Costumes Of Halloween Past

With Halloween soon approaching, there are bound to be an endless amount of pictures containing this year's set of costumes. Here's to hoping that I can help with some inspiration.
stories · 2 min
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   Halloween is easily my favorite holiday out of the year.

   The decorations, the haunted houses and trails, and getting to dress up are just a few of the many reasons why I am so passionate about this time of year. Ever since I was a child, the first thing that always came to my mind was, "What costume am I going to wear this year?"

   As an adult now, I find myself with a lot more freedom to let my creativity run wild, whereas, when I was a child, it was more a matter of what I was able to afford and what I was allowed to wear.

   A huge reoccurring theme for me was Harry Potter. Every year from the ages of seventeen to twenty, I went as a Hogwarts student for Halloween, and I was a Ravenclaw student, to be more precise. It was always such an easy costume to put together, and there was never any need to really go all-out for it.

   Last year, however, I decided I wanted to go big. I mean, big. I was going to pull out all the stops. All I had to do first was decide what kind of character I wanted to be.

   A big part of Halloween is scary movies. Slasher movies, paranormal films, psychological thrillers — you name it. My favorite author, Stephen King, had been a big inspiration when deciding on my costume. It had been considered as a possibility for a while, but ultimately, I decided to go with Jack Torrance from The Shining.

source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fonanimation.com%2F2016%2F10%2F25%2Fthe-shining-quietly-going-insane-together%2F&psig=AOvVaw3IZumuEo-2gwuIAdORpeu7&ust=1601402708480000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPjarpO4jOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ

   So, spoiler alert, Jack Torrance doesn't make it at the end of The Shining. In Stanley Kubrick's version of the story, Jack freezes to death in the bitter cold of the Colorado winter. This was the specific look that I was going for. My thought process was, "Jack Torrance, but make it dead."

   Figuring out my outfit was no problem. Figuring out my makeup, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

   I am no expert at makeup, so I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge. I had never done any Halloween makeup before, but I knew that if I wanted this look to come together completely, the makeup was an absolute necessity.

"Jack Torrance, but make it dead."

   In the end, the final look, above, definitely wasn't perfect, but it did the job.

   With Halloween approaching, I hope that this look gives you some inspiration in looking for your next Halloween costume. Happy (almost) Halloween!

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MarriedLifeGoals commented MarriedLifeGoals 3 years ago

This makes me want to try something more ambitious for my next costume.

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Rosa99 commented Rosa99 3 years ago

Their enthusiasm for Halloween is really infectious.

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DavidGreen commented DavidGreen 3 years ago

Love that they chose such a specific moment from the movie to recreate.

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Heart_Centered_Living_101 commented Heart_Centered_Living_101 3 years ago

This article perfectly captures the excitement of planning a Halloween costume.

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Giana-Peterson commented Giana-Peterson 3 years ago

The transition from Harry Potter to horror movies is actually pretty relatable.

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Roberts_Reportage commented Roberts_Reportage 3 years ago

Great example of how to put a unique spin on a popular character.

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Alina_Wonder commented Alina_Wonder 3 years ago

Reading this made me nostalgic about all my past Halloween costumes.

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ClassicTVNostalgia commented ClassicTVNostalgia 3 years ago

Choosing the frozen version was such a smart way to stand out from other Shining costumes.

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EleanorB commented EleanorB 3 years ago

I find it funny how we go from magical schools to horror films as we grow up.

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VictoriaScott commented VictoriaScott 3 years ago

Nice to see someone document their Halloween costume journey like this.

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AmeliaGarcia commented AmeliaGarcia 3 years ago

The detail about being a Ravenclaw specifically adds such a personal touch to the story.

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SciFiCinemaGeek commented SciFiCinemaGeek 3 years ago

Would love to see what other horror movie characters they could tackle.

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Hayes_Herald commented Hayes_Herald 3 years ago

Never thought about doing a specific scene version of a character. That's clever.

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AvengersUnite commented AvengersUnite 3 years ago

It's cool seeing how someone's Halloween choices evolve over time.

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Fienberg_Feature commented Fienberg_Feature 3 years ago

Their passion for Halloween is contagious. Now I'm excited to plan my costume!

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CyraX commented CyraX 3 years ago

Makes me want to step up my Halloween game this year.

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NovaBurst commented NovaBurst 3 years ago

Actually learned something new about The Shining's ending from this article.

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StarWarsNerd commented StarWarsNerd 3 years ago

The costume choice really shows how Halloween lets us explore different sides of ourselves.

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InfinityHorizon commented InfinityHorizon 3 years ago

Love how they weren't afraid to try something challenging despite being new to makeup.

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Renee-Summers commented Renee-Summers 4 years ago

Wonder what other Stephen King characters they considered before settling on this one.

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Riley_Joyful commented Riley_Joyful 4 years ago

This reminds me of my own journey from simple costumes to more complex ones.

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Motivation_Daily_101 commented Motivation_Daily_101 4 years ago

The whole frozen angle is brilliant. Much more memorable than just another Jack Torrance with an axe.

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RachelKing commented RachelKing 4 years ago

Really admire them for taking on such a challenging costume for their first serious makeup attempt.

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QuantumPulse commented QuantumPulse 4 years ago

I'm surprised they didn't mention how long it took to do the makeup. That's always the worst part!

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AnimatedClassicCollector_22 commented AnimatedClassicCollector_22 4 years ago

The makeup turned out better than they give themselves credit for.

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ConsciousChoices commented ConsciousChoices 4 years ago

Interesting how they took a well-known character but gave it their own unique spin.

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DailyStretch commented DailyStretch 4 years ago

Their enthusiasm for Halloween really comes through in the writing.

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Aspen_Starlit commented Aspen_Starlit 4 years ago

Not everyone would choose to be a frozen dead person for Halloween, but I respect the commitment!

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AmeliaW commented AmeliaW 4 years ago

Makes me think about all my past Halloween costumes and how they reflected different phases of my life.

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CoralineX commented CoralineX 4 years ago

The frozen aspect adds such a unique twist to an already iconic character.

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Couture_Craze commented Couture_Craze 4 years ago

I appreciate how they shared their thought process behind choosing the costume.

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Danica99 commented Danica99 4 years ago

Sometimes the best costumes come from pushing outside our comfort zones.

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RebelGlitch commented RebelGlitch 4 years ago

Anyone tried recreating this look? I'm curious how difficult it actually is.

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HighStreet_Fashion_90 commented HighStreet_Fashion_90 4 years ago

The progression from Harry Potter to The Shining is quite the journey. Talk about character development!

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Hope99 commented Hope99 4 years ago

Love that they committed to doing the makeup despite being inexperienced. That takes guts!

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Lisa-Marie commented Lisa-Marie 4 years ago

The article really shows how Halloween costumes can be a form of self-expression.

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Effortless_Chic commented Effortless_Chic 4 years ago

This has given me some great ideas for my own costume this year. Might try something from another Stephen King story.

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PriscillaJ commented PriscillaJ 4 years ago

Fascinating how they transitioned from fantasy to horror. Shows a real evolution in taste.

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Luxe-Charm commented Luxe-Charm 4 years ago

I actually think the imperfections in the makeup make it look more realistic.

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FlowWithNature commented FlowWithNature 4 years ago

The makeup might not be professional level, but it definitely captures the spirit of the frozen scene.

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Haute_Tales commented Haute_Tales 4 years ago

Being able to afford better costumes as an adult is great, but I miss the creativity of making do with what we had as kids.

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CyberStorm commented CyberStorm 4 years ago

Such a creative take on a classic character. Most people would have just grabbed an axe and called it done.

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EcoChic_Wellness_17 commented EcoChic_Wellness_17 4 years ago

Wonder if they considered any other Stephen King characters before settling on Jack Torrance.

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SelfWorth_Matters_111 commented SelfWorth_Matters_111 4 years ago

It's refreshing to see someone admit they're not an expert but still go for it anyway.

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LoveOverflowing commented LoveOverflowing 4 years ago

The frozen effect actually looks pretty convincing. Would love to see how they achieved that.

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Breathe-Deeply_07 commented Breathe-Deeply_07 4 years ago

Totally relate to the Harry Potter phase. I went through something similar with Star Wars costumes.

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Abigail commented Abigail 4 years ago

I remember my first attempt at complex Halloween makeup. It was a disaster compared to this!

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Romance_Film_Dreamer commented Romance_Film_Dreamer 4 years ago

The article really captures how Halloween lets us express ourselves differently each year.

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HaleyB commented HaleyB 4 years ago

Anyone else notice how horror movie costumes are making a comeback? Seems like everyone's doing them now.

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CameronFerguson commented CameronFerguson 4 years ago

This inspired me to try something more ambitious this year instead of my usual ghost costume.

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PrimeVideoBinger_101 commented PrimeVideoBinger_101 4 years ago

Must have taken a lot of time to get that makeup right. I'd love to know what products they used.

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Better-Together_444 commented Better-Together_444 4 years ago

I love that they chose the death scene version. Such an underused moment from the film.

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William-Joseph commented William-Joseph 4 years ago

Makes me wonder what they'll come up with this year. Hard to top a frozen Jack Torrance!

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Demi_Hope commented Demi_Hope 4 years ago

The detail about planning the frozen look rather than just the standard Jack Torrance really elevates the whole concept.

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Sienna_Rose commented Sienna_Rose 4 years ago

Not sure I agree about The Shining being the best choice. There are so many other great Stephen King characters to choose from.

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Littleton_Lines commented Littleton_Lines 4 years ago

I understand sticking with what works. My go-to has been a zombie for the past three years. Sometimes simple is best.

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GretaJ commented GretaJ 4 years ago

Honestly the makeup looks pretty good for someone who claims to not be an expert. I've seen much worse attempts.

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MusicalNumbersGuru_55 commented MusicalNumbersGuru_55 4 years ago

The transformation from magical student to horror movie character is quite the leap. Shows how our tastes change over time.

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DigitalMonk commented DigitalMonk 4 years ago

I totally get what they mean about having more creative freedom as an adult. My parents would never have let me dress as a frozen dead person!

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DisneyChannelNostalgia commented DisneyChannelNostalgia 4 years ago

Four years as a Ravenclaw? That's commitment! Though I have to say I'm more of a Hufflepuff myself.

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GoldenEraCinemaBuff commented GoldenEraCinemaBuff 4 years ago

The frozen Jack Torrance is way more creative than just doing the classic axe-wielding version everyone expects.

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SmittenKittenX commented SmittenKittenX 4 years ago

I actually prefer simpler costumes. Not everything needs to be a huge production with elaborate makeup.

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HorrorIconFanatic commented HorrorIconFanatic 4 years ago

Really brave to tackle such complex makeup for a first attempt. I'm still stuck doing basic vampire fangs and fake blood.

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Cinematic_Universe_Geek commented Cinematic_Universe_Geek 4 years ago

The Shining is such a classic choice! I did a Pennywise costume last year. Stephen King characters make for amazing Halloween costumes.

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Shannon-Boyd commented Shannon-Boyd 4 years ago

Growing up we couldn't afford fancy costumes either. It's nice having the freedom as an adult to go all out with our costume choices.

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DisneyDreamerX commented DisneyDreamerX 4 years ago

Anyone else think it's interesting they stuck with Harry Potter for so many years? I usually try something different every Halloween.

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Emma-Grace commented Emma-Grace 4 years ago

The makeup actually turned out pretty impressive for a first-timer. I've been doing Halloween makeup for years and know how challenging frozen effects can be.

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LateNightComedyShowFan commented LateNightComedyShowFan 4 years ago

I love how personal this article is! The author's journey from Harry Potter costumes to Jack Torrance really shows how our Halloween choices evolve as we grow up.

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