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Halloween 2010 is so, so close! And the best thing about this year’s Halloween? It’s on the weekend!!!
I always get super pumped for Halloween but never actually MAKE my costume until a few nights before. I know that most busy 20-something ladies are like that, too — we have busy work and social lives, with not a lot of time to go costume hunting from the craft store to the thrift store to your local Party City!
There’s always a lot of hype about celebrities in the Hollywood ‘zines — you’re standing in line at the grocery store and there’s another update on the Kardashian family feud plastered all over Life & Style, or another spread of avant garde fashion photos of Lady Gaga in Elle and yes … even a “how to wear your hair like Snooki” spread in Cosmopolitan.
While I don’t support the tabloids, I love the motto of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” So I decided to create a DIY challenge for myself: Could I find the materials I needed around my apartment and local Goodwill to dress like three of 2010’s hottest, most talked about Hollywood stars? And could I do it all at a LOW cost?!
Well, the jury’s still out, so I’ll let you decide the verdict! My thoughts? I don’t look great in a black hair wig, but that DIY booty popper below? Now, that’s something I could get used to rocking …. ;-)
Read on for some last minute inspiration for your own [awesome!] last-minute DIY costume. This blog post was adapted from my article on Lemondrop.com last week — click here to read the full piece!
I’d love to see what you guys come up with for the big night, so definitely email me a picture or upload it onto the Facebook fanpage!
xo, SD
LADY GAGA
THRIFT IT
There’s one thing Lady Gaga never does: the expected. Your outfit has to pop. Thrift-store shop your costume with vintage sequins usually found buried between bad ’80s prom dresses in the evening wear department. Keep your sequins short, and expose some leg just like Gaga on the red carpet.
Gaga loves her bows, too, so hit up the men’s department for bow ties to use as hair and neck accessories. Or just ask your boyfriend/brother/dad for a spare.
Average cost: $10–$15 sequin top/dress, $1–$3 bow ties
MAKE IT
To go Gaga all the way, you need some bright leggings to go with those sequins. American Apparel sells some sweet ones in gold, but forgo the extra spending and just bleach a pair from the multiple black ones you already own. Just pour bleach into a bucket and dip those leggings in, hold for a few minutes and remove to wash.
Average cost: one pair of leggings and a few cups of bleach
PAINT IT
The video for her breakout single “Just Dance” introduced us to the world of Gaga and the eclectic style that went with it — not to mention her unexpected romp with a blow-up dolphin in the kiddie pool.
To duplicate Gaga’s look from the vid, use a black eye pencil to outline a lightning bolt immediately below your eye and drawn downward into your cheek. Fill with ridiculous eye shadow color of your choice.
Average cost: nada
GRAB IT
Your most diva pair of shades and a neck scarf, preferably red to mimic Gaga’s Little Red Riding Hood style (see above). Wrap the neck scarf toward the front of your head and a few inches below your chin, securing with safety pins to form a free-standing hood. Finish with white or black gloves from your storage of winter accessories, then throw on your stunna shades and forget to smile. Hello, Gaga!
Average cost: nada
SNOOKI
THRIFT IT
Snooki’s most stylish statement since that punch she threw last seaseon? Bringing skanky back.
Thrift (or pull from your own closet) a sleeveless black dress. Cut away its little black innocence and vertically snip open the chest of the dress in a straight line, stopping immediately below the bust. Use safety pins to append a chain (try the accessories section of a thrift store, or your dog’s old chain leash) as a makeshift dress strap and added Jersey bling worth fist-pumping about.
Average cost: $10 dress, $2 dog chain
MAKE IT
Snooki is a petite princess blessed in a big way in the rackular department. If you’re not similarly gifted, make yourself a nice upper deck with underwear’s footwear sidekick: socks.
Grab a handful of feathers from Kim’s booty pillow and stuff into two socks until each are halfway full. Staple sock ends together to contain feathers. Insert your new falsies into the front of bra cups, using the feathers to lift and the sock ends to secure.
Average cost: one battered pillow and two reinvented socks
GRAB IT
A can of hairspray to keep your leaning tower of bouffant from falling, and a double shot glass to help initiate a few slightly intoxicated falls of your own — in those strappy heels your mom said made you look like a hooker when you first bought them.
Average cost: nada
KIM KARDASHIAN
THRIFT IT
A little red dress. Even better — a little red dress that’s one size too small, like that dress from senior year of college you vowed to lose 10 pounds to (properly) fit into. Accessorize with a blow pop for extra flavor.
Average cost: $10 dress, 50-cent lollipop
MAKE IT
A Kim Kardashian costume isn’t complete without her signature piece and your best asset this Halloween: one poppin’ booty.
Grab scissors, two plastic bags and an old pillow. Gut the pillow of its feathers or stuffing. Stuff the contents into one plastic bag until about half full. Tie the bag tight, double bag it and then tie tight again.
Press the bag flat and place into spandex underneath your LRD (little red dress). (Perform all of the above outside to avoid finding feathers/fluff in all corners of your apartment through Thanksgiving.) Don’t feel like making your own BootyPop? Buy the real deal here.
Kim’s other signature piece? Her infamous sex tape. Make your own sex tape (hypothetically speaking, of course) by grabbing whatever VHS tape is collecting dust in your living room and marking in capital letters, “SEX TAPE.” It’s almost as good as making your own. Almost.
Average cost: one lost pillow and a born-again VHS tape
GRAB IT
Gold accessories (bangles and hoop earrings) and a statement necklace. Finish off with a chic purse and a pair of stilettos.
Average cost: nada
What are you guys wearing for Halloween? Are you DIYing it or are you buying something ready-made? Let me know in the comments below, or leave me a note on the Facebook page!
xo, SD
THRIFT IT
There’s one thing Lady Gaga never does: the expected. Your outfit has to pop. Thrift-store shop your costume with vintage sequins usually found buried between bad ’80s prom dresses in the evening wear department. Keep your sequins short, and expose some leg just like Gaga on the red carpet.
Gaga loves her bows, too, so hit up the men’s department for bow ties to use as hair and neck accessories. Or just ask your boyfriend/brother/dad for a spare.
Average cost: $10–$15 sequin top/dress, $1–$3 bow ties
MAKE IT
To go Gaga all the way, you need some bright leggings to go with those sequins. American Apparel sells some sweet ones in gold, but forgo the extra spending and just bleach a pair from the multiple black ones you already own. Just pour bleach into a bucket and dip those leggings in, hold for a few minutes and remove to wash.
Average cost: one pair of leggings and a few cups of bleach
PAINT IT
The video for her breakout single “Just Dance” introduced us to the world of Gaga and the eclectic style that went with it — not to mention her unexpected romp with a blow-up dolphin in the kiddie pool.
To duplicate Gaga’s look from the vid, use a black eye pencil to outline a lightning bolt immediately below your eye and drawn downward into your cheek. Fill with ridiculous eye shadow color of your choice.
Average cost: nada
GRAB IT
Your most diva pair of shades and a neck scarf, preferably red to mimic Gaga’s Little Red Riding Hood style (see above). Wrap the neck scarf toward the front of your head and a few inches below your chin, securing with safety pins to form a free-standing hood. Finish with white or black gloves from your storage of winter accessories, then throw on your stunna shades and forget to smile. Hello, Gaga!
Average cost: nada
Thrift Store Shopping Like a Pro
Part 1: Thrift Store Shopping – Research
Part 2: Thrift Store Shopping – Preparation
Part 3: Thrift Store Shopping – Strategy
Part 4: Thrift Store Shopping – Inspection
Part 5: Thrift Store Shopping – Sharing
OK, all jokes aside, you look HOT with long black hair! Love this post!!! you are too cute.
xoxoxo
ritu
This is hilarious!!!!!
It’s not funny to exploit something so Terrible that happened to her.That tape was released without her consent,she’s been forced into a pornstar,imagine that happening to you.
So try to be less ignorant,I know kim k isn’t a saint but that doesn’t make what happened to her acceptable/funny.If anything,it showed a society waiting to sexually exploit women with any chance it got.