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HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTESTS |
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 Entering
yourself in a Halloween costume contest can have many rewards, the
prestige of winning top prize, a great looking trophy to set on the shelf and last, but
certainly not least, the cash prize. Think of it as a spooky beauty pageant.
It seems that every year Halloween costume
contests have become more competitive and the prizes have become bigger
and better, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, being awarded to
contestants.
Most Halloween costume contests are held at
local events such as community dances and Halloween parties, night
clubs, local benefits, schools, parades, etc. These contests are usually
pre-announced in local television, radio and newspaper advertising for
the venue where it will take place.
 Some
are basically free-for-alls, where you just show up in costume, register and
later walk
in front of the judges, while others have a set of contest rules that
you should read carefully before entering. Some of these contests are
divided into categories such as best female costume, best male costume
and best couples costumes, etc. If you want to have a chance of winning,
it's very important that you do not wait until the last minute to
come up with your costume.
Start planning at least a few weeks before
the contest date. This is particularly important if you will be buying your
costume online, so that you can see if it fits and to select what extras
you will be adding.
Whether your Halloween costume is scary,
sexy, funny or something very unusual, judges will base their scores on
different factors. Realism, originality, detail, the portrayal of your
character and, quite honestly, their own personal tastes are all factors.
Costume & Makeup Tips
 Don't
think that old favorites like vampires, witches and ghosts can't win a
costume contest, you just have to create a really good ensemble that is
unique enough to get the judges attention.
Store bought costumes can run in the
hundreds of dollars for high quality designs and they usually look great. Be sure to
buy the right size and accessorize with appropriate jewelry, props, wig,
makeup and whatever else it may need.
Homemade costumes allow you to customize
your idea
exactly as you wish, but do require some sewing and craft skills to make
a good one.
 Try
to choose a costume look that matches your physique and that it fit you
properly. An example would be if you are slender you might want to dress
as Morticia Addams, a slinky Witch or fragile Fairy. If you have a more full figure, Elvira,
a Sexy Pirate or
Playboy Bunny would be a better fit. A baggy costume on a thin person
might look bad and one that
fits too tightly on a larger person will be uncomfortable and can rip at the most inopportune
time. Make sure that the costume you pick fits properly.
Many costumes are made from man-made
materials such as rayon and tend to be wrinkled out of the package.
Carefully iron or steam out the wrinkles, testing a small area first for
temperature setting. Use a non-cling spray to
prevent static from making it cling to your body. If your wig has the
"static fly aways", give it a spray as well or run a drier softener
sheet over it. A heavy duty hair spray works well, too, just don't brush
or comb once it's been sprayed.
Be sure to add any genre appropriate
accessories to your costume to make it as realistic, showy and
believable as possible. A simple example would be if you were wearing a
witch costume, you would want to carry a creepy looking broom, wear an
eye catching witches hat and carry a stuffed black cat with you for
starters.
Unless your costume completely
covers your head, don't think that just slipping on a costume will be
enough. Makeup is very important.
As part of your Halloween costume you may want to change the color and
style of your hair. Doing so can add that extra something to your total
Halloween look. Read our Halloween
Wigs article for more information.
Don't forget your feet! Imagine how silly a
great looking Terminator costume would look if you were wearing tennis
shoes instead of combat boots. Wearing shoes compatible with your
costume can make a big difference in your appearance.
Lastly
Have lots of fun and be sure to have a friend take some pictures of you
in your costume for posterity. Make the most of prepping for the contest
and you may walk away with first prize!
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