It’s back with a vengeance! Halloween is just over a week away and it’s time to resurrect one of my favourite posts to put together. Yes, it’s the FOURTH installment of my Halloween costumes for the fashion conscious.
This year marked the label’s triumphant return to British shores as with the phenomenal Savage Beauty exhibition, showcasing the late Lee McQueen’s most controversial, extravagant and showstopping pieces over the course of his career. McQueen was known for his hauntingly beautiful yet aesthetically powerful collections, so why not take on some of his most iconic looks for Halloween? Either pinpoint and take themes from a collection (personal favourites include Plato’s Atlantis and The Widows of Culloden) or get creative with the most recognisable elements of any McQueen show (e.g. dangerously high heels, smatterings of punk inspired pieces and statement accessories).
Not a fan of fancy dress? Trick or treating not your thing? Can’t be bothered to brave the cold for that pumpkin spiced latte? Never fear! You can still have a pretty decent evening in on the spookiest night of the year. Just fire up Netflix (or your other on-demand streaming service of choice), heat up a mountain of popcorn and check out my picks for the perfect Halloween night in viewing.
American Horror Story marathon (2011 – present)
Pick your favourite season – or one you haven’t watched before! – and go! AHS is now a horror filled institution and is perfect for a super gross, super gory and nightmare inducing night in. I would personally attempt powering through the psychological thriller themed Season 2, ‘Asylum’, but you have your pick of Murder House, Coven and – if you’re watching in line with the US – Freak Show to get through.
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
If you’re already excited for the ‘C’ word but are being forced to think about pumpkins and skeletons instead, this is a nice compromise. The tale of Jack Skellington is both ghoulish, hilarious and ironically heartwarming all at the same time. Throw in some seriously memorable songs and you’re all set!
Hocus Pocus (1993)
What’s Halloween without a couple of witches, cheesy 90s special effects and SJP-pre-Carrie Bradshaw? In all seriousness, if you haven’t seen this movie, get on it! It’s a cult classic and fabulously funny too.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Halloween specials (1997-2003)
Ok so this isn’t exactly Halloween specific – and Buffy should really be mandatory viewing at any time of year in my opinion – but vampires, demons, and kick-ass female heroines in a Whedon-helmed TV show is hard to resist. If you want something more specific, there are a couple of Halloween episodes you can pick from.
Dead Silence (2007)
If you’re really intent on scaring yourself witless on Halloween, then try out Dead Silence. It has all the elements of your typical horror movie – creaky old town, murder mystery…ventriloquist puppets…yep, you read that right. Puppets. I watched this with a friend of mine and it’s has one of the more interesting twists to a horror film I’ve seen in a long time. I would not recommend watching solo though. Grab some friends to cuddle in the blankets with before hitting play on this one.
With Halloween only a week away, you’re most likely be spending this weekend scrambling for an outfit to throw on. But never fear, as I’ve put together a few ideas for you for this year’s ‘Halloween costumes for the fashion conscious’. So if you’re after something a little more chic than scary, here are this year’s ideas to try for size…
Beyonce’s fifth studio album may have been released at the end of 2013, but the tidal wave effect it had on the music landscape can still be heard in 2014. And the song that had everyone up and proclaiming that they ‘woke up like this’ was Flawless. Not only a stomping anthem for the feminist cause (and an incredible platform for Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s Ted Talk speech) the music video is my favourite out of the entire visual album. It’s full on grunge, so dig out the plaid, eyeliner and stomping boots for this one.
2014 seems to be the second coming of Barbie. First her brand new Instagram page – putting all of us fashion bloggers to shame with her street style photos – and now Moschino’s perfectly pink tribute to the doll. Anything goes for this look as long as it’s pink but for added authenticity the more garish the better.
Move over Katniss there’s a new badass in town. Tris Prior’s costume would be pretty simple to copy. Black jeans, tank top, leather jacket and boots made for running from the bad guys. Don’t forget Tris’ bird tattoos across her collar and if you’re a book purist you’ll want to add in her extra tattoos too.
The old witches costume just got a whole lot more stylish. American Horror Story is somewhat of an institution now, so why not take on their most recognisable set of costumes as made famous by the likes of Jessica Lange, Emma Roberts and Taissa Farminga. All black is the only rule, but think Morticia Adams meets Valley Girl than traditional Wicked Witch of the West.
Go the extra mile details:
Lace veils and netting
Black umbrellas and sunglasses
A tiny voodoo doll
*images via Pinterest Polo neck jumper, Sir Oliver//Black trousers, Reiss//Pointed flats, Modcloth//
Ok I’ll admit I included Taylor in last year’s Halloween costume edition…but hey it’s 2014 and with a new sound and new look I wasn’t going to pass up a chance at adding her in again! There are so many looks in Shake It Off but I would personally take on the simplicity of her ‘performance’ outfit. Black polo, skinnies, and flats for a super comfy Halloween outfit. Oh and don’t forget the red lip! Though if you have a group of willing friends why not take on the entire catalogue of dance outfits from the video (I shotgun the cheerleader outfit though!)
Go the extra mile details:
Megaphone to shout over to the ‘fella over there with the hella good hair’
Short blonde bob wig
Your best dance moves
Pick a favourite guys! Which Halloween costume would you go for?
If you’re still stuck for ideas, don’t forget to check out last year’s post and my post from back in 2012 for more outfits you could use this year!
