 9:16 AM on August 7, 2008

Morning, Noon, and Night?
posted by Asparagirl at 9:37 AM on August 7, 2008

A slot machine? They could each be a fruit/7 while there is a frame around the whole stroller with a handle on the side.
posted by 8dot3 at 9:40 AM on August 7, 2008

Ooh, sound effects with each handle pull would be cool.
posted by 8dot3 at 9:41 AM on August 7, 2008

From another Louisiana resident: Endymion, Bacchus & Rex. The stroller could be the float, and let them give kisses to family & friends in exchange for candy. Bonus if you have any beads stored away. You might want to save that for Mardi Gras day, though. (If it's chilly, they could wear light onesies under the togas.)

Nthing the card idea; that would be awesome. Just don't go as the queen of diamonds.
posted by mitzyjalapeno at 9:46 AM on August 7, 2008

Riffing on the Three Little Pigs idea, you could dress them as the Three Little Bops, complete with stage and instruments. You could be the Big Bad Wolf with his corny horn!

If it were me, I'd dress them up as the Powerpuff Girls sitting in a vat of Chemical X. Or as Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, with the stroller decked out as a giant Pokeball.

And if you really want to embarrass them when they're older, dress them as Hanson.
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:48 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Abominable Snowbabies! (You can either go as a grown up mama Yeti or as the explorer who captured the creatures - or your husband can be the explorer)

Gene Pool, Betting Pool and Car Pool - blue sweatshirts or T-shirt with appropriate cut outs or items glued on (Betting pool would have dice? The car pool could have Matchbox cars) This would probably be cheap & easy to make

Joey, Chandler & Ross from Friends

Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 & Thing 2 (or to give them all top billing) Cat in the Hat, Yertle & Grinch etc.
posted by jaimystery at 9:52 AM on August 7, 2008

The Lone Gunmen
A traffic light
Larry, Moe, Curly
posted by plinth at 10:45 AM on August 7, 2008

Control, Alt, Delete, and you can be the Blue Screen of Death.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:03 AM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Just don't go as the queen of diamonds.

I disagree; you should totally go as the queen of diamonds. It'd be an extra layer of clever. :)

Also, I think the playing cards idea is the least obscure, which is probably a good thing. (I suck at Halloween costumes, mostly because my references are too obscure.)
posted by epersonae at 2:45 PM on August 7, 2008

You can be the sun, and the little ones can be Mars, Venus and Earth.

Or they could be Elmer, Bugs and Daffy, and you can be the Duck / Rabbit Hunting Season sign.
posted by droplet at 2:54 PM on August 7, 2008

The Bee Gees
posted by gergtreble at 3:35 PM on August 7, 2008

The Three Billy Goats Gruff? You could be the troll. Hot!

Or, the Three Musketeers. Tiny mustachios! And you could be d'Artagnan.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 3:52 PM on August 7, 2008

Oops, I didn't notice that someone already suggested the Three Muskateers.

Anyway, another suggestion: the triplets could be the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow, and you could be Dorothy.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 3:56 PM on August 7, 2008

Eggs, bacon and toast
posted by loiseau at 5:23 PM on August 7, 2008

I was just going to say Snap, Crackle, and Pop, too! As I'm envisioning it, you really could just have them in their onesies (or whatever babies wear) and just have them wear hats that are similar to the breakfast trio. The hats would really be the major 'costume'.
posted by Mael Oui at 9:04 PM on August 7, 2008

Oh wow, are you going to be out somewhere in public where I can see this spectacle of adorableness? :)
posted by radioamy at 10:03 PM on August 7, 2008

So many great ideas here! I'm definitely saving some of them for when they're a little older, like the playing cards. I think that'd work great for when they can walk.

Love the pixels idea, as a fellow graphics nerd. But I'm pretty sure it would be a little too obscure for most people.

The great thing about New Orleans is we really have two times a year to dress up - Halloween and Mardi Gras, so I might use mitzyjalapeno's idea next February. Our own little float!

But this year, I'm definitely going to consider the BLT. I like it, and it wouldn't be that hard! And mmmm, bacon. Which lucky child gets to be bacon? Hmmm.

radioamy - we'll be wandering around Algiers Point. You can take the ferry over and witness the spectacle firsthand. :)
posted by pyjammy at 6:29 AM on August 8, 2008

Only semi-related: I'd like to recommend your costume not have a mask of any kind. I took my 10 month old around last Halloween and think my not having a mask was a major part of why it was so successful. I love costumes - but he wants to know its ME - for his sense of security when surrounded by so many costumed folk (we were in a baby Halloween parade - kitschy but fun for kids who can't Trick or Treat, or for that matter eat candy).

Also - for my .02 - I like the triplets ideas where the costumes are different but together they are a funny a concept (like BLT) much more than variations on a theme (crayons) - for their future senses of separateness. Let them riff on their own identicalness once it seems amusing to them to do so.
posted by AuntLisa at 10:49 AM on August 8, 2008

so late...but i just wanna see pictures.
posted by Soulbee at 7:24 AM on August 17, 2008