Wednesday, September 25, 2013

My Halloween Costume

I love Halloween.  Not only does it give us license to indulge our fantasies, it introduces whimsy into our pedestrian lives.  We need more of that.

I dress up in costume every year and use the occasion to be creative.  My costumes are never generic (e.g., pirate); they are specific cultural references.  Last year I was Caroline from "2 Broke Girls," the formerly-rich girl now a waitress.  The year before, I was Alice Kramden of "The Honeymooners," Jackie Gleason's TV wife.

I usually spend many days pondering what to be.  This year, the idea for my costume occurred to me in a flash of insight.  Let me explain...

A decade ago, Jennifer Garner played a female secret agent in "Alias", an entertaining show that ran for five years.  Last month I watched every episode from beginning to end.  In most episodes, Jennifer's character, Sydney Bristow, gets dressed up in a glamorous gown, with perfect hair and makeup, and attends a fancy cocktail party at the bad guys' mansion.  While mingling with guests, Sydney slips quietly out of the party and sneaks down a corridor to a private office.  She picks a lock and enters the secluded office where she copies secret documents or steals a critical object.  An alarm then goes off and Sydney has to battle her way out.  She always makes it back, looking fabulous the whole time.

The combination of female glamour and exciting espionage is potent.  So, this year, I'm going to be Sydney Bristow!

As you know, I already own lock-picking tools to carry in my sequined clutch.  And today I bought a garter belt to holster my gun and tiny grenades.  One nice advantage is that I already have a gorgeous gown for this costume - you saw it here.  Oh, and I'll slip my combat-knife into the clutch next to a tube of lipstick.  A gal needs to be prepared!

What are you going to dress up as this Halloween?


 
 
 

 
 
 

 



40 comments:

  1. You always come up with the best costumes!! Can't wait to see the final costume put together. We are lame and never get a chance to dress up with our busy schedules and the kids. If I ever did a couples costume I would want to be Flo and Mayhem from the insurance commercials :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Flo! All us bikers are infatuated with her.

      Delete
  2. LOL - lipstick and a knife, that's awesome! You have your priorities straight for this costume. My hubby and I dressed up as a flapper and gangster one year, that was fun. Not sure if we will this year or not. Our kids love it when we do, well at least the non-teenaged ones do. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I can't wait to see your final look. I have no idea what I'm going to wear this year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOVE the outfit. We dont do much for Halloween in South Africa although it is picking up however I wont be doing anything. Hope you enjoy every minute as The Spy With The Lock Picking Tools,

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do like the accessories! it's a great Halloween outfit! I still take my lot out for trick or treat, I'm thinking of Mrs Danvers..... x x

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a last minute costume planner-- put together with whatever bits and bobs I have around the house!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, that's one cool Halloween outfit! I love the accessories, especially the hand-grenade. Very cool. As of now, I haven't the faintest idea what I am going to wear this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe I may be the first woman to wear a grenade as an accessory. :-)

      Delete
  8. Pray tell dear Ally ... How shall you be styling your hair? Love the outfit and the inspiration behind it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm debating that in my head. I bought a cheap Halloween wig that's surprisingly appealing -- it's medium-length black hair with bangs. It looks like the kind of wig Sydney would wear when infiltrating the bad guys' party.

      Delete
  9. That's going to be awesome! I love dressing up, and I'm kind of stuck this year for a costume (I've been thinking about it for months). I'm waiting for inspiration to strike!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good tough chick choice! My choices always would be better as part of group costumes... but Sdney is definitely the whole show on her own!

    ReplyDelete
  11. When I saw the name of this post and the photo .. I have to say I was excited .. I knew you'd come up with something exciting! Perfect idea but sheesh you're keeping me in suspense .. cant wait to see the whole outfit!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. How brilliant!!! You have such amazing and well thought out costumes! Sadly another year passes and I don't have anything planned. I'll just have to dress up as myself!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow those legs!!!
    I've never done Halloween as my parents discouraged it, but I love a bit of fancy dress.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Halloween is my favourite holiday EVER. Your costume is going to be so sexy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I absolutely love your Caroline costume...2 Broke Girls is one of my favorite shows! Can't wait to see the rest of this year's Sydney costume :)

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart
    Sept. Group Giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm proud of the fact that I made it myself.

      Delete
  16. Oh how awesome and original! Whenever I think of that show, I always picture her with bright red hair. Maybe that was a promo shot or something? I have two Halloween parties to go to. One is 1920's themed, so I am going to be a flapper-cat. For the other one, Kyle is going as Buddy Holly, and I am going as Mary Tyler Moore (like the Weezer song!).

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love it how you use the opportunity to get into the theme of it and dressed up.

    ReplyDelete
  18. You are one very creative and original person and I like this a lot ! Plus, you are a tv series lover, just like me...:) I haven't thought about dressing up yet, actually I wish I lived in the USA when Halloween comes...cause here we dress up for Carnival much more ! Hugs

    Fashion and Cookies
    Fashion and Cookies on Facebook
    Bloglovin

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love your imagination (:

    Hm, I wonder if I should come up with something new this year, or just be Slutty Unicorn again. (unicorn costume first, thong and underthings on top)

    ReplyDelete
  20. OH EM GEE, YES! I love Jennifer Garner! When that show came out, I totally wanted to be a secret agent because of all the disguises she put on!

    ReplyDelete
  21. You have the most creative HAlloween costumes.
    I usually dont dress up but am thinking about dressing up as a princess...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't need to dress up to be a princess; you can just wear your normal clothes. You ARE a princess!

      Delete
  22. How awesome that a passion for Halloween is another thing that we share in common! It's been (and I'm certain will always be) my favourite holiday ever since I can possibly remember. I love that it doesn't take itself too seriously, is meant to embody fun, and spares you (usually) with some of the heavier stress levels that can accompany other big days like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

    Last year I had my costume locked down by about February, but this year, though I have a few ideas, nothing has really formed into an exact plan. With scarcely more than a month to go until the big day though, I really better shake a leg! :)

    ♥ Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  23. I LOOOOVE Halloween too! Or "Hollieween" as it's called in my home. This year, me the husband and the baby are going as Hobbits.

    ReplyDelete
  24. excellent idea for a post! i'm going to be either a black and white 1940s film star (meaning i'll be literally greyish) or a b&w broken doll. idk yet!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. awesome idea for Halloween. I should come up with something alike for my Halloween but I'm still in the middle of nowhere with the ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yay! How fun! I'm already starting to feel powerful just thinking about that character! I don't know what I'm doing yet....hmmm....
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

    ReplyDelete
  27. how fun is this!! i love the idea. i love halloween, but as usual, i get busy with my daughter's bday (on nov 1st) that i tend to forget about my costume till it's too late! i have been watching a lot of suspense/spy shows on netflix. i should start taking notes on the characters i love!

    ReplyDelete
  28. You're such a hoot. I don't do anything on Halloween. Hubby isn't into it. I could take it or leave it, so I've left it. But I like seeing others have fun.

    ReplyDelete
  29. you remind me of my boyfriend, he's always thinking up costumes taht aren't traditional! I on the other hand am always something that has wings... i love wearing wings for some reason!

    I think you'll make a fabulous Sydney Bristow!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love wings too. I wore some butterfly wings on the blog about a year ago -- and it wasn't even Halloween!

      Delete
  30. Hahahaha, LOVE this. The first shot is fantastic. Looking forward to the rest of the costume.

    ReplyDelete