Obnoxiously Smart Last Minute Halloween Costumes

If you are anything like us, you appreciate a good pumpkin but rarely think about dressing up for Halloween until five minutes before you realize you have a party to go to.  If you are anything like us, you always don’t want to waste hundreds of dollars (or even $20) on a costume unless the costume consists of Stella McCartney boots that you’ll wear post-weeny. We loved the idea from Your Organic Life to dress up as static cling – all you need is a black outfit with dryer sheets and socks pinned on, but Ready Made hooks us up with some even more tongue-in-cheek/ cheap ideas;

Image via Refinery29 (click image for more great h-ween ideas)

1. In this age of self-help, it’s OK to go public with your FREUDIAN SLIP. Wear a dress slip and a DR. FREUD name tag, and carry a big unlit cigar. Then corner people on the couch. Materials: slip, cigar, HELLO MY NAME IS … sticker.
2. HELL’S BELLS DJ: Grab a pair of headphones and some death metal records from a local thrift store. [Your local thrift store has death metal? Address?! –Ed.] Dress badly: Dig out that old AC/DC tour shirt and make two little construction paper cones to pin in your hair as horns. Materials: construction paper, tour shirt, death metal records, headphones painted red.
3. SURREALIST PAINTER: Wear painter’s pants or overalls, and a painter’s cap turned backward. Carry a brush glued full of artificial flowers or other plastic doodads. If you do impressions, be an IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER. Groan. Materials: overalls, cap, paint can, paintbrush, glue, plastic doodads.
4. BEAT POET: Man, those poetry slams are rough. Give Ginsberg, Kerouac, and the rest of the boys a run for their money by donning a beret, painting your eye black and blue, and wrapping yourself in bandages. Plan ahead and grow a goatee. Materials: black turtleneck, beret, bandages, black eyeliner, book of poetry (Howl suits Halloween nicely).
5. Famous worldwide, the AMERICAN TOURIST is easy to imitate. White socks and sandals are de rigueur. Add Bermuda shorts and a short-sleeve button-down shirt (preferably Hawaiian) and salaam, you’re Al Qaeda’s moving target. Materials: Hawaiian shirt, map, camera, wraparound sunglasses, suitcase with BUY AMERICAN! stickers.
6. Grab an old Polaroid and you’re PAPARAZZI GUY. The beautiful people are stepping out tonight. Carry a fake press pass and as many cameras as you can carry. Shoot anything that moves. Materials: cameras, press pass (use an old ID picture), flashlight (for spotting celebs).

Check out Ready Made for the rest of this article (and more costumes) here.

Tags: american tourist, beat poet, cheap costumes, death metal records, diy costumes, freudian slip, Great Last Minute Halloween Costumes, hells bells, last minute halloween costumes, paparazzi costume, surrealist painter