Queer Outfit of the Week: Last Minute Halloween Costume

Welcome to Queer Outfit of the Week where I scour the world and tell you all about my one favorite queer outfit this week. I’ll envision a scenario where you or your girlfriend or your best friend or your mom or your cat could wear it and talk all about why it’s a great outfit for that event. Every week will be a different style, gender presentation and event so there’s a little something for everyone — even the person who just wants to look at pictures of stylish queers! So let’s get to it — we’re going to figure out what the heck we’re going to wear this week!

queer outfit of the week_AS headerHeader by Rory Midhani

It’s almost Halloween! Oh wait… like really almost Halloween. Like, you should have come up with a costume a week ago and now you’re wondering what the easiest best way to make a costume in 24 hours it. Something that you can wear to work as a half-assed costume but then deck out of control for your raging Halloween party at night.

I know what you’re thinking. What’s so special about that girl’s outfit? Is it even an outfit? She’s just wearing a black leotard/bodysuit thing. We can’t even see her shoes. But that’s the thing about Halloween! On Halloween a bodysuit could be anything! Anything I say! Once you put a bodysuit one and you’re 90% of the way to a costume.

Let’s say you want to go for a classic costume. Put on a witch’s hat and suddenly you’re a witch. Put on devil horns and oh my God you’re a devil. Throw some cat ears on your head and HOLY SHIT you are a cat. Add feathers and you’re a bird. Wear a bodysuit in literally any animal print and you are already that animal.

So unoriginal it's original

So unoriginal it’s original

Are you athletic? Put on an a-line skirt and BAM you are an ice skater. Wear a faux gold medal and an unimpressed face and you’re McKayla Maroney. Slip on a tutu and flats and you’re a ballet dancer. Put on tights and neon leg warmers and you’re an aerobics instructor. Put on a brightly colored skirt and knee-high socks and you’re a cheerleader.

What about for you media-loving witty/irreverent folks? Put on black leg warmers and grab a bucket of water and you’re Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Do you have a hand you can put up? Congrats, you’re Beyonce in her Single Ladies video. Throw on some sunglasses and you’re Lady Gaga. Squeeze on ridiculously high-waisted skinny leggings and you’re Jessie J. Stick out your tongue and you’re Miley Cyrus.

Are you a nerd? Put on tights and little boys’ underwear you’re an adorable superhero. Put on a cape and you’re also any superhero ever. Or maybe you’re a supervillain! I don’t know! I’m not familiar with your elaborate backstory.

Superhero or your hero?

Superhero or your hero?

I recognize that this isn’t for everyone. I imagine a lot of MOC folks wouldn’t be too keen on wearing a bodysuit (although it still makes a great start to a masculine superhero costume). With that in mind you can go for a head-to-toe bodysuit, or simply swap your base for a fitted T-shirt and slacks. What about those of you who think skimpy Halloween costumes are part of the mainstream media’s sexist agenda to make us believe we have to be conventionally sexy to be of worth? Well then put on a bunny tail and ears and you’re the patriarchy.

Perhaps you’re the best Halloweenie amongst us and you’ve had your costume planned for months. But if not, a bodysuit is a great place for all us last-minuters to start! Plus, if you really get pressed for time you can just throw one on with a scrunchie and go as an American Apparel model.

If you see something that you think should be featured on Queer Outfit of the Week, send me an ASS message, ask on my tumblr, or tweet me @Ohheyitslizz

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Lizz

Lizz is a consumer, lover and writer of all things pop culture and the Fashion/Style Editor at Autostraddle.com. She is also full time medical student at Brown University in Providence, RI. You can find her on the twitter, the tumblr or even on the instagram.

Lizz has written 261 articles for us.

30 Comments

  1. Tank Girl is also super easy. You need:
    -ridiculously tiny shorts
    -longer boxer briefs or fishnets
    -a bra in a solid or skin matching colour (optional)
    -electrical tape in a contrasting colour (for nipple x’s)
    – mismatched knee highs
    – combat/military boots
    – a bike helmet OR a backwards baseball cap
    – lots of red lipstick and eyeliner
    – a sneer and a cigarette

  4. I do not own a leotard, but my go to costume is a doctor/nurse. I have scrubs, because they are oh so comfortable, so BAM comfortable/lazy halloween costume. =)

  5. Was just strategizing a costume for Queeraoke and immediately thought: “the only thing I have is a leotard…”

    THANKS LIZZ!

  7. I was Rosie the Riveter last weekend. easiest costume ever if you already own a blue button up… all I had to do was buy some red polka dotted fabric and tie it around my head.

  8. Makeup is also a good last-minute option. One year I was a before-and-after cosmetics advertisement: I drew a line down the middle of my face and on one side I did a really feminine look and on the other I gave myself a ton of wrinkles and age spots. No costume required!

  9. hoodies are a good last minute costume base too! i can’t sew at all, but with a little felt and some staples + an appropriately colored hoodie, i have been:

    – a dinosaur
    – a walrus

    and this year, i plan to be pumba from the lion king!

    • The hoodie idea is pretty clever too. But I happen to be black in a predominantly white area and I’d like to make it home at night so I think I should pass on that one.

      • You should put on a suit and wear a sign that says “I am not a crook” – voila, Nixon costume + reassuring sign for the scared white kids.

  10. I’m going to be Velma from Scooby-Doo because I have the hair and glasses and I already had all the pieces in my regular wardrobe. Except orange knee socks. Those were hard to find.

  11. The theme in my home this year is “make your costume out of things you find around the house” so my costume involves:
    -Shades
    -a beanie
    -a trench coat
    -pots from the kitchen
    -command hooks
    -a hand painted sign with the prices of each pot I’m

    I’m a pot dealer…

  12. I love bodysuits, but their designers do not love me back. Where can a fat girl get a decent leo? Thoughts, comments, suggestions??

  13. this post seems like as good a time as any to mention what a genius lizz is when it comes to fashion / halloween / modern medicine.

  15. I think zombie is the best Halloween costume, cuz a zombie wears whatever they died in! They could have died in YOUR clothes! (nothing against your clothes, your clothes are awesome, youre so stylish)

    I found a great zombie makeup tutorial which I used last night that uses lots of red lipstick and brown eyeshadow to accentuate hollows and then slap on some purples for bruised and sunken areas and voila! It was really easy and we looked amaze. And then got stopped at a police checkpoint on the way home and waved on very quickly.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmXbSal_Z48

    • Zombie is my go to, “there’s a Halloween party two weeks before Halloween and I don’t want to debut my super involved costume just yet” costume. It helps that I have two gallons of fake blood under my sink at all times. I’m creepy like that.

  16. Last minute costumes remind me of one of my gay awakenings:

    My friend (repressed crush) didn’t have a costume so she put on a corset, leather pants, stilettos and red lipstick. I still don’t know what she was going for, but I liked it. You too could serve as a gay awakening with your half assed costume!

  17. Lizz, this is too funny. 7LM just posted about lesbians, leotards and Halloween. We used a mannequin to illustrate our thoughts. I don’t know if your comments section will let us post links, but it’s too funny a coincidence not to try: http://bit.ly/19S9RMM.

  18. How did you KNOW I spent yesterday thinking of half-assed costumes that would basically entail wearing my normal clothes.

    1) Lumberjack. Add a beard and an axe to my standard fall outfit, done.
    2) Megan Rapinoe. Find a soccer ball, wear my US Soccer shirt, done. I don’t even have to change my hair.
    3) Justin Bieber. Stick my hair up a bit and add some fake bling to what I wear literally every day of the year, done.

    Going with #3 because it’s definitely the scariest of the three options. Now if I can only find someone to go as my monkey…

  19. My partner and I are dressing up as Daria and Jane tonight. I can’t wait to finish work to bring this TO LIFE.

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