It’s October, and that means…it’s time for our annual costume contest!

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Suzanne Scoggins in Blog

Hey, everybody! It’s time to put on your chitons and your corsets and get those cameras ready! Our 6th Annual Take Back Halloween Costume Contest is on.

Send your photos to contest@takebackhalloween.org, and we’ll upload all the entries to our 2017 Costume Contest Album on our Facebook page.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Friday, November 3, 2017.

Here are the prize divisions for this year:

Category Costumes, Amateur Division

As ever, we’re looking for costumes that fit into our own costume categories here on the website. That means a goddess or mythological figure, a great queen, a notable historical person, or a glamorous star. These should be specific people, not generic costumes.

Best Goddess or Mythological Figure Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Queen Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Notable Woman Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Glamour Grrl Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design = $50 Amazon gift certificate (this prize is about faithfully recreating one of our specific designs here on the website)
Grand Prize for Best Overall = $100 Amazon gift certificate

Category Costumes, Professional/Expert Division

These are exactly the same categories, but this division is for the pros. You know who you are: if you’re an expert seamstress, a professional or semi-professional cosplayer, a Renaissance Faire performer, or a theatre person, this is your category. The goal here is just to make sure folks can compete at their own level. (See the fine print below for more guidelines.)

Best Goddess or Mythological Figure Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Queen Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Notable Woman Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Glamour Grrl Costume = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Grand Prize for Best Overall = $100 Amazon gift certificate

Category Costumes, Junior Division

The categories are exactly the same as for the adult divisions, minus Glamour Grrls.

Best Goddess or Mythological Figure Costume = $25 Amazon gift certificate
Best Queen Costume = $25 Amazon gift certificate
Best Notable Woman Costume = $25 Amazon gift certificate
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design = $25 Amazon gift certificate
Grand Prize for Best Overall = $50 Amazon gift certificate

New for 2017: Masquerade Division

Woo hoo! Here’s a new division that we’re experimenting with this year. We’re still interested in history and notable women, but in this division there’s no requirement that you dress up as a real person or specific mythological figure. We’re inviting entries in the following categories:

Historical Recreation: This is for costumes that are based on an existing garment, statue, painting, description, or illustration. Examples might include: a replica of an archaeological find, such as the golden suit of Issyk; a dress based on a painting; a copy of a museum piece; or a costume inspired by an imaginative illustration, such as one of Mucha’s posters. The costume you’re copying or recreating should date from no later than 1950.

Period Costume: This is for costumes that look as if they date from a certain period of history (though it’s fine to use modern parts and techniques in construction). Tudor England, Heian period Japan, Mughal India, Viking Age Scandinavia, and the American Civil War are just a few examples of costume periods. This category is ideal for those of you who are focused on recreating a style of clothing rather than dressing up as a specific historical person.

Fictional Characters in Literature and Art: Yes, we’re actually dipping our toes into the water here with a category for fictional characters. But not modern movie characters. We’re talking about books, plays, and paintings. So, for example: Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter, Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, Rosie the Riveter. You get the idea. (We generally prefer older things that are no longer under copyright, but we’re flexible. An Offred costume from The Handmaid’s Tale, for example, would be too cool not to include.)

The Masquerade Division is open to everybody, and if necessary we will definitely have separate prizes for amateurs, professionals, and juniors. The number of prizes awarded will depend on the submissions we get.

General Rules

1. Except for the Masquerade Division, your costume must fall into one of our four categories: a notable woman from history, a queen, a glamorous star, a goddess or mythological figure.
2. Your entry photograph(s) should show the costume in full, and should be clear and well lit. Good photographs help the judging, so we suggest you try to avoid distracting backgrounds.
3. Please tell us exactly who or what the costume represents, along with your name.
4. By submitting your photo, you are giving us permission to publish it on the Take Back Halloween website and on our Facebook page. You are welcome to send in multiple photos of the costume to help us see the full glory of the thing.
5. If you’re submitting a contest entry on behalf of someone else, you must have that person’s permission to submit the entry and publish the photo. If other people appear in the photo, you must obtain their permission for us to use and publish it.
6. The costume may be from any time in the past two years.
7. You may enter up to four (4) costumes for consideration.
8. Submissions should be emailed to contest@takebackhalloween.org.
9. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Friday, November 3, 2017.

We expect to publish the winners the week after the submission deadline.

Guidelines for the Professional/Expert Division

If you’re not sure whether the pro divison is for you, ask yourself whether either of these criteria fit:

Your costume has been exhibited at a cosplay convention or awarded a prize in a cosplay contest; it is a professional costume used for Renaissance Faire performances or historical reenactments; or it is a professional stage costume used for a theatrical performance.
You are an expert or professional seamstress, cosplayer, Renaissance Faire performer, historical reenactor, or theatrical costumer, and the costume you are entering exhibits an expert skill level.

If either of those applies, we’ll probably class your costume as a professional entry.