Friday, October 15, 2010

Nonsexy, but still fun, Halloween costumes (by Suzie)

Before Halloween last year, I decried the pressure on women to dress as a sexy something. (10/30/09) The women at the fabulous new site, Take Back Halloween!, feel the same way, and unlike me, they actually did something about it. They explain:
We’re a resource guide: we come up with the costume ideas, explain what you’ll need to pull off the look, and provide links to where you can buy the various components.
I should be able to come up with something because I'm now the proud proprietor of a small church thrift store.

It would be easy to dress as Mary Wollstonecraft, who published her "Vindication on the Rights of Woman" in 1792. The artwork above shows a neckline that has been back in style, and a ribbon could complete the look, at least on top. If you have a daughter, she could go as Mary Shelley, perhaps with a mini Frankenstein's monster.

Another interesting figure would be Louise Michel, a k a the Red Virgin. With a pea coat and an old nightgown, you could dress as her marching to Versailles after the fall of the 1871 Paris Commune.

I need to stop before I spend all day hunting up costumes on the Internet, but I'd like to hear your suggestions.

ETA: Thanks to Anna for this great link to Violet Socks as well as one explaining how to dress as Joan of Arc.