Do you enjoy dressing up in a costume for Halloween, or did you at one point in your life? As a child, or later on, for costume parties? As a kid, Halloween was okay but it didn't compare to Christmas, or even to Thanksgiving or the 4th of July. Dressing up as a kid was a little bit of fun, but the candy was the best part. As an adult, I avoided costume parties. The only one that I ever attended was held by a co-worker, and I pretty much felt obligated to attend that one.
Oh, yes, I did and I still do. I've made some spectacular costumes in the past for myself and family members.
When I was a kid, we had a trunk of old clothes in the attic. Their sole purpose was for Halloween. The only store-bought costume I recall was a Popeye one, complete with oversized forearms (with anchor tattoos) held on with elastic straps. Other than that, costumes were whatever you could throw together. We lived in an old bedroom community that was established after WW2. We would go from house to house up & down the main street and the side streets, bring the stuff home, then head out to the apartment complex with a fresh pillow case. Those poor people. I can still see the sea of kids as we all swarmed the place. The amount of goodies we got (many of them homemade) was obscene...it truly was gluttonous excess. We also did homemade stuff: popcorn balls and caramel apples. I only recall attending one costume party as an adult. That was an afternoon picnic party a neighbor threw. It was OK...they're not my thing. But in general, I'm not a party person.
My favorite inexpensive costume was a BIG black plastic garbage bag. I cut holes for legs and arms, stuffed it with crumpled news (or whatever) paper, hung a banana peal off the side and glued a fly made of black yarn and paper wings to my nose. When the kids were tiny, I would put them in brown paper bags with similar accoutrements.
Years ago, I dressed up like an Old West Sheriff for a party put on by a Square Dance group. I borrowed a real .45 holster/belt from a friend of mine and bought toy gun and Sheriff badge. Could barely see the toy gun in the real .45 holster. My wife has dressed up as a Witch and we have a few pictures of that. Her mom, numerous years ago, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty (she made the costume) and won 1st prize. Back in 2004, I found a complete Batman costume, in original box, by a trash bin where we lived. The costume completely fit me, but it sure wasn't authentic looking. For the Halloween Party we attended, wife made her costume, Catwoman and it looked nice. Then, while living in Jacksonville, Florida, I bought another "not so authentic" Darth Vader costume and we bought my wife a Princess Leia (white) costume and fake hair buns. A couple of years later, still in Jacksonville and with a little extra money to spend from tax refund, we decided to buy me a "very much authentic" Darth Vader costume. Paid $800 for it, but that was on sale from $1,500. The belt lite up as did the chest box. However, had to have some alternations done on it, to make it fit better. Also, bought a pair of black Buccaneer boots, black gloves and a $150.00 Light Saber from Walmart, that lights up like a real Light Saber. We also bought my wife the "female" type Storm Trooper costume. Also bought her a Storm Trooper Blaster and holster/belt for it. I painted the Blaster gloss black. She has worn her costume once and it looked great on her. I've worn mine a couple of times, and one of those times, was on the front patio of our apartment in Jacksonville. The local (apartment complex) kids loved it and their parents, and my wife, got numerous pictures of me with the kids. Last year, we both put on our costumes in our bedroom to see if they still fit. Luckily, they both did. Next Saturday, we may end up putting the full costumes on and going to a 2-hour Halloween Party at our apartment complex. Have already checked out all of the lights in my costume (batteries) and they all work.
When my kids were small I enjoyed sewing their costumes, and I must say I came up with some excellent ones. That's about the last real sewing I've done.
No and never did, even as a kid. Peer pressure probably pushed me into going trick or treatinga few times; however, I don't remember doing it or getting any candy.
I got home late and signalled to all the trick or treaters to come back to the house. Hubby wanted to take a nap so I put the candy bowl on the stoop so no one needed to ring the bell. That is what the neighborhood did during covid. Plenty of left overs. The kids here are honest no matter what is going on out there. Glad to see it.