Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Dear Margo, Rita & Curtis, I don’t know what I should be for Sadies!!!! Help me!!! MRC Sincerely, Confused and Costumeless Dearest Costumeless, Ah, Halloween, that magical made-up American holiday. When I was growing up, Halloween was a source of stress in my life because my mom not only made us make our own costumes, but always made us be something “different.” To paint a picture for you, I was supposed to be a snowflake one year, but due to the unfortunate white boa crown that was supposed to represent snow, everyone thought I was an ostrich. Picture me, a ball of white feathers, rolling up to my second-grade class, where everyone else was dressed as a princess . . . and thus my dread of Halloween began. Deerfield’s Halloween situation is no easier, because not only do you have to pull together an outfit, but you also have to match a date you don’t know the identity of. So yes, you could be suggesting being a pair of hamburgers to the coolest kid on campus, and you just don’t know. That, however, is why you have me to advise you, kind of like the fashion police, except I am not Joan Rivers (may she rest in peace): I have no real qualifications. They do this kind of thing after the Oscars, and although Sadies won’t be televised, it will be put on Facebook (which is almost more pressure). Outfits I would like to see less of: Salt and Pepper—This costume no doubt starts with someone thinking they’re super original: “Oh, salt and pepper! That’s so witty of me, I bet no one has ever done that one before!” If I see this one at Sadies, I am walking out, unless of course they are Salt-N-Pepa the rappers, then I approve completely. Playboy bunnies and Hugh Heffner—I have seen this costume done right once, and only once, and that was when the boys were the bunnies and the girl was Hugh Heffner. Other than that, tired of it. Santa/Elves—Mixing Halloween and Christmas is like mixing Skittles into your fro-yo: you want it to work so badly, but it just doesn’t. Be patient, you can be Buddy the Elf at the Christmas dance. Outfits I have no idea why no one has tried yet: George Washington and a cherry tree—Historical references are golden (especially in this town), and nothing is funnier than the 1700s. Picture yourself: full wool military jacket, pantaloons, buckled shoes and powdered wig among the spandex cat outfits everyone else will be wearing. If you don’t die of heat first, you’ll be a legend. Annie and Daddy Warbucks—If you had the opportunity to wear a bald cap, wouldn’t you take it? And if you had the opportunity to force someone to wear a curly red Afro, wouldn’t you take that too? This costume is also easily modified for larger groups. If you have more than one Sadies date, have a flock of orphans rather than just one; or have someone dress up as the dog. Olivia Benson and Ice-T—Possibly the most untapped genre of costume is that involving SVU. The combinations are endless: Benson and Stabler, Stabler and Munch, Munch and Ice-T, Stabler and his replacement Lopez. As someone who has devoted her life to watching every episode ever made, I assure you this costume is a home run. That being said, be creative and have fun with it. Also, don’t worry too much about the coordination. My freshman year, I went as an alien and my date went as a soccer player, and for some strange reason, it worked. So you just do you, and if worse comes to worst, hitting “untag” on Facebook is always a viable option. Margo, Rita & Curtis