So You Have To Dress Like Your State for Halloween...

[Green Bean]

Inspired by this thread.

Here's the scenario:

You are going to a Halloween party. You're supposed to dress like "your" state.

It can be your home state, the state you live in now, or a state that you've lived in for a significant amount of time (in other words, not some random state.) Obviously, there will be some states that will be represented by more than one costume.

There will be a costume contest at the party. You will be judged on creativity and cleverness. But your score will be reduced if your costume is so obscure that it requires more than the most rudimentary verbal explanation. And we'll just assume that all the costumes are beautifully constructed.

For the purposes of this thread:
--The costume actually has to be feasible to create and wear to a party.
--It can't be too outrageously expensive, or it wouldn't be "feasible."
--If it's not completely obvious what the costume would look like or how you would create it, please describe.

And for the non-Americans out there--You're invited to this party too! Hopefully your country has "states" or the equivalent. You may not dress as your country. For example, you may go as New South Wales, but you can't dress as Australia.

So what are you going to wear?

[WormTheRed]

No states in Iceland - but we're small enough for me to be able to dress as a Viking

But if that's not allowed, I'd go dressed as a Scanian (which is the southermost part of Sweden) "Gåsapåg" (with white pants).

[alphaboi867]

I'd just dress like the man on the Quaker Oats box.

[silenus]

I'd dress up as a box of granola.


Ba-dum-bump!

[TWDuke]

California is the Golden State, so I guess I could cover my entire body in gold paint.

Except for a small patch on my back of course, so my skin could breathe and I wouldn't die.

[NinjaChick]

Reddish desert-brown clothes. Glue sparse, random clumps of barely-green spiky plants all over.

Edit: New Mexico.

[Cunctator]

Perhaps I could wear a barrel and bare feet, since the state government here (NSW) seems to be virtually bankrupt at the moment.

[Student Driver]

I'd dress as a generic Indian (Native American Indian)-- the generic version probably would have a chief or brave headdress, bow and arrow, face paint-- with a shirt with a giant scarlet A.

(Shame the primary Indians from Indiana, the Miami, aren't known for striking visual displays...)

There are far more evocative things I could dress as-- an ear of corn, or an open-wheel race car-- but considering the roots of the name "Indiana," I feel the initial costume is the best.

[Ephemera]

I'm from Tennessee and Davy Crockett was one of our Congressmen. A coonskin cap, and some sort of woodsy outfit would be pretty cheap and easily recognizable, I think.

[dalej42]

Arizona. Probably some variation of the Saguaro cactus

[MsRobyn]

The Liberty Bell. Or a bottle of Heinz ketchup.

Pennsylvania, where I live now. I'll have to think of the others later.

Robin

[NinetyWt]

I'm not too sure what would work.

A southern belle is too generic, could be any southern state.

I suppose I could attempt to dress up as a steamboat, catfish, or magnolia blossom...or maybe a cotton boll..a bluesman?

Hmm. I think I'll wear a catfish costume and carry a bouquet of magnolias. I'll also have a guitar slung across my back, and a harmonica around my neck, like my buddy Sherman Lee.

(Mississippi)

[Boyo Jim]

This is SO easy! Cheesehead!

[Green Bean]

After much consideration, I have made my (very literal) costume decision.

If you look at New Jersey, and if you kinda squint your eyes and tilt your head, you can see that it's approximately female-shaped. Since I'm also approximately female-shaped, I thought I could take advantage of this and make a New Jersey Map dress.

It would be a sleeveless sheath with one shoulder strap, giving the top a tilted appearance. The mountainous northern region would be aptly mimicked by my own mountainous northern region. The hem of the dress would be asymmetrical, with the lowest point representing Cape May.

The top and middle parts of the dress would be a multicolored fabric with predominant green and tan tones to represent the variegated terrain. The skirt of the dress would be a more solid darker green to represent the pine barrens. There would be an approximately semicircular section on the right towards the top made out of some crazy wild multicolored pattern. The would represent the densely populated areas surrounding New York City. There would be a smaller, but similar, area below the left hip, representing the areas by Philadelphia.

There would be a broad tan stripe down the right side for the Jersey Shore, perhaps with a dark-blue ruffle for the Atlantic Ocean. The left side would have a narrower medium-blue stripe for the Delaware River. The whole thing would be quadrisected by two broad gray stripes--one for the Garden State Parkway, and the other for the New Jersey Turnpike.

And I really wouldn't be able to resist putting some splotches of fluorescent green glow-in-the-dark paint on it. Gotta have toxic waste!

Now if I really wanted to get crazy, I could start adding little items all over the dress to symbolize bits of history, mythology, and current coolness. The list could go on and on...but one thing I would certainly do is embroider, somewhere on the Pine Barrens Skirt, a little Jersey Devil!

[blondebear]

Simple. I'll just slip into my blondeGrizzly bear costume.

[Invisible Chimp]

Originally Posted by Green Bean

It can be your home state, the state you live in now, or a state that you've lived in for a significant amount of time (in other words, not some random state.)

So what are you going to wear?

All the same for me, as I am a fourth generation and lifelong Oregonian. Also, an easy costume choice since we are the Beaver State, I dress as a beaver.

[panache45]

I'd go as a large Ohio quarter, since it's one of the "tossup" states. Or perhaps it'd be easier to go Amish.

Or . . . I lived in NYC for 25 years. I'd have lots of fun making a Chrysler Building costume.

[Caricci]

I would go as a lobster, a mobster or a red chicken, but not as a road or an island since my state is technically neither.

[Jayn_Newell]

I'd probably just dress in red and carry a barrel of corn for Nebraska.

For Nova Scotia, I think a fish playing the bagpipes would work.

[ladyfoxfyre]

I'd dress like a snowbird.

[Baker]

As much as I loath the idea I'd probably go either as a lion, a scarecrow, a tin woodsman, a witch, or a small dog. No way am I going as a farmgirl.

[NinetyWt]

Originally Posted by Baker

As much as I loath the idea I'd probably go either as a lion, a scarecrow, a tin woodsman, a witch, or a small dog. No way am I going as a farmgirl.

No winged monkeys?

[Susie Derkins]

I'm from Florida, so I'll just dress up as a huge wang.

[Chronos]

The obvious choice would be a cowboy, but even though I think Montana is the archtypical cowboy state, that could also be anywhere in the West. Likewise grizzly bears or bison. No, the best choice would be either a tyrannosaur or a triceratops, both of which are (were) found almost exclusively in Montana. And were also my favored choices for our state quarter, but no, we had to go with a completely non-distinctive steer skull instead.

[Sampiro]

Alabama. I'd go as a box of crackers with a thick red (for red-state) belt that has a Bible for a buckle.

[whistlepig]

Originally Posted by Chronos

The obvious choice would be a cowboy, but even though I think Montana is the archtypical cowboy state, that could also be anywhere in the West. Likewise grizzly bears or bison. No, the best choice would be either a tyrannosaur or a triceratops, both of which are (were) found almost exclusively in Montana. And were also my favored choices for our state quarter, but no, we had to go with a completely non-distinctive steer skull instead.

If not a cowboy why not dress as a "Montanan" by transplant (e.g., the person that moves to Montana and thinks they are a "Montanan" just because they have a new zip code.)

Dress just a little too well for any ocassion. Bonus points if you wear a new cowboy hat, triple points if it's pink or purple and you aren't actually in a rodeo wearing a sash.

[Chronos]

Nah, that would be a Californian.

To be fair, I'm a Montanan by transplant myself... I mostly picked Montana rather than my home state of Ohio for this because Montana has lower population, so I figured that Ohio would be well-represented by others. For Ohio, though, the obvious choice would be a Buckeye, that being the official state symbol and nickname. One could also go with a uniform for one of the pro sports teams.

[Baker]

Originally Posted by NinetyWt

No winged monkeys?

Ooooh, MUCH better choice!

[Eliahna]

I'll pin artificial flowers all over my dress and go as Victoria: The Garden State. It's easier than trying to dress up as Zach Braff.

And then I'll get beaten up by all the other states who call themselves the Garden state. Chill out, New Jersey!

[Rico]

I'll just ask all the women and children in my neighborhood to go with me as a polygamist family.

Not really, but it might be fun....

[Queen Bruin]

Queen Califia.

I'd have to go hit the tanning booth a lot to make it work.

[Sublight]

The unofficial nickname of Tokyo (which counts as a state) is The Concrete Buttplug, so I guess I know what I'm going as.

[Sunspace]

Ontario: we've got 'rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and... waterrr...'

So I guess I get a choice.

[Caractacus Pott]

Seeing that Alaska driver's license in my wallet, I must, MUST put on a red one-piece swimsuit. As a large man who resembles Grizzly Adams, I may not win Miss Alaska 2008 though.

Chefguy, beat ya to it!

[BaconAndEggs]

Ralph: "I'm Idaho."

[Don't fight the hypothetical]

Originally Posted by Chronos

The obvious choice would be a cowboy...

Now I have an image of you from NSFW photo thread as The Thinker in a cowboy hat.

I'm from Texas. Since going as an actual asshole violates the rules of this thread, I guess I'd dress as an oil derrick?

[olivesmarch4th]

I could just crochet a giant mitten to put over my head.

[Wallflower]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

This is SO easy! Cheesehead!

Exactly what I was going to say, right down to the link! Alternatively, Wisconsin is the Badger State.

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by Chronos

The obvious choice would be a cowboy, but even though I think Montana is the archtypical cowboy state, that could also be anywhere in the West. Likewise grizzly bears or bison. No, the best choice would be either a tyrannosaur or a triceratops, both of which are (were) found almost exclusively in Montana. And were also my favored choices for our state quarter, but no, we had to go with a completely non-distinctive steer skull instead.

You could make a big print of one of CM Russell's more famous paintings, and wear it on a big sandwhich board?


Tristan- transplanted Montanan living in Pennsylvania by way of California. Sort of.

[bathsheba]

I could just get quietly shit-faced.

(South Australia, The Wine State).

[Zsofia]

It's hard to differentiate South Carolina from other Deep South states, although I suppose you could go as Strom Thurmond. If you want to put some creative work in you could be a really cute Cradle of Secession, though.

[chacoguy]

Originally Posted by Rico

I'll just ask all the women and children in my neighborhood to go with me as a polygamist family.

Not really, but it might be fun....

Make sure you dress them in Prairie Skirts; that, and throw on some Jesus Jammies.

[NinetyWt]

Originally Posted by Zsofia

It's hard to differentiate South Carolina from other Deep South states, although I suppose you could go as Strom Thurmond. If you want to put some creative work in you could be a really cute Cradle of Secession, though.

Dress as a palmetto tree; and get a wire so that you can fix up a Damocles-style crescent moon.

[KneadToKnow]

Light 'em if you got 'em.

[Fretful Porpentine]

I'm not very good at costumes and I can't really think of anything that screams "Mississippi." Maybe I could just stand on my left leg the whole time? Of course, if people were looking at me from behind, they might think I was Alabama.

[The Tof]

As a resident of the Beaver state- I would clearly be dressing up as a naked lady. (Note- I am not a lady)

[dba Fred]

In honor of the OP, I would paint myself blue, representing the Atlantic Ocean, so I could lap at I mean hug Green Bean's shoreline.

Do I have to have crabs on my bottom?

Can I get a state waiver as I'm usually in a state of confusion?

[eleanorigby]

Fretful--if you know that song, "Mississippi Mud", you could just plaster yourself with mud...





1. Abe Lincoln, but the beard would itch. Plus, I'm only 5'7".
2. Al Capone--carry a violin case, wear a zoot suit and spats; smoke.
3. Vecro lots of small fans to my clothes (Windy City) and wear massive shoulder pads (City of the Big Shoulders).
4. Lose 50 pounds, wear some type of native dress and carry a big rock and go as Starved Rock. legend

5. Dress as the Blues Brothers and pretend to like blues for a night.

[Hanna]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

This is SO easy! Cheesehead!

My first thought. Or a can of Old Milwaukee beer.

[FilmGeek]

I could go as Harry Truman (my birth state)
Or a Jayhawk (my college state)
Or... Mount Hood? A hippie? A duck or a beaver? Hmm...