Feminism is all the rage this season, and keeping up with the trends should, of course, be any collegiette’s first priority! Thanks to that pesky Emma Watson, feminism has become front page news and as a college woman who enjoys keeping up to date with current events, I’ve decided to incorporate this theme into my Halloween costume. Yet again. Because I did this last year…
Ann Perkins and Leslie Knope at your service (Yes, I have a giant burn on my face thanks to the previous night’s curls)
Well, hello to Halloweekend 2014 – I’m back with five MORE fast, fabulous, and feminist-friendly costumes for any classy lady!
1. Joan of Arc
Talk about a female role model! Joan of Arc, a French woman and Roman Catholic saint, was called upon by Charles VII to assist in driving the English out of France. The soldier is said to have heard a calling from God asking her to help save France. Her seige was so successful, it only took nine days for Joan to finish her task and send the English packing.
Channel your inner Joan this Halloween with just a few simple pieces! Start with leather leggings and a gray sweater or hoodie. Add boots or booties and accessorize with a sword and armor. To make your own armor, there are endless options! To mimic the armor seen in the picture above, paint or draw a fleur de lis on a smock or pillow case. Add aluminum foil accents to boots and arm cuffs. Another possibility is making armor out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Just cut chest and back plates from the cardboard and wrap in aluminum foil, then decorate however you like! Now, you’re ready to march off into battle! I mean… to the bars.
2. Cleopatra
In this day and age, lady bosses get a bad rep. Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, had a great way of silencing the haters – conspiring against them with their best friends! Who could blame her, though? After all, Marc Antony was just as cute as Caesar…
Constructing a cute and femme-fatale Cleo costume takes very little effort. Start with a white or gold flowy dress. Flowly pants or a maxi skirt are another choice and can be paired with a gold or white top. Next, do it up right with tons of gold! I’m talking necklaces, bracelets, cuffs, arm bands, earrings, rings – think royalty! Complete your ensemble with heavy, winged black eyeliner and gladiator sandals.
If you want to make the Cleopatra pieces yourself, check out the video below for a no-sew DIY.
3. Velma Dinkley from Scooby Doo
The cartoon Scooby Doo is best known for the title character, of course, but the brain behind the operation is the nerdy and fabulous Velma Dinkley! This particular member of Mystery Incorporated has one iconic outfit.
Toss together an orange turtleneck sweater, red pleated skirt, knee high socks, Mary Jane pumps, and black framed glasses and TA-DA! you’re Velma! Spend the night spouting intelligent facts and showing off the power of your mind. Don’t be afraid to use sass and spunk to put down the patriarchy! Smart is sexy.
4. Girl Scout
Who run the world? Girls! More specifically, Girl Scouts of America, an organization that boasts this mission: “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
Emulate your inner Girl Scout with this simple green outfit. A white button down, knee highs, and green shorts or a skirt are the basics of this outfit. If you would rather be a Brownie instead of a Junior, swap out green pieces for brown ones. Making your own sash with badges is super simple and a great opportunity to let your creativity shine. Start with a green or brown strip of fabric; you can size this by slinging it over your torso from leftside waist to rightside shoulder and cutting at the bottom. Create your own badges out of felt or fabric scraps. Get creative and design them however you like! Hot glue or super glue the badges onto the sash and secure your sash it at the bottom with a safety pin. Now for the Girl Scout honor code…
5. Dr. Mindy Lahiri/Jessica Day or Mindy Kaling/Zooey Deschanel
If you’re lookinf for inspiration from television today, look no further than the FOX network. Two hit shows on Fox are The Mindy Project and New Girl, both of which boast female protagonists, Mindy Lahiri (played by Mindy Kaling) and Jessica Day (played by Zooey Deschanel).
Dressing as either of these fabulous ladies is super simple – dig around in your closet for colorful, patterned, chic outfits that could pass as business casual. For Dr. Lahiri, go a little more formal. Jess requires polka dots. Then, study up on their mannerisms by binge watching the awesome shows.
If you need any more ideas, try Google searching Hillary Clinton, Beyonce, Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, any lady from Mad Men or check out the website Take Back Halloween for something that tickles your fancy! Be smart, be safe, and happy Halloween!
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