Halloween Costume Couture for Hard Times

What's scarier than, say, ooze-drooling goblins, flesh-eating serial killers and possessed, head-spinning teenagers?

How about a creepy economy, drained bank account and wide-eyed children nagging you to buy them the grandest and most expensive costumes of this Halloween season?

Your budget may seem buried six feet under a pile of IOUs, the kids' early Christmas wishlists and, oh yeah, bills — but there are ways to get the best costumes in Lodi without digging yourself deep into a grave of debt. Across Lodi, people are creating their own costumes, and they say all you need is a pinch of creativity, a spree through your closet or thrift store and a handful of safety pins.

Just ask 12-year-old Maggie Anderson, who has never had a store-bought costume.

"We prefer the quality, originality and value of homemade costumes," said her sister, Molly Anderson, who helped make this year's costume.

The local sisters got to work on creating the perfect costume early. Their first step was finding the inspiration, which they got at the Halloween Superstore. It was important to keep their goal in mind — without making a purchase.

"Our mission: To find a costume that was interesting, age-appropriate — not an easy task for the 'tween crowd — and easy to replicate," Molly Anderson said.

Maggie Anderson used a dress she bought at Goodwill and things around the house to create Mummy My Dear. (Courtesy photo)

After wading through a sea of pre-made costumes, accessories and plastic masks, they found the perfect disguise: Mummy My Dear, a Goth-inspired outfit made of a white rag dress, bandages and a mummified teddy bear.

With their image in mind, they headed to Goodwill, where they found the main ingredient: a white cotton babydoll dress for $3.50. The rest of the costume came from items they already owned. After each person in the family contributed to the costume, they ended up with shredded white fabric (the burial rags for Maggie and her teddy bear) even her dad's tall, black hunting boots.

"Paired with teased pigtails, white face powder, black eye shadow, studded cuffs and pirate-striped socks, Maggie looked like she'd come straight from the punk rock preschool of the undead," Molly Anderson said. "She even beat out a cross-dressing bride to earn first place in her school's costume contest."

Kaitlyn Hooley, also 12, created her own costume using clothing items from old costumes and her own clothes. When she found a faux fur in the Halloween tub, she got the idea to pair it with a pink scarf, green shirt, orange skirt, different colored nylons and mismatch socks to create a fashion disaster. Hooley put her hair in sloppy pony tails and applied her own makeup.

Kaitlyn Hooley dressed as a fashion disaster. (Courtesy photo)

"She was so excited with her creation. I just let her do her own thing," said Mindie Hooley, Kaitlyn Hooley's mother, who was also excited that she got away with a free costume during hard times.

Thinking thrifty for Halloween

If nothing in grandma's closet or in the attic boxes scream 'Happy Halloween,' it's time to visit Lodi's thrift stores. In Lodi, there are two — Goodwill and Classy Rags Thrift Store.

Both have pre-made costumes and aisles and aisles of used clothes that you can piece together for something unique and creative.

At Classy Rags Thrift Store on Fairmont Avenue, there are racks of Halloween costumes and bins of accessories and costumes that owner Kristin Burckard saves all year long.

"I set aside anything black and slinky," she said. Little black dresses are always popular and can be used for any costume from witch to Catwoman. Cheerleading outfits are one type of costume that never last long.

Costumes come in all sizes, for all ages and for men and women. Many of them are costumes Burckard pieced together, others are expensive costumes that were only worn once before being donated. Most Classy Rags costumes range from $2 to $10.

While she has children's outfits: fairy, butterfly, princess, cat and bunny, Classy Rags also has costumes for adults.

With a $10 long, silver dress and a blond wig, Burckard says someone can get glammed up as Marilyn Monroe.

Or, dress in leather and pink fur to create a low-key dominatrix girl.

There is an assortment of period pieces, including velvet dresses and frilly, long-sleeved shirts, which are great for creating kings and queens and peasants or Renaissance characters.

A 1980s prom queen is a big costume hit, and it's an easy look to replicate with peoples' old dresses.

Even men's costumes can be found or created. One popular men's costume is a cowboy, which can be created with one of the flannel shirts hanging in the men's section of the store.

Burckard recommends those on the hunt for a costume also look in the regular clothing section if they don't find the perfect costume in the Halloween section.

Classy Rags is located at 1520 S. Fairmont St. Goodwill is located at 808 W. Kettleman Lane.

(Marc Lutz/News-Sentinel)

D-I-Y (do-it-yourself) Halloween costumes
Black-eyed pea is as easy at 1-2-3
Wear all white with black shoes. Cut the letter P from black paper and pin the letter P all over the white outfit. Paint a black spot over one eye. Black eye ... get it?

Becoming one with Mother Nature
Decorate a skirt and vest or shirt with fake flowers and leaves. Buy or make a plain face mask and decorate that with twigs, leaves and remaining fake flowers. Go really out by adding moss or fake birds to the collection.

Being your inner nerd
Slick your hair back. Wear pants that are too short, white socks, penny loafers, a pocket protector and dark-rim glasses. Don't forget to tape your glasses.

Chick (or dude) magnet for a night
Dress in all black, as if you're a magnet. Cut out pictures of men or women in magazines and use safety pins to stick them to your clothes.

Mummify your night
Wrap yourself in white bandages (rolls of gauze). Use splotches of green paint for mold. Use white make-up on your face with age lines drawn on.

Felt + eye patch = pirate
Create a wooden leg by wrapping your leg in brown felt. Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped shirt. Tie a bandana around your head, wear and eye patch and carry an empty bottle marked XXX.

Celebrate Lodi as a bunch of grapes
Using green or purple sweats, attach balloons of the same color with safety pins. Paint your face and hands the same color.

Dig into a basket of laundry
Cut a hole into the bottom of a thin plastic laundry basket that you can fit through. However, make it small enough so it can fit on your hips. Fill the basket with laundry and pin a few dryer softener sheets to your sweatshirt.

Reader Feedback

Comments on this story are now closed.

Archives

Story Tools

Indexes

Halloween Costume Couture for Hard Times

Finding the perfect costume in Lodi with an empty wallet may be as easy as looking in the closet

Reader Feedback

Special Sections

Photo Reprints

Find Ads

Weather

Services

Contact Us

Office

Newsroom

Subscriptions

Advertising

Classifieds