costumes

20 Incredibly Bizarre Vintage Halloween Costumes

What is it about vintage costumes that makes them so much more bizarre — and so much scarier — than their modern equivalents? Were people really that much stranger back then, or do they only look absurd in hindsight? Fed up with the animal-ears-and-a-bra option that, no matter how many times everyone rolls their eyes over it, seems to be the prevailing trend year after year, we decided to look for a little inspiration in vintage photography. We scoured the web for the wildest, weirdest costumes of yesteryear, and came up with everything from toadstools to telephones — and one guy in “fancy dress as a side of bacon.” After the jump, get inspired — or totally freaked out — by our collection of creepy, funny, or just plain bizarre costumes worn by revelers in decades past. We hope you can sleep… Read More

Famous Musicians in Hilarious Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween, people! If you’ve ever wondered what Paul McCartney would look like as a cat, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s celebrate the day by looking at Halloween photos of famous musicians, shall we? We have Kurt Cobain as Barney, Justin Vernon as Garth, MGMT as the cast of Scooby-Doo, and more. Check ‘em out after the jump, and hit the comments to let us know who would win your costume contest. … Read More

Hilarious Election-Themed Halloween Costumes You Can Make Right Now

Halloween is just one day away, kids! Did you celebrate over the weekend? If yes, hopefully you’re already tired of your costume and ready for a new one, because we’re about to bring you some fresh suggestions with a political twist. That’s right — election-themed Halloween costumes. We’re sure you’ve seen too many “Binders Full of Women” by now, so hold tight for some other unique costume options as well as our DIY suggestions and shopping tips. Don’t sweat the time crunch; our picks are all available on Amazon Prime, which means they can be at your doorstep in no time. Check ‘em out after the jump, and hit the comments to let us know what you think. … Read More

Video Essay: “The 75 Coolest Looking Prohibition-Era Movie Characters”

There are all sorts of reasons to enjoy the deep South bootlegging action drama Lawless, out today: the sturdy direction by John Hillcoat (The Proposition), the witty script by Nick Cave, an archetypal fancy-pants villain turn by Guy Pearce, yet another astonishingly chameleonic performance by Tom Hardy. But let’s pause for a moment of appreciation on a very basic, aesthetic level: as it takes place in the Prohibition era (1920-1933, if you were sick that day in school), once young hotshot Shia LaBeouf starts making a little green running moonshine, he starts throwing it around on pinstripe suits and awesome hats. Say what you will about the era, pro or con, but they knew how to dress back then — and there’s always a part of us that’s suspected the primary reason for making movies set in the Prohibition era is to give actors an excuse to play dress-up, since it’s next to impossible to not look cool in ’20s and early-’30s garb. Don’t believe us? After the jump, take a look at our latest video essay, a supercut of everyone from Faye Dunaway to Gene Wilder in their Prohibition-era movies, and try to tell us we’re wrong. … Read More

The Best Costume Dramas on Film

Barbed wit, saucy humor, mindf*ckery galore, and ravishing costuming and production design — we can only be talking about one film: Dangerous Liaisons. James Acheson’s elegantly crafted ensembles won the Best Costume Oscar and were a perfect complement to the film’s seductive games and drawing-room antics.

The 1988 movie hits Blu-ray today, and considering everyone’s revived obsession with all things lavishly costumed — Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, and Downton Abbey to name a few — the timing couldn’t be more perfect. We wanted to focus our lens on the movie world, and highlight other dramas that wrap us up in their elaborate attire and swirling emotions. Head past the break to check out our picks for some of the best costume dramas on film, and share yours below. … Read More

Kids’ Halloween Costumes That They’re Too Young to Understand

Do you know a kid? Does that kid need a Halloween costume? Are you cool with casually exploiting said kid for your own trick-or-treat amusement? Take a break from the princess and superhero aisles at your local holiday superstore and consider these silly costumes that are meant to make grownups chuckle. True, these outfits might go right over the wearers’ kiddie heads, but who wouldn’t love finding a tiny Mr. T or a baby Bob Ross at their doorstep? We wish we could give these youngsters’ parents high fives. Enjoy some adorably mini versions of grown-up pop culture figures after the jump. … Read More

The Best Pop Culture Mashup Costumes for Halloween

We love Halloween and we love pop culture, so it’s only natural we love pop culture Halloween costumes. That being said ,you can only see so many Darth Vader, Mario and super hero costumes before they get to be a little old. Fortunately, some people are happy to kick things up a notch by putting their own spin on these classic costumes. Here are our favorite Halloween mashup costumes, our apologies that so many of them are Star Wars-related, but that’s just because Star Wars costumes are so overdone that their fans tend to be the first people to think to do mashups. … Read More

Chan-Hyo Bae’s Fairy Tale Photos

Chan-Hyo Bae is a South Korean photographer who attended college in London and now lives in Toronto. As a result of his experiences, he has a unique ability to reflect on the differences between the cultures of the East and West. In his large-format prints from his Existing in Costume and Fairy Tales collections, which are currently on display at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, he explores his role in Western society by playing the role of British queens and fairy tale princesses from periods ranging from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

“As I see it, Orientalism was born out of Western cultural preconceptions about Asia a conquered territory out of a false image that sees the culture of the other from an ethnocentric, self-absorbed point of view, he explains. “It was this kind of anti-Oriental prejudice that suddenly made me aware of the chaotic, alienated state of my own identity – a confusion I try to show in my work.” Click through for a slide show. … Read More

New York City’s Chinese New Year Parade in Photos

Welcome to the Year of the Rabbit! Yesterday, thousands of onlookers gathered in Chinatown to celebrate the 12th annual Lunar New Year parade. The festivities included floats, costumes, musicians, dancers, and plenty of good ol’ Chinese-American times. If you couldn’t attend the event because you were too busy preparing your infamous nacho dip or applying your decorative face paint for last night’s Super Bowl, take a look at what you missed. … Read More

Daily Dose Pick: Marnie Weber

Marnie Weber’s cast of unlikely characters includes a ballet-dancing bear, mythological animal hybrids, and ethereal “spirit girls,” all populating a surreal universe in the artist’s modern-day tableaux vivant.

The Los Angeles-based artist’s work appears on the cover of Sonic Youth’s album A Thousand Leaves and has been exhibited in cities from Milwaukee to Milan. Using a blend of video, installation, photography, sculpture, and live performance, Weber’s collages vividly illustrate haunting themes of isolation, longing, and personal renewal. … Read More