Many moons ago, I decided to dress up as a handyman for Halloween.
Big mistake. My overalls were hot and itchy, my toolbox weighed a thousand pounds, and I looked like a vagrant plumber. I could have avoided all that disappointment had I put a bit more thought into my outfit.
Thousands of kids young and old will be haunting the streets next week as Halloween returns to St. Albert. Many will be dressed in elaborate outfits. To help others avoid my horrible experience, I decided to touch base with some of St. Albert’s costume experts to see how to craft a delightful, but not frightful, outfit.
Frightful fashion
Erin Ridge resident Ingrid Carli knows a thing or two about Halloween. She and her husband Brian ran the Home Haunt event every Oct. 31 from 2004 to 2015, drawing thousands to their home with their elaborate sets and costumed volunteers. In the process, they created about 50 unique costumes, including werewolves, scarecrows, and swamp things, all of which are now stored in two closets and a sea can.
Carli said she and Brian plan to cruise around town this Oct. 31 in their customized hearse while sporting spooky new outfits (hers involves a glowing brain).
Fellow Erin Ridge resident Vicky Lau will be out with her husband and baby dressed as Nurse Joy, Brock, and Togepi from Pokémon.
“When I first came to Canada, I found out there was a holiday called Halloween,” she said, jumping at the chance to dress as one of her favourite video game characters (Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII).
Lau said that foray into costuming introduced her to anime conventions and later led to her current job as a professional cosplayer.
Lau and Carli use many of the same tools to craft their costumes: sewing machines, hot glue, thermoplastic, and paint. Both do most of their designs on the fly, making adjustments as they go.
While you can hit up Fabricland or Michaels for costume supplies, as Lau does, Carli said most of her outfits are made from things lying around the house. Her mummy suit consists of shredded rags stuck to old shoes, shirts, and sweatpants, for example, while her swamp hag’s hair is a mop that's dyed green. Her masks take more work, but are often plastic bases augmented with painted sponge, burlap, and other items.
“You can put something together fairly quickly at home,” Carli said.
“You just let your creative juices flow.”
Costume tips
Many St. Albert trick-or-treaters will get costume props and makeup from Karrie Verhulst of Karries Kostumes, which heads into its 41st Halloween this month.
“We think it’s going to be Barbie,” Verhulst said, when asked about this year’s hit theme, with Marvel superheroes and The Addams Family close behind.
Verhulst said she typically sees a rush of customers in the week before Halloween as people’s mail-order outfits either don’t arrive or turn out to be the wrong size.
“The crunch is on if you’re making something,” she said, as those Halloween parties are just days away.
You can easily throw together a last-minute costume with a few props, Verhulst said. A sword, belt, and a hat make a pirate, while shredded clothes and some fake blood make a zombie.
Carli recommends keeping your outfit light, as you’ll be wearing it for hours, and that you make sure you can breathe and see through your mask.
Think about durability and ease of use as well, Lau suggests — can you use the washroom in it? Should you carry safety pins in case bits fall off? Keep your props light, durable, and reasonably sized, as you’ll have to carry them all night. Indoor outfits should be simple so you can dance in them, while outdoor ones should have space for winter coats and snow pants.
Verhulst advised kids use makeup instead of masks, as masks can obscure vision. Parents should add reflective tape to outfits to ensure kids are visible, and not use cosmetic contact lenses without proper instruction.
Carli said she and her husband love dressing up every Halloween and hope their grandkids will take over their collection of costumes someday.
“If you’re scaring somebody, you enjoy hearing a scream.”
