As a small child, I assumed that everyone’s mother created their Halloween costumes from scratch. Of course, as an adult I now know that is not the case. My mother chose the themes – the earliest Halloween memory I have was around the age of five. I had really loved The Wizard of Oz, and she made me a scarecrow costume, cleverly sewn from burlap, with real straw stitched to the cuffs, neckline and pants cuffs, as well as sticking out of the hat as hair. It was fabulously cute, but SO itchy! Then I saw American in Paris, and from then on, all I wanted was to be a beatnik from the scene in the coffee house – black skinny pants, black turtlenecks, à la Audrey Hepburn, and of course a beret. Later, I realized how cool Mommy’s costumes were. The last one I remember was at around age 14 or so – a cheerleader for “Halloween High,” orange felt circle felt skirt, orange text-emblazoned black sweatshirt – she even made me pompoms by hand-cutting orange and black crepe paper. Even when I went off to art school, I loved a good costume party, and you can imagine what a bunch of hippie artists dreamt up for costumes!
Fast forward to the mid 1980s, me a mom with a daughter to fabricate costumes for. You can see some of the early costumes I made for her above. Remembering my own experience with make-my-own choices of what to dress as for Halloween, I let Thalia take the lead and I just created what she asked for. Meanwhile, I didn’t pass up any opportunity to wear a costume myself! Below are a few of my own over the years. And below that is my masterpiece – Madame Zara! I created her based on a real “fortune teller” whose apartment was one floor below my New York City apartment when I lived there in late 1980/early 1981. She called herself Madame Mara and was seriously spooky. My Madame Zara made an appearance for several Chicago City Day School Fall Fests when Thalia was a student there. With wild “gypsy” clothes, big hoop earrings, piles of necklaces and a deepened voice, even kids I knew didn’t recognize me, and some of them were even afraid to enter the darkened playhouse where I was set up, crystal ball, burning candles and all.
Fast Forward to the twentieth century – Thalia became a mother herself and decided she too should make her daughter Fox’s costumes. She started with assembled costumes, like Amelia Earhart, seen below, followed by Astronaut Sally Ride, Rosie the Riveter – strong women were the theme…until Fox was old enough to want what she wanted! At that point, witches took over – Fox gave Thalia each brief in rapid yearly succession; Diet Coke Witch, Dream Witch, Butterfly Witch, Ocean Witch, Bubble Witch, and Garden Witch, each year more challenging to her mom. Thalia has prevailed – you can see the witches below the next paragraph. But first, as the saying goes “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Just before the Witches series began, Fox wanted to dress as Mr. Mistoffelees from the musical Cats, having seen it with Thalia (full disclosure, the two of them see theatre, particularly musicals, multiple times each week). It was a direct repeat from Thalia’s childhood when she saw the musical and wanted to be Mr. Mistoffelees from Cats! See the two Mr. Mistoffelees below. What stands out most is how much better cameras are now than they were then! No comparison.
Memories are made for both the wearer and the designer/fabricator when costumes are hand-created. It can be a fun collaborative effort, and in Thalia’s case a month or more’s work. She leaned over to me last weekend and said quietly, “Mom, I think Fox will keep wanting me to do this all through high school,” a bit of pride in her voice, and a bit of trepidation. As for Fox, her briefs get more complex each year. This year she will be a “Bird Witch” in a costume that’s not quite ready yet as we go to press. Let me just say, as a teaser, that the skirt is a golden birdcage created from bamboo, with birds on perches lining the inside, and the feathered blue wings are as tall as Fox herself. As in all the witches, striped tights, each year in colors matching the costume, are a part of the look.
And so, it continues, the three generation tradition of handmade costumes that has existed in our family since the early 1950s. I know the fun of it firsthand, and still love to don a costume whenever it’s called for, but watching my daughter creating costumes fabulous enough for any stage, that are worn once for a couple of hours and then tucked away in a closet really brings home the pride we feel when our child is dressed in something that came from our imagination and theirs.
Happiest Halloween!
Susan Aurinko
← Previous: Sarah Spain