Pretty self-explanatory poll. Also, what are you going as this year, and what are your favorite costumes from years past (especially if you’re one of the third type).
I voted the third option since that is what we usually do. This year I think I’m still shagged out from moving, so I didn’t do anything except pull an old Grim Reaper costume out and go buy some face paint. I have a bunch of costumes I have worn through the years: gypsy, grim reaper, jedi knight, blue alien, sexy vampire, Merlin the Wizard, and I’m sure there are some I’m forgetting. I also sew costumes for my husband. Part of the fun of halloween is searching for the right accessories and fabric, etc.
Yeah, I’m a “plan early, plan awesome” type of guy. In recent years, the only last minute costume I threw together was about a day before Halloween a couple years ago. And even “last minute” to me was driving to a couple different stores to get what I needed.
I’m a bit of both your last two options i don’t like spending money on something I’m only going to wear once but I put in a fair bit of thought into what I can do with things laying around my house to make a cool costume.
Unfortunately, I moved last week so I ended up scrapping my plans for this year and am just going to buy a latex mask and hand out candy. i was going to dress up in all of my old college football stuff; lettermen jacket, jersey, championship ring and then since I went to a nerd school break out the horned rim glasses, buck teeth and zit pen. I also talked three guys that I played with into doing it with me. Stupid move.
Not going to a party, but I’ll be donning a Punk wig, X-ray specs, and a ripped-up leather vest and t-shirt for the office potluck tomorrow. I have a whole box of Halloween stuff that I usually drag out a week ahead of time. You know, the regular halloween accessories…skull candles, gargoyles, eyeballs, spiders…
I voted option 3, but am really in between the second 2 options. This year, we started planning early since we decided to have a Halloween party - mostly, because we wanted to dress up, and that was the only way to guarantee a party! 
My husband and I are going to be Trinity & Neo. Not terribly original, but we found the costumes early, and we both look really good in them, so that’s where the cards fell. Plus, they were cheaper than our other ideas, and we needed to save money for the party.
My favorite costume ever was Disco Stu, when I was in college.
I’m option 4: Scanning the day after halloween sale for costumes to find something awesome for next year or other situations that might require a costume.
I thought this was going to be about women who use Halloween as an excuse to dress like skanks, men who use it as an excuse to put on a dress and just plain attention whores*
- I am a huge fan of Halloween and I voted #2 in the poll.
I will be dressed as “Grumpy Old Guy Hoping No Damn Kids Ring the Doorbell during the Football Game”. The costume is sweatpants and T-shirt, and accessories include my recliner, tv remote, beer and food.
Every year I participate in the children’s alternative Halloween event at church as an adult helper. I have a chef’s smock and a chef’s toque that I wear, and I stuff some random kitchen utensils in the pockets for effect.
Been that way for the past 5 years.
I think the three categories are:
- Costumes are for kids.
- Costumes are the highlight of my year, and the only time I ever get to truly express my true self, and thus think that applying copious amounts of makeup and gore is the only way to go.
- Costumes are a lot of fun and I like being creative, but let’s all calm down a little.
I love it when a great plan comes together, and you hit on a great idea. But I really think the best costumes are the most simple costumes. Wigs and makeup and sewing and fake blood are all a little…sad. An easily applied prop or combination of clothes (dick in a box prop, Sarah Palin glasses, giant jeans and a Subway box, etc.) make for the best gags and a better night. Because really - who wants to shed 12 layers of cardboard, clothes, makeup, a sword and a cape, etc. just to go to the bathroom?
October 1st? I try to be done my costume by then. I’ve been known to spend months planning and making costumes.
I’m a “throw something together” kind of girl. I had to buy two pieces for my costume, one for my fiance’s matching costume. I like doing it like that: saves some money.
If I know that I have somewhere to go, I’ll plan early, but usually I don’t know until the last minute, and I throw it together.
I love the idea of dressing up, but I rarely get it together in time.
Thank god for Lady Gaga – all you need these days is something mental and a blonde wig; Bob’s your uncle.
I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to go out in my swimsuit, though. We’ll see.
I’m in the “throw things together” camp, but since I’m running with the SCA, Goth, Steampunk and LARP crowds, I think I may have more basic material for this sort of thing to start with.
Somewhere between 2 and 3 (I voted for 2), because I like taking the time to make a fun costume, but I don’t always have Hallowe’en plans so I don’t make one every year. This year, I’ve known for months about the party I’m going to, and it’s a theme party (vampires), but I only got out to the store this past week to find pieces for my costume. I’m not quite done, and the party is tonight, but I should have a few hours beforehand to put the finishing touches on.
I don’t really know how to sew, but I do have a rather pretty old Singer sewing machine and I’m not afraid to do some simple stitching. I’ve Frankensteined together a dress and three shirts into a rather awesome looking velvet dress, complete with dangly fabric at the wrists. Total sewing so far: 5 seams! I did the same thing last year…found a skirt I liked for the Wild West theme, but it was too long, so I chopped off the bottom, got rid of about half the length, and sewed the bottom back on. It worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself!