Fortunately you can imitate your hero even if you are afraid of heights. How? With your Felix Baumgartner costume, of course. With Halloween coming up there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing quite a few mini-Felixes out there this year. But you’ll have to get creative, because this is one costume that you probably won’t find in stores.

An Easy Fearless Felix Halloween Costume

So, what do you need for this exhilarating costume idea? It’s pretty simple really. Felix wore a white pressurized space suit adored with the logo for his sponsor, Red Bull. A plain, white space suit costume will work for our purposes. Ideally, one with few NASA or USA adornments, as Baumgartner is an Austrian after all.

Here’s one from Amazon that should do the trick.

Space Explorer Costume by Forum Novelties

You’re also going to need a white helmet with a visor. If you know someone with a white motorcycle helmet, you could ask to borrow it for your daredevil costume. If not, a costume space helmet will be your best bet.

White Space Helmet

Now to really differentiate your costume from that of an astronaut you will want to decorate the suit and helmet with the logo for Felix’s sponsor, Red Bull. You can buy a variety of patches and stickers to match the logos on Felix’s outfit.

Red Bull Logo Iron-On

Red Bull Vinyl Sticker

Other items to consider include a pair of white gloves, a parachute (use a backpack if you don’t have access to a parachute), and a pair of white shoes or boots. And most importantly, once your costume is ready please resist the urge to jump from high places. Dressed as your hero you might feel downright invincible, but remember, Felix is a trained professional. Definitely don’t try this stunt at home!

The post Daredevil Felix Baumgartner Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

Some of the things Americans hold dearest come courtesy of the fifty-first state: Michael J. Fox, the garbage bag, Trivial Pursuit, the X-Files and now, Carly Rae Jepsen. Now famous for her song, “Call Me Maybe,” Jepsen was previous known as the third place winner on the fifth season of Canadian Idol. This honor is much like receiving “Most Improved” in the local church bake-off, but the prize money is lower. Nonetheless, Jepsen has moved forward and, not withstanding the elided comma in her song title, become well-known.

To consider dressing as Carly Rae Jepsen this Halloween, take this true or false test to determine your suitability:

1) You are always carded buying alcohol.
2) You look good in bangs.
3) The last time something slimy got in your hair, it was Noxzema.
4) You can claim with a straight face to be inspired by your own journal.

If you answered true to every question, please continue and plan your Carly Rae Jepsen costume!

To simulate her “Call Me Maybe” outfit, try a silver sequined dress like the one she wore onstage with Justin Bieber at The Summertime Ball 2012. Pair it with black feather earrings like these from Claire’s and a belt like this. If you don’t have straight, long brown hair with eyebrow length bangs, consider wearing a wig. The single most important accessory, though, is a telephone receiver.

Despite not having used a rotary phone in more than 20 years, we are still deeply involved with the mystique of the handset. Standing around in a sequined dress with your Nokia signals to fellow Halloween party attendees that you’re desperately trying to get your friends to show up; standing around in a sequined dress with a retro rotary handset says, “Call me maybe!” Don’t confuse the two. The perfect compromise may be this. Now, throw a wish in the well, and we’ll never tell how you got this costume idea.

The post “Call Me Maybe” Carly Rae Jepsen Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

By South Korean standards, rapper PSY is hard-core. He was once arrested for possession of marijuana and twice drafted into military service. He was even fined by the government for inappropriate content on his album “PSY… from the PSYcho World!” In the United States, though, Gangnam Style appears approximately as tough as a Boot Scootin’ Boogie.

However, given the dearth of South Korean sex symbols – it’s a showdown between PSY and the Asian MILF guy from “American Pie,”- Gangnam Style is the chance of a lifetime. Described as “breaking the stereotype that K-Pop male singers have to be handsome and dance well,” here’s one YouTube sensation that will make for a hilarious Halloween costume this year.

How to Put Together your Gangnam Style Costume

Start by being an Asian guy. Next, buy or rent a black (or dark purple) tux with a matching flat front shirt and a white bow tie.

Add black and white wing-tip shoes, and now the most difficult step: untie the bow tie and leave the ends loose. In Asia this kind of ‘paradigm shifting’ can be punishable by fine or mandatory street cleaning.

Finally, add some dark sunglasses and combed back hair. Preparations for Gangnam Style are now complete.

If the untied bowtie is intolerable for OCD conditions, other Gangnam Style outfits are available. One consists in its entirety of a turquoise beach towel with pink designs worn in a wrap-around style with dark sunglasses.

Another is his “disco” outfit. A plain white button-down long sleeve shirt paired with dark purple chinos and black shoes.

And my personal favorite. PSY in a light blue blazer with black pants, a white shirt and a black bow tie.

Dancing Gangnam Style is described by PSY as “riding an invisible, bouncing horse,” something to be aware of when holding a drink. It is common for one person to crawl in between another’s legs when dancing Gangnam Style. If this happens the person standing should perform pelvic thrusts and the person on the floor should do chest dips towards the floor, adding the benefit of triceps exercise to the proposition. Watch the video if you need more inspiration.

The post Be PSY for Halloween with this Gangnam Style Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

image by takinawa

A Scottish tale to induce a shiver
Of a princess who wouldn’t deliver
Turned her family to bears
To avoid the lewd stares
Of the princes who wanted her quiver.

Regardless of what people say about gingers, Princess Merida has style. Although her judgement and cake-serving abilities are questionable, she makes a great Halloween costume. But do your shopping early: between Katniss from the Hunger Games and Brave’s Princess Merida, bows and arrows may be a hot commodity.

Merida’s most striking feature is her wild, curly red hair. A high quality wig with realistic hair in this style can be quite expensive, $100 or more, so consider renting a wig at a costume shop. Princess Merida typically wears a modest, dark-colored dress with gold trim. If you have a Quaker aunt, now is the perfect time to borrow her clothes. If not, check your local thrift store or look online on costume sites for a Maid Marian style dress.

Those who are particularly handy could consider using a pattern and sewing their own dress. Optional accessories could be a cape or utility belt.

Princess Merida wears a bow and a quiver of arrows at her hip. Try a recreational sports store like the Sports Authority to buy a bow if a cheap costume version isn’t easily accessible. A funny addition to your Princess Merida costume would be to attach three identical boy Cabbage Patch kids to a rope to simulate the princess’s identical triplet brothers and hang it over the shoulder as if they’re climbing up. Carrying a small bundt cake to put a spell on anyone who opposes you is also a good idea.

One major benefit to dressing as Princess Merida is her complete lack of singing ability and/or significant other. A Disney princess destined to become a lonely cat lady: a very auspicious 2012 Halloween costume.

More items to consider:

Princess Merida Dress for Kids

Disney Store Princess Merida Costume Dress

Princess Merida Wig

The post Princess Merida Costume Ideas appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

Don Draper

Image by JFrey via reddit

This guy’s got the basic ingredients right: dark suit, white shirt, skinny tie, hair full of pomade. The booze and smokes are a nice touch as well. Yet something seems to be missing from his Don Draper costume. Maybe it’s the lack of tailoring in the suit (1960′s suits were always well-tailored). Maybe it’s that he’s missing a fedora. The tie could be skinnier, the suit a bit lighter (maybe a nice light gray). Overall not a bad effort though.

Joan Holloway Harris

Image by pinupkate via Craftster

A red vintage dress, beehive wig and some nifty accessories complete this awesome Joan Holloway costume. If you’re handy with a swing machine and are lucky enough to find a 60s-style pen necklace at your local thrift shop perhaps you too can recreate this look.

Betty Francis (Draper)

Image by Elizabeth via littlebirdbabybird.blogspot.com

The former Betty Draper is the typical 60s housewife and this costume does a good job copying the look with a green vintage dress and red pumps. A pearl necklace and a well-placed brooch would help complete the Betty Draper costume. Of course, if you choose this outfit for Halloween you run the risk of being confused with Grace Kelly, but maybe that’s a good problem to have.

Peggy Olson

Image by TimBuktu via aspecialthing.com

Throughout the first couple seasons of Mad Men, Peggy was best known as the girl with the frumpy style and “weird” bangs. This guy’s got the bangs right but somehow he looks a little too comfortable in his own skin.

Roger Sterling

Image by ChrisGoldNY via flickr

The Silver Fox typically wears a gray suit or vest that is a shade or two darker than his silvery hair. The vest in this Roger Sterling costume is a bit dark, but the lipstick on the collar is a nice touch and pretty much guarantees he won’t be confused for Anderson Cooper.

The post 5 (Mostly) Awesome Mad Men Halloween Costumes appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

Arch-Nemesis or Date-Night Savior? You Decide.

As Batman’s nemesis and fellow alum from the League of Shadows, Bane favors a typical, vaguely Eastern European thuggish style. His most prominent feature is his mask, which covers his mouth and wraps around the sides and in a single center line over his forehead. His shaved head can be simulated with a bald cap from any costume store, and there are several options for creating the mask.

Tutorials on making the mask can be found here or here. Most of the DIY mask options are very labor-intensive. A quick and great-looking alternative is a half-faceplate ventilator or respirator, purchased at any hardware store or online. Worn for painting, spraying or working with fumes, these masks are available for less than $30.

Bane Mask (Black)

Deluxe Bane Costume and Mask

 Additional items to consider:

VISM Molle Pals Vest

Half-Finger Gloves

In the context of “The Dark Knight Rises,” Bane seems to have limited his career path and devoted a great deal of energy to a start-up operation that failed miserably. It’s important to consider other options available and make the Bane character well-rounded. One idea for Bane, not often discussed, is early childhood education.

Reasons to consider hiring Bane as a live-in nanny:
1) He speaks six active languages and at least two arcane ones.
2) Accustomed to living underground and in prisons, any room in the house will feel luxurious to him.
3) With experience in leading bands of apprentices and developing teams among outcasts and misfits, his skills as a local scoutmaster or t-ball coach would be exemplary.
4) His face mask is not only more hygienic around children, it releases a steady supply of painkilling gas- the ultimate Mother’s Little Helper.
5) His references include Ra’s al Ghul, an international mastermind, who claims that Bane took excellent care of his child under very stressful conditions.

The post Bane Costume From ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

image by Heather Zundel

If the odds are ever in your favor, you’re planning to come as Katniss Everdeen for Halloween this year. Dressing as Tiananmen Square as a symbol of revolution is too complicated, plus you’ll look much hotter in a braid. Dressing as the Mockingjay offers a wide variety of costume opportunities. Here are three Katniss Everdeen costume ideas from ‘The Hunger Games’.

1) Wedding dress Mockingjay: Start with a thrift store white wedding dress. Carefully apply a black feather boa or black feathers from a feather duster along the hem, using fabric glue or stitching them down by hand, moving up the skirt to simulate the mockingjay feathers emerging from below. Above the feathers, apply an orange and red sequin or fire print border as the dress “burns away.” Pair the dress with a wedding veil and a bow and arrows.

2) Opening ceremonies Katniss: Wear an all-black unitard from a dance supply store, paired with a full black cape. Using red and orange glitter fabric paint, paint flames along the inside and outside hem of the cape. This costume is also wonderful paired with a partner whose hand needs to be clutched tightly the whole evening.

3) Arena Katniss: Pair a green shirt and a pair of brown pants with an orange backpack and a gold Mockingjay pin, easily cut from cardboard and spray painted gold. Add a bow and arrow and if possible, some fake dead yellowjackets stuck on an arm to simulate Trackerjackers. Carry a handful of blackberries and be ready to eat them if the conversation takes a boring turn.

The Girl on Fire costume is irresistible to bakers and hunters and it exerts a potent effect on sushi-rollers, fry cooks and those guys at Benihana as well. Use with discretion and be ready to defend yourself if you appear to be used as a tool by anyone, Capitol or not.

The post 3 Katniss Everdeen Costume Ideas From ‘The Hunger Games’ appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

An Avengers Black Widow costume consists of:

• a skintight black jumpsuit

• a small utility belt

• thigh garters holding pistols

• wrist cuffs (the so-called ‘Widow’s Bite.’)

Her shoulder-length red hair and knee length black boots are also important parts of the costume.

Start with a long sleeve black unitard, available at a dance supply store or online for $20-30, but beware: if your Widow’s Bite is more like a bite of donut, this is not the right costume for you. Scarlett Johansson has personal trainers and a costuming department, while you will be alone with no superpower to stop muffin top in your unitard.

An Army-Navy surplus store is a great resource for your utility belt and spent ammunition cartridges, which can be glued onto a strip of cloth for wrist cuffs. Black water pistols glued to

two-inch black elastic bands make excellent thigh garters, and any standard knee high combat boot will do.

This costume lends itself well to groups. Ideas for group costumes with a Black Widow include being accompanied by Hawkeye, her archer boyfriend; teaming up with Iron Man, Hulk or Thor; or for establishment of excellent geek credibility, several other girls in identical Black Widow costumes.

True followers of the series will remember that Natasha is just one of a series of identical fighters bioengineered by the Soviets, including her frenemy Yelena Belova, with whom she switches identities at one time. To keep up appearances in costume, limit alcohol consumption. It is said that Romanoff’s enhanced metabolism allows her to drink a tremendous amount without impairment, and of course, dodging a bullet at point blank range and other tests of agility are more difficult after a round of shots.

The post The Avengers’ Black Widow Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

2012 represents 60 years’ of Her Majesty’s reign, hyped as her ‘diamond jubilee.’ The People’s Republic of China, the VW Bug and the Polaroid camera also came to power about 60 years ago, but finding the props for a Queen Elizabeth costume is infinitely easier. As a national symbol, the Queen of England is legally unisex. So don’t worry about gender when selecting this theme for your costume.

Coming as royalty for Halloween this year doesn’t mean having to send 45,000 Christmas cards, as the Queen reportedly does. Instead, start by finding a corgi to accompany you out. The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, and currently keeps three at the palace. Marshal your friends to follow you admiringly, and refer to this parade as ‘Trooping the Color’ in the manner of the queen.

Once you have your corgi and your entourage, you can choose which queen style suites you best.

1) Traditional Queen: a dowdy pastel dress, topped with a three-strand pearl necklace and a large hat. Decorate the hat with random ribbons, tchotchkes and stuffed animals found around the home for a typical British look.

2) God Save the Queen: show everyone that punk is not dead. Download the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee seal here and draw it on your arm as a tattoo. A safety pin in one ear, 20-hole Doc Martin boots and a ripped tank top provide the base of the look. Spitting and moshing are optional, but encouraged.

3) Drag Queen: same as #1, but with huge stiletto heels, fake DD breasts and a butt-length weave.

4) Queen Queen: same as #1, but accompanied by “Bohemian Rhapsody” throughout the evening.

If done correctly, this costume may earn you another 60 years of notoriety.

The post Halloween Jubille: Queen Elizabeth Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.

You have a history of cleaning up after idiots. You moonlighted as a street sweeper, cleaned the bar after closing, and then there was that shameful time you picked all the green M&Ms out of the bowl for the Insane Clown Posse. The natural follow up: dressing as President Obama for Halloween.

Ears that stick out and an extra thick skin for rebuffing criticism make you a shoo-in, but thanks to the magic of a latex mask, even a Betty White look-alike can double as our POTUS.

Vinyl Obama mask                                     WTF?? Obama pumpkin head mask

To put together your Barack Obama Halloween costume, a dark suit and a full head vinyl Obama mask are really all that’s needed. A good quality mask can be purchased online or at a costume store for about $10-$30. You may already own a dark suit, but if not, a thrift store or wedding rental shop is an excellent resource.

To have fun with this costume you could also include a wearable podium. Using a large rectangular cardboard box, such as one from a car seat or microwave oven, print and glue the presidential seal on the front. Make sure the box is large enough to fit inside and use rope to create “suspenders” to hold it up.

Open both ends, stand inside and adjust the podium to chest height by tightening the rope. A mock microphone taped inside the lip of the box-podium is a good idea. You may be able to use your jacket to cover the rope.

Another great touch is to have a group of friends accompany you as the Secret Service, in plain black suits and using ear buds in one ear for “communication.”

If anyone criticizes your costume, explain that you couldn’t afford the Mitt Romney costume as it’s only available to the top 1% of the wealthy and comes with its own stock options.

The post Barack Obama Halloween Costume appeared first on Hip Halloween Ideas.