It’s that time of year again—no, not haze season, but Halloween, that day when bars, clubs and theme parks urge their patrons to dress up in their most bizarre costumes, often in exchange for free drinks.
Even if that costume doesn’t get you free entry into any clubs, causing a few aunties to faint on the MRT can make it all worthwhile. But with the big costume shops charging high prices to rent a getup, what’s a cost conscious wannabe-ghoul/vampire/witch to do? Here are five low cost Halloween costumes that require minimal effort.
Mummy
As a kid, you probably already tried winding toilet paper all around your limbs in an attempt to transform yourself into a mummy (by mummy, we mean the kind that would be right at home in Night of the Living Dead, not the kiasu parent kind or the KTV hostess kind).
The only differences are that back then you didn’t have a mortgage to pay, there was such a thing as allowance and Singapore wasn’t so darned expensive. So in a way, this ultra-budget costume is even more appropriate for adult you than 8-year-old you.
The trick to getting this right is to wear something underneath that blends in with the toilet paper, either in white or mude. White shorts and a white singlet would suffice. The next step is to make sure the toilet paper sticks when you wind it around your body.
Strips of double sided tape might work, but if you want something that really sticks, get hold of some Hollywood Tape—the tape that women paste inside their clothes to make sure no wardrobe malfunctions occur.
Zombie / undead
On your way to Zouk on Halloween night, you’re sure to encounter flocks of zombies. That’s no cause for alarm—the CBD brigade hasn’t finally turned deadly. It’s just that the zombie outfit is one of the easiest and cheapest to create.
Simply wear some shabby looking clothes, preferably in shades of brown, grey, dirty green or black (save the polka dogtted prints and cheery tie dye for another day). Then find a zombie makeup tutorial on YouTube and transform yourself using your/your girlfriend’s/wife’s/mum’s powder/eyeliner/lipstick.
Julius Caesar
Ever since those Jesus/gladiator sandals became fashionable, there’s been lots of Halloween potential. If you have a spare white bedsheet lying around and are resourceful enough to source for your own leaves (Singapore is called Garden City for a reason) you can transform yourself into the ancient Roman general.
Just drape the bedsheet over youself to create a toga—here’s an online tutorial you can watch. Strap on your brown gladiator sandals (you can get some for under $20 at Rubi Shoes if you don’t have them) and then head to a public park or garden in search of leaves. Alternatively, get some construction paper, stick it on cardboard and cut out your own leaves and stick a hairpin behind them.
Sports player
Scary Halloween costumes aren’t the only legit ones. So long as you dress up as someone or something recognisable, your costume is acceptable in the eyes of the world. So go ahead, dress up as a sports player, which should be super easy if you already play a certain sport. Brownie points if you are recognisable as a famous sports personality.
If you have a tennis racket lying around somewhere, grab that and then don a white pleated skirt or a polo and tennis shorts for guys. If someone in your home has golf clubs (purchased to ward off burglars), put a visor on your head and wear tons of checks.
Plastic surgery patient
If you think you’re too glam to be a zombie or you’re a fan of shows like Nip Tuck, dressing up as a plastic surgery patient is a good, lazy costume. A hospital gown can be a bother to secure, so dress up in neutral or drab colours—black pants and a grey tshirt or singlet will do fine.
Then use a stick of eyeliner to make surgeon’s markings all over your face and chest if your outfit allows. Check out pictures like these if you need help.
Note that you unfortunately won’t look as scary as people who’ve actually managed to transform their faces under the knives, though.
What did you dress up as last Halloween? Tell us in the comments!