Nerdy couple costumes
October 15, 2013 7:49 AM Subscribe
Help my boyfriend and I figure out our 2013 Halloween costumes. He's tall, muscular, buzzed hair, glasses. I'm short, athletic/curvy, brunette, glasses. Both nerdy. Both crafty, but with limited time. Photos inside for inspiration.
This is slightly embarrassing, only because we're both very into Halloween, but it has somehow come upon us and we're without ideas.
We both love video games, movies, books. We're both in shape, and somewhat-amusingly-differently-built. He's 6'3" and very muscular, I'm 5'3" and smallish/curvy. We both wear glasses but can use contacts if needed.
This is us looking normalish.
This is us at a Halloween party last year. (He was Henry VIII, I was the Baroness).
The only idea I've liked for us so far is Brock Samson/Molotov Coqtiz from the Venture Bros, but I would have to do a lot of last minute costuming for Molotov. I am okay with sexy costumes. I am okay with having to sew or craft, within reasonable limits for a 2 week period. I would like us to go as a pair but could be within a theme, like 'DC comics' or '2 characters from this movie that weren't necessarily a pair'.
Help? Superhero suggestions? Nerdy movie characters? You guys inspired me to make a great Baroness costume, help us figure out something equally awesome!
This is slightly embarrassing, only because we're both very into Halloween, but it has somehow come upon us and we're without ideas.
We both love video games, movies, books. We're both in shape, and somewhat-amusingly-differently-built. He's 6'3" and very muscular, I'm 5'3" and smallish/curvy. We both wear glasses but can use contacts if needed.
This is us looking normalish.
This is us at a Halloween party last year. (He was Henry VIII, I was the Baroness).
The only idea I've liked for us so far is Brock Samson/Molotov Coqtiz from the Venture Bros, but I would have to do a lot of last minute costuming for Molotov. I am okay with sexy costumes. I am okay with having to sew or craft, within reasonable limits for a 2 week period. I would like us to go as a pair but could be within a theme, like 'DC comics' or '2 characters from this movie that weren't necessarily a pair'.
Help? Superhero suggestions? Nerdy movie characters? You guys inspired me to make a great Baroness costume, help us figure out something equally awesome!
Best answer: Brock and Molotov would be adorkable!
All you need for Brock is white jeans (on sale every-damn-where) and a guayabeda shirt. Or jeans and a black polo with white stripes. Mullet optional, there were episodes where Brock was clean shaven.
Here's the instructions for Molotov.
Have fun!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:04 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
All you need for Brock is white jeans (on sale every-damn-where) and a guayabeda shirt. Or jeans and a black polo with white stripes. Mullet optional, there were episodes where Brock was clean shaven.
Here's the instructions for Molotov.
Have fun!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:04 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Lana Kane/Sterling Archer? If he doesn't mind growing his hair out/buying a James Bond wig.
posted by like_a_friend at 8:17 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by like_a_friend at 8:17 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
My first instinct is to say "Gneisskate has it" but Hellboy can be a tricky one to pull off if you have high costume-accuracy standards. If you're up to it though, go for it.
You could also easily pair up with you as almost any female Batman villain or heroine - Poison Ivy, Spoiler - and him as Bane.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:18 AM on October 15, 2013
You could also easily pair up with you as almost any female Batman villain or heroine - Poison Ivy, Spoiler - and him as Bane.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:18 AM on October 15, 2013
Lwaxana Troi and her faithful attendant, Mr. Homn.
posted by Mizu at 8:27 AM on October 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 8:27 AM on October 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
I was going to suggest Fred and Velma, myself.
posted by jquinby at 8:28 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jquinby at 8:28 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I second Fred and Velma.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:31 AM on October 15, 2013
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:31 AM on October 15, 2013
Hawk and Dove
Silver Surfer and The Invisible Woman
In addition to Bane, he could also be Mr. Freeze
posted by Tanizaki at 8:31 AM on October 15, 2013
Silver Surfer and The Invisible Woman
In addition to Bane, he could also be Mr. Freeze
posted by Tanizaki at 8:31 AM on October 15, 2013
Best answer: Alternate to Molotov is you could go as Dr. Girlfriend, which would be an easier costume (especially if you went with the Jackie Kennedy like outfit)
posted by timesarrow at 8:33 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by timesarrow at 8:33 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Awesome suggestions. I did consider Dr. Girlfriend but my skin doesn't play nice with wigs, and my hair is very long and thick. Same deal with Velma.
Liz Sherman and Hellboy weren't even on my radar, but definitely a great possibility.
Chell/Gordon would be awesome, but Gordon is pretty intense, costume-wise.
He really should be Bane. Would just have to invest in a good mask. And Spoiler would be easy, once I got a stretch catsuit.
Loving these all.
posted by rachaelfaith at 8:49 AM on October 15, 2013
Liz Sherman and Hellboy weren't even on my radar, but definitely a great possibility.
Chell/Gordon would be awesome, but Gordon is pretty intense, costume-wise.
He really should be Bane. Would just have to invest in a good mask. And Spoiler would be easy, once I got a stretch catsuit.
Loving these all.
posted by rachaelfaith at 8:49 AM on October 15, 2013
Chelle and Gordon Freeman! You could go for Gordon before the resonance cascade - give him a goatee and a lab coat and a black mesa ID.
(If it was Alyx and Gordon, you'd really need the hazard suit, but you can do without it if it's Gordon alone from HL)
posted by rmd1023 at 8:52 AM on October 15, 2013
(If it was Alyx and Gordon, you'd really need the hazard suit, but you can do without it if it's Gordon alone from HL)
posted by rmd1023 at 8:52 AM on October 15, 2013
A kidnapped Lois Lane with Lex Luthor.
posted by zizzle at 8:59 AM on October 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by zizzle at 8:59 AM on October 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Emma Peel and John Steed from The Avengers.
posted by jquinby at 9:08 AM on October 15, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 9:08 AM on October 15, 2013 [7 favorites]
Does it have to be people/characters?
Have you considered lime and coconut?
He should be the lime and you should be the coconut, because,... you know... you put the lime in the coconut.....? Ahem... anyway...
The costumes don't have to be all that elaborate, nor do they have to be big round things that you can't move in. A broad "This is lime" theme (wearing all green, have the t-shirt read "LIME") and "This is coconut" (everything brown and white, t-shirt that reads "COCONUT", maybe a coconut shell bra?). Bonus points if your drinks for the night involve yourself. Like lime margaritas or pina colatas. Simple is better sometimes.
I also have always wanted to go to a Hallowe'en party dressed as a semi-colon. I don't know why but I think that is just the funniest thing ever. Going as punctuation is nerdy, unique, and hilarious (in my opinion). If you went as a question mark make sure to talk only in questions. Dressing as an exclamation mark requires excess enthusiasm.
OR you could go as an emoticon. One of you is a colon and one of you is a closing parenthesis. Then when you stand together you make an emoticon, either a happy face or a sad face depending on the order you stand in.
:)
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:08 AM on October 15, 2013
Have you considered lime and coconut?
He should be the lime and you should be the coconut, because,... you know... you put the lime in the coconut.....? Ahem... anyway...
The costumes don't have to be all that elaborate, nor do they have to be big round things that you can't move in. A broad "This is lime" theme (wearing all green, have the t-shirt read "LIME") and "This is coconut" (everything brown and white, t-shirt that reads "COCONUT", maybe a coconut shell bra?). Bonus points if your drinks for the night involve yourself. Like lime margaritas or pina colatas. Simple is better sometimes.
I also have always wanted to go to a Hallowe'en party dressed as a semi-colon. I don't know why but I think that is just the funniest thing ever. Going as punctuation is nerdy, unique, and hilarious (in my opinion). If you went as a question mark make sure to talk only in questions. Dressing as an exclamation mark requires excess enthusiasm.
OR you could go as an emoticon. One of you is a colon and one of you is a closing parenthesis. Then when you stand together you make an emoticon, either a happy face or a sad face depending on the order you stand in.
:)
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:08 AM on October 15, 2013
One other suggestion. One year I dressed up as the "Space" (wore all black, attached a shit ton of little stars all over my dress, actively made sure to make some constellations, wore sparkly makeup). I think you could do that and then he could be an astronaut. Ta da! Awesome couple costume that people haven't seen 100 times. It is also awesome in terms of naughty puns because later that night he could be an astronaut in space, if you catch my drift... [eyebrow wiggle]
Also, I know my suggestions are off the beaten path a bit, but really just about any couple characters as costumes has been done to death. I am always going for something different, and people at parties seem to find those costumes the funniest and most well remembered. Seriously. Just think of two things that are associated in some way and dress as those.
Tea and coffee.
A whale and a whaler with a harpoon.
a Keyboard and a mouse (computer mouse, not squeaky animal mouse)
a purse and a wallet
hot and cold (one person wearing all red and orange, hair all sticking out and sprayed red to make it look like flames, etc, and the other person wearing all blues and white, lips painted blue like you're hypothermic, hair plastered down and sprayed white to make it look like it was frozen, etc)
Boardwalk and Parkplace (from monopoly)
etc...
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:24 AM on October 15, 2013
Also, I know my suggestions are off the beaten path a bit, but really just about any couple characters as costumes has been done to death. I am always going for something different, and people at parties seem to find those costumes the funniest and most well remembered. Seriously. Just think of two things that are associated in some way and dress as those.
Tea and coffee.
A whale and a whaler with a harpoon.
a Keyboard and a mouse (computer mouse, not squeaky animal mouse)
a purse and a wallet
hot and cold (one person wearing all red and orange, hair all sticking out and sprayed red to make it look like flames, etc, and the other person wearing all blues and white, lips painted blue like you're hypothermic, hair plastered down and sprayed white to make it look like it was frozen, etc)
Boardwalk and Parkplace (from monopoly)
etc...
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:24 AM on October 15, 2013
TO go REALLY nerdy you could go as Liz and Eben Upton of raspberry pi fame. That is what I immediately thought of when I looked at when you look normal. Maybe just print out some raspberry pi things and walk around with some printed out copies of the MagPi.
posted by koolkat at 9:28 AM on October 15, 2013
posted by koolkat at 9:28 AM on October 15, 2013
Lwaxana Troi and her faithful attendant, Mr. Homn.
YES YES YES DO IT! I've always wanted to go as Lwaxana, but I have really light eyes and serious doubts about my ability to tolerate colored contacts. You guys could pull that off like nobody's business (Unless your eyes aren't as brown as my screen makes them look, in which case ignore the rantings of a foolish woman). With the pet vine up the arm and the gong to ring every time she takes a bite of food!
Modding a thrift-store prom dress (Frankengowning two of them together for extra points) would be an easy and fun project for her outfit. His could be made in an afternoon with a pattern like this one.
If you felt like wearing a blond wig, you'd also make a pretty good Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:59 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
YES YES YES DO IT! I've always wanted to go as Lwaxana, but I have really light eyes and serious doubts about my ability to tolerate colored contacts. You guys could pull that off like nobody's business (Unless your eyes aren't as brown as my screen makes them look, in which case ignore the rantings of a foolish woman). With the pet vine up the arm and the gong to ring every time she takes a bite of food!
Modding a thrift-store prom dress (Frankengowning two of them together for extra points) would be an easy and fun project for her outfit. His could be made in an afternoon with a pattern like this one.
If you felt like wearing a blond wig, you'd also make a pretty good Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:59 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My boyfriend and I are planning on dressing up as Lone Star and Princess Vespa this year. I'm hoping to construct an oversized hair-dryer out of construction paper.
posted by Kurichina at 10:05 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Kurichina at 10:05 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
a Keyboard and a mouse (computer mouse, not squeaky animal mouse)
No! You should totally go as a pegboard with a bunch of keys hanging off of the pegs (or a piano-like keyboard) and a squeaky animal mouse! That would be awesome!
posted by bluejayway at 10:27 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
No! You should totally go as a pegboard with a bunch of keys hanging off of the pegs (or a piano-like keyboard) and a squeaky animal mouse! That would be awesome!
posted by bluejayway at 10:27 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pugsley and Wednesday Addams isn't particularly ambitious, but would be really adorable. You could make a headless doll into a clutch purse.
(Uncle Fester with a trick lightbulb for his mouth would be a more fun costume, of course, but Fester and Wednesday, or even Fester and Morticia, might be kind of an unbalanced couple.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:52 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
(Uncle Fester with a trick lightbulb for his mouth would be a more fun costume, of course, but Fester and Wednesday, or even Fester and Morticia, might be kind of an unbalanced couple.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:52 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Jean Tannen and Locke Lamora from the Locke Lamora books?
posted by PussKillian at 11:02 AM on October 15, 2013
posted by PussKillian at 11:02 AM on October 15, 2013
beaker and dr. bunsen honeydew
posted by koroshiya at 11:41 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by koroshiya at 11:41 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
You'll need a blonde wig, but to play to the size discrepancy, how about Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen/The Khaleesi/Mother of Dragons? The actors' heights actually line up pretty closely with you guys (6' 5" and 5' 2")
posted by mhum at 12:57 PM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by mhum at 12:57 PM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I don't know if this is nearly nerdy enough, but you two are darn near perfect to be The Monster and Elizabeth from Young Frankenstein (costume selection from the first 'woof' scene).
Bonus points for doing it all in black and white!
posted by faineant at 5:02 PM on October 15, 2013
Bonus points for doing it all in black and white!
posted by faineant at 5:02 PM on October 15, 2013
The first thing that came to mind was the tick and arthur.
posted by JackT at 9:36 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by JackT at 9:36 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
You mean The Tick and American Maid. Be aware that if you do this pairing you might end up married. That's me and the (then gf, now) missus.
posted by plinth at 8:30 AM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by plinth at 8:30 AM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all for the suggestions. We now have reliable options for the next ten or so years.
If anyone's curious, we did go with Brock Samson/Dr. Girlfriend. Here are a few shots of us in our costumes, which were very well received. Took a lot of running around on short notice for costume pieces and lots of sewing and crafting, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results!
posted by rachaelfaith at 8:13 PM on October 27, 2013
If anyone's curious, we did go with Brock Samson/Dr. Girlfriend. Here are a few shots of us in our costumes, which were very well received. Took a lot of running around on short notice for costume pieces and lots of sewing and crafting, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results!
posted by rachaelfaith at 8:13 PM on October 27, 2013
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