The Perfect Costume

Halloween is pretty much the perfect time of the year for nerds. While we may spend the other 364 days of the year wishing that we could dress up like super heroes, this is the only day when you won’t get disparaging stares for doing so. But that doesn’t mean you can just up and throw on any costume. In fact, there are many rules to making the perfect Halloween outfit.  So here is the official Tales From the Basement DO and DON’T DO list of how to dress up for the scariest day of the year.

DO - Pay attention to the details

Anyone can throw on a Spider Man suit, but the really interesting costumes are the ones that pay attention to the tiniest details. Going as Hellboy? Don’t forget to chomp down on a giant cigar. Shaun of the Dead?  Can’t go out without your name tag.  Captain Malcolm Reynolds?  You need one fine looking holster. The devil is in the details.

DON’T DO - Tight fitting clothes

They may look good on the page, but in real life…not so much. No matter how good you think a skin-tight, latex outfit makes you look, please stay away. Basically there are two ways that this kind of costume can go: it either embarrasses you death or makes for some very inappropriate pictures on your FaceBook page.

DO - Be original

There is only so much room for the plethora of Batman’s, Superman’s, and Wolverine’s that Halloween can handle. So why not try something different? Pick a lesser known character and have fun with it. Here are a few examples. Don’t go as Harry Potter, try Ron instead. Or instead of Cloud, go as Squall. And if you have to be Spider Man, at least be the black one.

DON’T DO - Get too complicated

Yes I know, I know. Robocop, Boba Fett, and Galactus all look so damn cool. But that doesn’t mean you should dress up like them. The first problem is getting the outfit right. Unless you are extremely artistically inclined, chances are the suit will look quite lame. But on the oft chance you get it to look right, man is it going to be uncomfortable. You’ll be hot, you won’t be able to see straight, and OW! you just banged your leg on the coffee table. Just avoid the temptation and pity those poor souls struggling to walk around as Optimus Prime.

DO - Have fun

Ok, the fact that I’m laying down some rules may make dressing up for Halloween seem like serious business, but that’s not really the case. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Just pick a character you love, and have some fun with it. My personal favorite Halloween was when I dressed up as my favorite film character ever, Shaun from Shaun of the Dead, complete with bloody hand prints, a cardboard cricket bat, and “Hello My Name Is Shaun” name tag. It was a great time, even if I had to deal with one too many “you’ve got red on you” jokes.

Andrew Webster is a freelance writer based in Toronto who covers comics, movies, videogames, and anything else that will rot out your brain. Check out his personal site to read more of his incoherent ramblings.