Yet another HalloweenCostumeFilter. Sorry.
October 22, 2009 1:54 PM Subscribe
Halloweencostumefilter: I've been racking my brain to come up with a good Halloween costume to wear to work, but I can't seem to come up with anything. Limitations: (pants, physical job, not overly sexy)
I work backstage in a theater. The past two years I've been Rosie the Riveter and my boss, both of which have been exceptionally well received by my coworkers.
I've got a very physical job, climbing ladders and lifting heavy stuff and running around, and I wear a toolbelt at work. I'm not adverse to throwing on my toolbelt over an otherwise unrelated costume. Big silly hats are questionable, as I have to wear a hard hat part of the day. Wigs are OK, as are funny hairstyles. The men I work with are a fairly lecherous bunch, so overtly sexy is out.
I'd like something a little offbeat, but not completely out there. My modern pop culture knowledge is severely lacking, FWIW. Audience is a bunch of artsy/construction worker types. I am a fairly hourglassy plus size female with dark hair with blue and purple streaks and a half sleeve tattoo on one arm. I've got excellent sewing and crafting skills; I was a costume design/construction major in college. If you can describe it, I can probably sew/build it. I also live in San Francisco, so weird supplies are pretty easy for me to find.
Please hope me, metafilter. I've got to keep up the awesome costume tradition.
I work backstage in a theater. The past two years I've been Rosie the Riveter and my boss, both of which have been exceptionally well received by my coworkers.
I've got a very physical job, climbing ladders and lifting heavy stuff and running around, and I wear a toolbelt at work. I'm not adverse to throwing on my toolbelt over an otherwise unrelated costume. Big silly hats are questionable, as I have to wear a hard hat part of the day. Wigs are OK, as are funny hairstyles. The men I work with are a fairly lecherous bunch, so overtly sexy is out.
I'd like something a little offbeat, but not completely out there. My modern pop culture knowledge is severely lacking, FWIW. Audience is a bunch of artsy/construction worker types. I am a fairly hourglassy plus size female with dark hair with blue and purple streaks and a half sleeve tattoo on one arm. I've got excellent sewing and crafting skills; I was a costume design/construction major in college. If you can describe it, I can probably sew/build it. I also live in San Francisco, so weird supplies are pretty easy for me to find.
Please hope me, metafilter. I've got to keep up the awesome costume tradition.
Best answer: Lady Macbeth would be sorta fun, if only for the fact that, while at work, your co-workers couldn't say your name.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:04 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by craven_morhead at 2:04 PM on October 22, 2009
For some reason, I'm thinking jumpsuits. You might not be able to do the hat, but what about a Devo jumpsuit? Or one of the MST3K guys?
posted by JoanArkham at 2:08 PM on October 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by JoanArkham at 2:08 PM on October 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I love Ripley. Maybe not recognizable enough.
Grab a Wonder Woman tee over jeans, make a tiara. I'd recommend this shirt except that it runs absolutely tiny. 34"' chest on an XL? Roflcopters! Perhaps another, without the blue bottom, make a belt, lasso.
Lara Croft?
posted by mostlybecky at 2:09 PM on October 22, 2009
Grab a Wonder Woman tee over jeans, make a tiara. I'd recommend this shirt except that it runs absolutely tiny. 34"' chest on an XL? Roflcopters! Perhaps another, without the blue bottom, make a belt, lasso.
Lara Croft?
posted by mostlybecky at 2:09 PM on October 22, 2009
bob the builder? lumberjack? monty python cross- dressing lumberjack! you already own the bra!
posted by genmonster at 2:11 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by genmonster at 2:11 PM on October 22, 2009
Not Bob--Wendy! Throw a stuffed animal (Pilchard, a blue cat) on your shoulder for the complete look.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:20 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:20 PM on October 22, 2009
Abby, from NCIS? She's fun, you already look sorta like her, she wears pants and labcoats and black, goth style clothes (your tattoo would fit right in with this).
Zoey from Left 4 Dead.
posted by misha at 2:34 PM on October 22, 2009
Zoey from Left 4 Dead.
posted by misha at 2:34 PM on October 22, 2009
Wrap tin foil around an inner tube and go as a balloon with no kid inside. I didn't come up with that though, I read it a few days ago on Rainn Wilson's twitter.
posted by willcosgrove at 2:37 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by willcosgrove at 2:37 PM on October 22, 2009
Dora the Explorer. You would have to substitute orange pants or maybe capris with the socks and sneakers, for safety, I think? Pretty simple with the backpack and short hairstyle or wig, add sock monkey for her pal, Boots the Monkey!
posted by misha at 2:39 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by misha at 2:39 PM on October 22, 2009
Flo, the (to me) annoying woman from the Progressive Insurance commercials.
posted by misha at 2:47 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by misha at 2:47 PM on October 22, 2009
heh - my first thought was bob or wendy. I'm glad I'm not the only one who read hard hat and instantly went there :)
My second thought was the Jane Lynch character from Glee... mostly because she's a current pop culture devil/witch for theater types. Plus the costume would be friendly for a physical job... Adidas track suit. Add a blonde wig and you're set (you might even be able to reuse the one you wore for your boss costume). She doesn't quite fit your (or my) body type but I think the right attitude could pull it off.
posted by imbri at 2:49 PM on October 22, 2009
My second thought was the Jane Lynch character from Glee... mostly because she's a current pop culture devil/witch for theater types. Plus the costume would be friendly for a physical job... Adidas track suit. Add a blonde wig and you're set (you might even be able to reuse the one you wore for your boss costume). She doesn't quite fit your (or my) body type but I think the right attitude could pull it off.
posted by imbri at 2:49 PM on October 22, 2009
Since you're not going to be able to wear much of a costume (for the work you do), how about a simple set of vampire teeth, and a few blood drips on your shirt.
Instant Twilight/Let The Right One In movies.
posted by artdrectr at 3:58 PM on October 22, 2009
Instant Twilight/Let The Right One In movies.
posted by artdrectr at 3:58 PM on October 22, 2009
Make a bunch of small flashy gold frames with different images of house flies in them, pin them all over yourself and go as a Fly Gallery.
posted by stray at 4:04 PM on October 22, 2009
posted by stray at 4:04 PM on October 22, 2009
Best answer: Kaylee from Firefly? (Sorry, I'm having a hard time coming up with a good picture, but it's the sort of thing where you either know it or not.)
posted by ChuraChura at 4:07 PM on October 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by ChuraChura at 4:07 PM on October 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: An Amelia Earhart costume would be really fun.
Alternately, an old Hollywood star like Marlene Dietrich or Katherine Hepburn could be great too, they both looked incredible in pants.
posted by susanvance at 4:36 PM on October 22, 2009
Alternately, an old Hollywood star like Marlene Dietrich or Katherine Hepburn could be great too, they both looked incredible in pants.
posted by susanvance at 4:36 PM on October 22, 2009
climbing ladders and lifting heavy stuff and running around
Your job sounds like Donkey Kong. How about Mario?
posted by madmethods at 6:41 PM on October 22, 2009
Your job sounds like Donkey Kong. How about Mario?
posted by madmethods at 6:41 PM on October 22, 2009
Best answer: You said "works backstage," and that reminded me: I once was stage manager of a show that had a Halloween performance; it was a small enough show where I was also the entire crew. So I had similar restrictions.
I went dressed as Death from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series: You'll probably already be all in black (blank jeans, blank tank top and black leather jacket are ideal), and you've already got the hair. So all you need is chalk white makeup, black eyebrow pencil to draw a curlicue under one eye, and an ankh necklace. Voila.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:12 PM on October 22, 2009
I went dressed as Death from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series: You'll probably already be all in black (blank jeans, blank tank top and black leather jacket are ideal), and you've already got the hair. So all you need is chalk white makeup, black eyebrow pencil to draw a curlicue under one eye, and an ankh necklace. Voila.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:12 PM on October 22, 2009
After reading your description of what you have to wear at work and what sort of physical work your job entails, my head immediately came up with the Engineer from Team Fortress 2. Wouldn't be too much of a stretch at all to make/purchase the outfit, and your toolbelt and hard hat would essentially be part of your get up - the only problem is, the reference might be just too obscure for your liking... But it might be worth considering none the less.
posted by Inner Universe at 3:51 AM on October 23, 2009
posted by Inner Universe at 3:51 AM on October 23, 2009
Response by poster: A bunch of great answers, but nothing is really clicking for me. Likely it'll be last minute inspiration, as per usual.
posted by mollymayhem at 6:20 PM on October 24, 2009
posted by mollymayhem at 6:20 PM on October 24, 2009
Response by poster: And the answer is: Max, from Where the Wild Things Are.
posted by mollymayhem at 6:16 PM on October 26, 2009
posted by mollymayhem at 6:16 PM on October 26, 2009
Oh. Wow. Well, good for you, and I hope it works out. I have to say, every kid in the world is going as Max this year, though.
posted by misha at 6:54 PM on October 26, 2009
posted by misha at 6:54 PM on October 26, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Be a Fury!
posted by Groovytimes at 1:58 PM on October 22, 2009