halloween 2012 | The Lingerie Addict

DIY Costuming: 8 Last Minute Lingerie Halloween Costume Ideas

What Katie Did

It’s a common scenario each October: Halloween is suddenly around the corner and you’re looking forward to partaking in some spirited festivities. However you haven’t given much thought to what costume you’ll be wearing and time is running out! Sound familiar?

You can always scavenge the local Halloween shops for an overpriced, sexed up costume that you’ll only wear once, or you can resort to fishing out last year’s ensemble & hope that no one will remember it. But wouldn’t you rather whip up something easy & unique? Sometimes the most economical solution is lying in your wardrobe right now just begging to be discovered.

A little imagination & a bit of creativity is all you need to create your own do-it-yourself Halloween costume when timing is tight. Since many of you are lingerie addicts such as myself, I imagine you have a plethora of unmentionables just begging to see the light of day. And while incorporating lingerie into a costume sounds risqué or salacious, there are many ways to tone down the sex appeal so the focus is on your originality rather then the intimate apparel.

Below are a few ideas that may help inspire you to look beyond the conventional costumes of the past. Dig out your bras, undies, pajamas & slips and start getting creative!

Lalalingerie.com

1) Like a Virgin circa 1984
Channel your inner 80’s diva with a sexy bridal look a la Madonna.

Start with: White corset, bustier or cami.
Try adding: White skirt, white gloves, white tights, and multiple strands of silver chains or pearl necklaces.
Finishing touches: White hair bow or veil, belt with silver buckle, faux beauty mark.
Get in character: Wear with bold, unabashed confidence! Be ready to party, dance and cause a scene with overt flirting & 80’s dance moves.
Sexy rating: HOT

Costumestore.com

2) Billionaire Playgirl
Live in the lap of luxury with a comfy androgynous look inspired my Mr. Playboy himself.

Start with: Silk or satin men’s pajama set.
Try adding: Satin robe, a smoking pipe & sailors cap.
Finishing touches: A cocktail & sexy bunny arm candy.
Get in character: Adopt an air of sophistication & a devilish grin. Relax & casually rotate the use of all your props in a slow & deliberate manor.
Sexy rating: MEDIUM

Halloweenexpress.com

3) Femme-bot
Mix equal parts Stepford wife & 60’s secret agent for a getup that Mr. Powers can’t resist.

Start with: Marabou trimmed babydoll.
Try adding: Satin hair bow, satin gloves & big, teased hair.
Finishing touches: Marabou slippers & inconspicuous gun barrels.
Get in character: Maintain a stoic appearance, head held high with straight posture. Avoid big movements or showing emotion.
Sexy rating: HOT

Costumezone.com

4) Grouchy Grandma
Keep warm & comfy with this granny inspired look that is low maintenance & is the antithesis of super sexy!

Start with: Shapeless nightgown, preferably in a floral or flannel fabric.
Try adding: Hair curlers, glasses & cozy slippers.
Finishing touches: A long-wear cream facial mask & baby powder to give hair a greyish tint.
Get in character: Nitpick & nag those around you. Walk with a slight hunch and complain about non-existent aches & pains. Have some young whippersnappers get you drinks & massage your feet.
Sexy rating: NOT

Barnesandnoble.com

5) Captain Underpants
Provide some comic relief in this kooky costume while enjoying the perks of super hero-dom.

Start with: Men’s cotton tighty whities.
Try adding: A nude colored shirt for modesty & a red cape.
Finishing touches: A toilet plunger & a toothy smile.
Get in character: Believe that you are strong, brave & can take on anything or anyone. All while simultaneously playing up astonishing averageness.
Sexy rating: MEDIUM

Barnesandnoble.com

6) Freudian Slip
Show the literal side of this psychoanalysis term with a tongue-in-cheek homage to the founding father himself.

Must have: Any slip dress will do.
Try adding: “My name is Freud” sticker & a book on psychology (i.e.: The Interpretation of Dreams by Freud or anything written by Nietzsche).
Finishing touches: A pair of spectacles & appreciation for irony.
Get in character: Appear contemplative & deep in thought. Analyze everything & act skeptical at all time.
Sexy rating: MEDIUM-HOT

7) Hollywood Starlet
Pay respect to old-time 1930’s glamour with an outfit inspired by Greta, Bette, Grace & Jean.

Must have: Slinky floor length slip dress.
Try adding: Smoking jacket, feather boa & cigarette holder.
Finishing touches: Sparkling jewelry, pin curls & red lips.
Get in character: Smile & call everyone darling! Move gracefully throughout the room & let your eyes do the flirting for you.
Sexy rating: MEDIUM-HOT

8) Bond Girl
Heat up the party in this simple yet uber sexy get up, long famous for symbolizing a sex icon since the 1960’s.

Must have: A white, tan or orange bikini.
Try adding: A wide white belt, knife holster with rubber knife prop.
Finishing touches: Conch or other large seashell(s) & slick wet-look hair.
Get in character: To be honest no one is going to be paying attention to anything but your gorgeous body so just be yourself!
Sexy rating: SUPER HOT

The possibilities are endless when it comes to DIY costumes & hopefully these suggestions have inspired you to create your own this year. And remember, when in doubt, adding pale skin & lots of fake blood can zombie-fy any outfit into a frightful yet innovative look – embodying the true spirit of Halloween!

Kristina

Lingerie Designer specializing in fashion & trend.

9 Sexy (and STRONG) Halloween Costume Ideas

Peacock Mask by Tutu Gorgeous Girl

It’s that time again: the spookiest, sexiest, sugariest night of the year is almost upon us!

Halloween is THE BEST holiday. When else do we get a chance to bodily inhabit any fantasy we can dream up? AND have fun with friends and family? AND eat candy? It’s distinct from other major American holidays because (at least in the way it’s celebrated in modern times) it’s inclusive; you don’t need to be a particular religion, nationality, gender, age, or to have a family or partner to enjoy the best things about it. True, it’s origin may have been a little different, but I’ll leave that tale to an historian instead of a lingerie designer.

It’s a night of lighthearted fun – of surprise, delight, hijinks and gorging on candy. But it’s also a night to think, at least a little, about how we women own and don’t own our bodies and our sexuality in day-to-day culture and life – and how we can choose to shake up our body identities for one night. On Halloween, even if we are not consciously engaging in debates about gender politics, or necessarily making our choices based on philosophy, all of us who dress up are faced on some level with the woman-specific question: to slut or not to slut.

Milanoo Halloween Makeup

When did Halloween become such a flesh fest? According to a Slate article, the 1970′s.

Ever since the Victorians started gallivanting around at costume balls in the 19th Century, the holiday has been a costume event for children and adults. But it wasn’t until New York City’s gay men threw the first big, fun, drag-filled Halloween parade in 1973 that the modern risque version of the holiday was born. Now, THAT’S an origin story I love to tell.

Retailers of course soon realized the commercial opportunity, and now, forty years later, any nice suburban lady need only Google “sexy nurse costume” to have forty busty, garter-belted options to buy.

Every year on Halloween I look around the streets of New York City, and I think, “A leotard and spike heels is not a costume!…And neither are boobs! Boobs are not a costume!“ I have mixed feelings about these women who choose to wear their sexuality AS their disguise for the night. I equally question our culture that seems to encourage us into the Madonna/whore dichotomy of womanhood–so that we feel pressure to be buttoned up all year and then overflow in this one-night-only explosion of cleavage and fishnets.

Actually, scratch all this. Maybe my main objection to these hypersexy interpretations of “Halloween costume” is not as a woman, but as a fashion designer. Dressing up as “Sexy” instead of as [fill in the blank] is a giant missed sartorial opportunity on Halloween night. Why not be both? Wear something that someone designed to look like SOMETHING other than sex. Look sexy and strong, or sexy and funny, or sexy and unique…or be a sexy monster (see below)!

A lot of the costume business overlaps with the lingerie world. It makes sense that lingerie companies design and manufacture costumes since they already have expertise in the construction of related silhouettes. So I thought I would troll the world of sexy costumes to come up with some recommendations that are sexy and strong. (Eds. Note: Click the photos to be taken to the costumes directly.)

Who’s hotter than Wonder Woman!? I would love the chance to inhabit a superhero’s superworld for the night. Comfy microfiber fabric, plus the slimming effects of a corseted top, PLUS the shimmer factor that I can’t get enough of….this one is one of my faves.

Frederick’s of Hollywood Wonder Woman Costume

Continuing in the realm of fantasy, here’s a cool anime-inspired costumes from Final Fantasy XIII:

All Anime DVD Final Fantasy Costume

If you don’t want to go the superhero route, but covet the power of flight and a big bad stinger, there’s a swarm of costume options. I like the sequins and slim fit of this Bumblebee:

Lingerie Diva Buzzy Bee

And some playful thigh-highs to match:

Lingerie Diva Bee Thigh-highs

A Monster costume is both playful and adorable. I imagine many folks would be thrilled to find this monster under their beds.

Leg Avenue Flirty Gerty Monster

If you really want to impress the guys this Halloween, what could warm their hearts more than a hot girl in a Stormtrooper costume?

Halloween Costumes Authentic Stormtrooper Costume

Finally, Halloween is the perfect opportunity for all you DIYers to practice your craft! Here are some inspirational pictures and tips.

Nothing would inspire me more to strut my gorgeous self than this beautiful Peacock inspired tutu. Carrie, who owns TutuGorgeousGirl on Etsy, has both girls’ and women’s sizes. I would pair this tutu with a leotard and mask (see photo at top of article), and accent it all with some bright baubles.

TutuGorgeousGirl Peacock Feather Bustle Tutu

American Apparel Leotard

This 5 piece Old West Outlaw getup is so authentic-looking and pretty. It seems to tell a whole story.

Passion Flower Vintage Old West/Pirate Costume

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can find a lot of home sewing patterns for all kinds of cool costumes, from crayons to wenches. Two of my favorite pattern companies are Simplicity and Butterick.

I’m a fan of this steampunk pattern. Making a boned bustier and structured bolero would be a great accomplishment this Halloween.

Steampunk Costume Pattern

And if you want to remember the origins of Hallow’s Eve, try out this sexy, mini-skirted witch!

Simplicity Witch Costume Pattern

And most of all, have fun!

I would love to hear your thoughts about what “sexy” means on Halloween. Even after writing this article, I am stumped this year about what I should be. Please help with tips, suggestions, and your own Halloween stories!

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

DIY Costuming: 8 Last Minute Lingerie Halloween Costume Ideas

Kristina

9 Sexy (and STRONG) Halloween Costume Ideas

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

Our Sponsors

Support Independent Designers!