Hope you all had a fun Halloween.

Politics and current events always make for creative Halloween costumes. In 2004, I remember seeing a Florida with hanging chads. I’m sure there will be plenty of folks representing the recession or health care reform.

That said, if I was going to be a political figure, I’d be Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

• Black judge’s robe* (can be substituted with a graduation or choir robe)
• White high-neck blouse and skirt/pants below the robe (or a red/blue power suit)
• Gavel
• Copy of the US Constitution
• Wavy dark hair
• Bonus: for those of you who think you’re wise Latinas, a “wise” tshirt below the robe and a baby doll cut in half (see: King Solomon)

Unless you find a tiny robe, this costume doesn’t satisfy the theme for most adult women’s costumes. Oh well.

*While doing research for this, I found a “sexy” judge’s robe. Um. Really?

A few years ago, I created a costume inspired by a Morrissey song. I was a “Hairdresser on Fire.” It was way too conceptual — and warm — to wear on the crowded dance floor in a club. Still, it was a simple, cheap, and original costume.

Morrissey and the Smiths songs are rife with titles that could easily be converted to something visual.

Some ideas:

Hairdresser on fire
- Smock with scissors, combs and other stylists’ tools
- Decorate the smock with fake flames (I used red, orange and yellow felt), my smock also had a made up hair salon
- Wear whatever you want under the smock

Vicar in a tutu
- Dress like a member of the clergy (all black with the collar)
- Tutu

The boy with the thorn in his side
- Boyish clothing
- Thorn made out of construction paper, styrofoam cone, or whatever else that works

Death of a disco dancer
- Shiny clothing
- Platforms
- Something to indicate a death (e.g., fake gunshot wound, zombie-ish makeup)

First of the gang to die
- Cholo or chola costume
- See “death of a disco dancer” above

Pretty girls make graves
- Dress girly (cute dress, cute hair, cute shows… you get the picture)
- Fake gravestones (hold the gravestone with you)

Bonus: Halloween with Morrissey (Cheekyboy remix)

Dear Target,

What’s up with this Illegal Alien costume?

I don’t get why a corporation that boasts about giving back to the community (can’t say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the ¡Bienvenido Dudamel! concert a few weeks ago) and celebrates Nuestra Gente would sell such a despicable costume. (I know not all undocumented immigrants are Latino, but we do make up a plurality of the population.)

Is it to make a buck? Is that enough to alienate (no pun intended) undocumented immigrants, their allies and our dollars? Couldn’t you make a buck by not selling “humorous costumes” that demean and make light of the situation faced by many undocumented immigrants and advance dehumanizing language?

Is it humorous that thousands die trying to cross the US/Mexico border? Between 1998-2004 1,954 migrants died on the perilous journey north source). Since 2004, the Arizona Star Border Death Database has recorded 1,193 deaths at the border.

Funny, no?

What about exploitation from shady employers? How about the rise in anti-Latino hate crimes?

¡Chistoso!

Last, what about undocumented youth who face an educational glass ceiling as college is out of reach without financial aid and high non-resident fees?

I expected something different from Target. I was wooed by those free days at museums, free concerts and all that red (my favorite color). I thought Target wouldn’t be like other vendors who sell racist costumes playing on tired stereotypes and caricatures.

Qué lástima.

Sincerely,

Disgruntled Target Shopper

P.S. Anyone who pays $39.99 (plus shipping and tax) for such a costume is not only racist, but also stupid.

Updated: Target also sells a tequila pop n’ dude and Mexican costumes for adults and kids. Nopal not included. Guess they are showing their appreciation for mi gente.

Cross posted at LA Eastside

In a supposedly post-racial society*, are costumes like this okay?

I think not. Still racist.

More racist costumes (you can even find some for kids!).

*In case it isn’t clear, I don’t think we’re in a post-racial society.

I love October. It’s got baseball playoffs, the World Series, loved ones’ birthdays, and at the end we dress up and celebrate Halloween.

In case you don’t know, I’ve always loved Halloween. I’m pretty sure it’s genetic, as my parents dressed up in some crazy/silly get-ups in their youth. (There’s a photo floating around of my dad in drag. No, I won’t post it.)

As a kid, my mom would ask what I wanted to be. I’d pick something and she’d proceed to make the costume. (Mom also used her sewing talents to make some of our clothes.)

One year, I embraced gender duality and told my mom I wanted to be the bride/groom I’d seen in Big Top Pee Wee. She proceeded to cut up the dress I wore as a flower girl in my tía Nellie’s wedding and at my First Communion (we were into recycling before it was trendy). She got an old suit that belonged to my cousin Danny and pieced together my greatest costume ever.

I won first prize for that costume.

October is also the time when I post the series on low-cost, DIY and culturally-relevant costumes. You can find costume ideas from 2008 and 2007 here. I’ll be back with more for 2009.

Nobody understood my costume last year. I tried to go for abstract and learned my lesson. I was a “Hairdresser on Fire,” yes as in the Morrissey song.

Prior to Halloween, my friends asked, “how are you going to do that?”

It wasn’t tough, but it was time consuming. I had my mom make me a smock and I sewed flames all over the smock (which was more like a coat). I also named the hair salon something punny and stuffed my pockets with cheap hairbrushes and combs. The costume was a dud. Nobody got it, even hardcore Morrissey and Smiths fans. Plus, it was too warm to wear while dancing in a crowded club.

Right after Halloween ’07, I chose Carmen Sandiego. I grew up playing the computer game, watching the PBS game show, humming along to Rockapella, and watching the cartoon. I’ve always loved geography, maps and trivia so Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was the perfect game. I knew the costume would be recognizable and easy to put together, save for finding a red hat.

Here’s how to dress up as Carmen Sandiego

• Red trench coat (I bought mine right before Christmas on sale)
• Red fedora, a nice hat would’ve cost too much so I just found a $10 hat on an online costume shop
• Black gloves (purchased in a Santa Cruz hat shop)
• Black shirt, pants and shoes (found in my own closet, but I might borrow boots from my mom)
• Long hair (oh well, short will have to do this year) and red lipstick (I’ll borrow some from my sister)

DB is dressing up as a detective on the chase.

Now all I have to do is steal some monuments or priceless art and jet off to some unknown corner of the world.

Happy Halloween!

PS I would’ve posted this earlier, but I didn’t want anyone to steal my costume idea! Carmen is the one who does the stealing!

I rarely ask for advice on costumes. I’m pretty good at figuring it out myself. Still, I heard “you should go as Ugly Betty!” from 5 or 6 different people. I don’t get why. My hair is not long and unruly. My eyebrows are pretty normal. I don’t wear braces or glasses. I usually match and avoid clashing patterns. All that really doesn’t matter. I didn’t want to dress up as Betty — even though she’s my favorite Chicana on network TV and is a pocha just like me — because she’s just too popular. If you can buy a kit for your costume, chances are you’ll show up at a party and find your twin. One costume site I found was sold out of the Betty kit. That’s too much for me. I don’t want competition.

I’m not going to write up Betty like I’ve done with other costumes. A simple Google search will yield some pretty good how-tos or you could just watch the show (here and here).

To avoid looking like every other Betty, I’d recommend making it a group costume featuring one of Betty’s two love triangles.

Betty, Walter and Henry:

• Betty: see links above or watch the show
• Walter: jeans, button-down shirt and a blue big-box store vest
• Henry: geeky glasses, sweater vest and slacks

Betty, Walter and Henry – Halloween version:

• Betty: purple butterfly costume plus standard Betty hair, eyebrows and accessories (see The Lying, the Watch, and the Wardrobe)
• Walter: net for catching butterflies, safari hat, fishing vest, khaki shorts and matching shirt
• Henry: Superman t-shirt under conservative grey suit

Betty, Henry and Gio:

• Betty: see links above or watch the show
• Henry: geeky glasses, sweater vest and slacks
• Gio: red apron and bright colored flyers with “Gio’s Sandwiches” and a pickle with a smiley face (see: Something Wicked this Way Comes)

If you’re in a true love triangle, the group costume could be awkward. It might be better to just get some guy friends together. Or drink lots of alcohol (responsibly, of course).

Growing up my family never celebrated Día de los Muertos. Late October and early November were spent preparing and celebrating Halloween, my tía Martha’s birthday, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. I didn’t learn about the wonderful traditions associated with Día de los Muertos until I got to college. I was hooked by the imagery and art, especially any take on José Guadalupe Posada’s 1913 zinc etching of la Catrina.

I realize la Catrina may not be a low-budget or low-effort costume, unless you have turn of the century clothing and hats lying around. However, dressing up as la Catrina will set you apart from all the other women dressed like sexy [insert random profession here]. As la Catrina, you won’t be showing any skin. You also won’t be just any other lazy Chicana who simply painted her face like a calaca as your costume shows much more effort. Finally, you can easily go from your average Halloween party to a Día de los Muertos event in the same costume.

Here’s how to do la Catrina:

• Black and white face paint (I shouldn’t have to tell you what to do with it)
• Fancy women’s clothing circa 1910 OR
• Fitted maxi skirt and fitted long-sleeved blouse with a high collar (or a dress)
• White gloves
• Ankle boots (they’re in style these days!)
• Wide-brimmed straw hat decorated with many fake flowers
• Optional accessories: faux fur, feather boa, expensive looking earrings
• Works best if: you’re tall and thin

If you can pull it together, send me pictures!

Upper left photo (purple hat) by Pepergrass, used under Creative Commons License.

A few years ago, my ex dressed up as a Killa Bee* (of Wu Tang fame). He bought a bumblebee costume online (above right) and found a Wu Tang medallion. Some people thought he looked more like Bumblebee Man from The Simpsons rather than a Killa Bee.

As faithful Simpsons fans may know, the Bumblebee Man is a parody of el Chapulín Colorado and appears on Channel Ocho in Springfield.

Here’s how to do it:

• Grey or black hoodie
• Yellow t-shirt with wide black stripes for the bee body (if you don’t mind spending some money, you can easily find a baggy bumble bee costume like the one above)
• Antennae (DIY with a black headband, pipe cleaners and yellow pom poms; or you could just buy some for a few dollars at a costume shop)
• Blue/grayish wings (DIY with wire hanger and panty hose or foam)
• Khaki or brown shorts
• Black Converse Chuck Taylors or other black canvas sneakers
• Pansa (beer gut) and brown skin
• Chihuahua doll
• Walk around saying nonsensical and grammatically incorrect Spanish phrases, such as “¡Ay, ay, ay, no me gusta!”, “¡Ay, ay, ay, no es bueno!” and “¡Ay, Dios no me ama!”

If you’d rather be a Killa Bee, you’ll need a Wu Tang medallion or pendant (try eBay).

*That’s the year I dressed up as a sunflower.