I take Halloween extremely seriously. I always have. In my childhood journals, I wrote exclusively about Halloween for the entire month of October. I usually filled the pages of my composition notebooks with extremely detailed accounts of what I ate, summaries of my favorite musicals, amateur movie reviews, and Olsen twin fanfiction, but come October 1, it was all Halloween content all the time. I outlined my trick or treating strategies, listed the neighborhoods with the best candy, the houses that were known to give out full-sized chocolate bars. My younger sister and I werenāt that invested in our much older brotherās dating life, but when he started dating a girl who lived in one of those neighborhoods with the best candy options and agreed to take us trick or treating there, we immediately worshipped her. I made sure to write that Betsy was taking us trick or treating for several days leading up to that Halloween and that she would be dressed as Glinda the Good Witch.
Costume planning was a big part of these journal entries. And yet somehow, throughout elementary school, I was always one of two costumes: a witch or Sandy from Grease. Despite my grand ideas for who I should be (Liesl from Sound Of Music! Harriet the spy! Carmen from Spy Kids!), I somehow always ended up defaulting to my two favorite costumes. One year, I asked my parents if I could be āBad Sandyāāa moniker they had come up with for the leather-clad, permed, high-heeled version of Sandy who shows up at the end of the movie. They said no, and I donned my poodle skirt and saddle shoes yet again.
Then, middle and high school came around, and I finally had the tools and skills to become the Halloween costume wizard I was born to be. This also coincided with my exceptionally nerdy phase, so my closet filled up with arc reactors, lightsabers, Spider-Man masks, and handmade wands. By the time I was in college, I was an expert in last-minute DIY costumes. I was also thrilled to learn that in college, Halloween is just another excuse to party all weekend, so the holiday gets stretched into a multiple-night event. Halloweekend. Multiple Halloween parties meant multiple costumes. Every year in college, I wore at least four.
It was during this blissful era of Halloweekends that I took my costume strategy to the next level. I decided that mere costumes were no longer sufficient. I wanted to create costumes-within-costumes. The costume-within-a-costume approach is very extra but also super simple: Pick a television character you like from a show that has a Halloween episode. Wear the same costume as them, but act like the character. So yes, this requires a little more work than just dressing up, but if you arenāt putting on a full performance on Halloween, then what the fuck are you doing?
Think you have what it takes to try out a costume-within-a-costume this year? Here are some ideas from someone who has zero chill about this very important holiday.
1. Monica Geller as Catwoman
I did this one my junior year of college. Even though I wasnāt 100% accurate in the costuming details (Monica doesnāt wear a mask or gloves for her interpretation of Catwoman in āThe One With The Halloween Partyā), I was still very dedicated to acting like Monica Geller whilst dressed in my catsuit. Given everything that youāve just learned about me from this article, it shouldnāt come as much of a surprise that being Monica is not too terribly different from being myselfā¦
2. Buffy Summers as Little Red Riding Hood
This is another one I did in college, but I canāt find a pic. I do remember whittling a branch I found outside my dorm into a stake, which I kept hidden under my red cape.
3. Willow Rosenberg as Joan Of Arc
While weāre at it, the Buffyverse provides all kinds of costume-within-a-costume ideas. Willowās sexy ghost from season two was pretty good, but her Joan of Arc costume from season fourās āFear, Itself” is even better.
4. Chloe from Donāt Trust The B—- In Apartment 23 as a sexy bus driver
This is a costume-within-a-costume where pretending to be the character is significantly more fun than the costume itself. Now is a good time to remind you of Chloeās approach to the holiday: āEvery Halloween, I pick a person who annoys me, I figure out their deepest, darkest fears, what would psychologically break them and ruin their lives forever, and then the next Halloween, I do it.” But if youāre not quite willing to commit to playing such a horrible person, you could also go with June from Donāt Trust The B—- In Apartment 23 as a hobbit. I, for one, really get Juneās commitment to Halloween:
5. Emily Fields as a…mob boss? I think?
Okay, Pretty Little Liars has done a million Halloween episodes, so there are plenty of costume-within-a-costumes to choose from. But remember season four, when the liars all wore Victorian garb and Emily showed up in a fabulous pinstripe suit?! I think she may have missed the Victorian memo, since sheās looking a lot more 1920s, but alas, this is a very good look.
6. Bonnie Bennett as a witch
If youāre a witch year-round, then the last thing you want to do for Halloween is dress up like a witch, right? Think again. Take a page out of The Vampire Diaries, and be a witch dressed as a witch.
7. Britta Perry as a T-rex
Lecture people on the importance of recycling while dressed as a dinosaur. Again, Community has a ton of costume-within-a-costume possibilities. I just love this T-rex suit.
8. Rayanne Graff as a vampire
My So-Called Lifeās Rayanne is a fun costume in and of itself, but why not add some red fishnets and fake fangs to that 90s teen angst?
9. Mindy Lahiri as Tinkerbell Tailor Soldier Spy
This is practically three costumes in one, so Iām DROOLING.
10. Louise Belcher as Edward Scissorhands
Donāt forget the hat!
Have more ideas for a costume-within-a-costume? Please share in the comments! I only have one costume locked in for this year so far, and that is simply unacceptable!
I was going to say Leslie Knope as Rosie the Riveter!
Thank you autostraddle for the costume ideas in time to actually make them for Halloween!
Haha, this was awesome! You were the cutest little witch btw. :D
That is a great Bob’s Burger episode. In fact it’s a great Halloween episode period!
I’m suddenly inspired to go as Star Trek characters who were in-character for a play or holodeck or a mission. Jadzia Dax in a Guinevere gown… I must make this a thing. :D
This just made my nerdy heart just beat faster.
Brilliant idea.
Also:Jadzia Dax everything
I dressed up as Dax for a school event when I was eleven! No it was not a fancy dress thing, I just went the extra nerdy mile (it was a fair and I was running a space themed stall).
How are we NOT friends already? :P
I HAD THE SAME IDEA. Not of Jadzia in a Guinevere gown exactly, but Star Trek characters in-character for the holodeck. Because yes! The milage that is there is great.
Also potentially great costume ideas from Trek: that Voyager episode they ended up in the 1990s and Q in any of the many ridiculous period costume from Earth’s history.
Right?! So many ideas. Kira Nerys in a 60s evening gown. Captain Janeway as a Victorian schoolteacher.
Oooh! Best idea yet! Voyager characters as characters in Captain Proton! :D
Sexy bus driver Chloe is a great idea! I don’t think I’ll ever stop mourning Don’t Trust the B :'(
Halloweekends are the best
Anya as a bunny!!!
BUNNY ? ANYA YES
also louise belcher as ryan gosling in drive! http://kings-of-medicine.tumblr.com/post/101638656727/im-ryan-gosling-from-the-major-motion-picture