And they’re looking as fabulous as ever.
Jasmin Linton (she/her) // Contributor
Val Kruglikovskaya (she/they) // Illustrator
Dear girls, gays and ghouls,
If you’ve picked up this letter, then you’re probably like me—just a little guy who adores Halloween and the spooky season. Maybe you grew up in a very orderly, cis-straight town and always itched for something more crazy and wacky.
Halloween allows for wild and elaborate changes from your regular look, and the best part is, no one questions you on it! It’s the perfect night to experiment with new clothing, silhouettes, makeup and a variety of different artforms. For people from similar backgrounds like my own, it can help you discover your queer identity easier without the backlash of your small town. In a rigid community that would sneer at a hair out of place, Halloween became the night of the year where I could let go of any consequences and had space to experiment with my self-expression. I could play around with fashion, gender and all kinds of makeup—and boy, did I ever.
If I had to pinpoint where my obsession with loud, flamboyant glitter-filled makeup began, it would be October 2016.I spent hours watching creepy doll makeup tutorials for a puppet doll costume that I had set my mind to. I thrifted a Wednesday Addams dress and practiced overlining my eyes and making my chin into a gaping mouth. The highlight of that year was bringing a kid to tears from my haunted house performance, though I’ll admit I felt bad about the nightmares I may have caused.
While experimenting, of course I ran into the problem of my ideas being too elaborate to find at your local Halloween store—not like my tiny town even had one. So, I had to get creative. With help from my thrifting queen of a mother—seriously, she could find Dior in a garbage bin—we combed through thrift stores, craft stores, my jewellery, her jewellery, we even scoured her costume trunk. Yes, you heard that right; it’s obvious where my love of dress-up came from.
The Breakfast Club is one of my top five movies, so one year I dressed up as John Bender. Not only did I love the idea of dressing up as something new, but also the challenge of scrounging together the pieces to make the costume whole. I had the gloves, the flannel and even tied a bandana around my boot. Only one person knew who I was. But hey, you win some, you lose some. I just hoped that at least one person I had to tell who I was went home and watched the movie.
Of course, this wasn’t the only time my peers failed to appreciate what was clearly an amazing recreation. I was in highschool when Tumblr was all the rage and “fandom culture” was the centre of my life; this meant a lot of my costumes really, and I mean really, let my geekiness shine through. After aggressively getting into Superwholock, I was the 11th Doctor for tenth grade, with the sonic screwdriver, a red fez and everything. The following year, I dressed up as a victim of The Silence also from Doctor Who (kudos to you if you know that wildly niche reference). Of course, not everyone gets it but you can’t sweat that. While it’s amazing to find someone into the same random piece of media you’ve been watching since you were twelve, it’s more important to be fulfilled by your own excitement and satisfaction around the art you’ve created.
After becoming more comfortable and confident in my body, Halloween has become another excuse to wear as much glitter as possible and have fun with other flamboyant dressers and newbies to the community who are testing the waters. It’s a night that still holds so much mystery, and seeing the confidence it brings to people is amazing. I still find myself using Halloween as a way to challenge myself and try out even crazier fashion. Whether you are a veteran freak or just started your amazing experimental journey, I couldn’t be more excited about what you’ll come up with next. I’m sure it will be freakishly fantastic.
P.S. As always with dress up, remember to be aware of offensive or triggering costumes. Someone’s culture is not for you to use as a costume for a night. Props like knives, guns and other weapons should also be treated with sensitivity regarding where you’re dressing up to go. No one wants a poked out eye on the dance floor or weapons in the classroom, for obvious reasons.
