Hey everybody – just a quick note that the formal announcement for the 2018 Costume Contest will be up at the end of August. This is usually the time of year when people start emailing me to check in on the contest, so just spreading the word. It’ll be similar to last year’s contest, but we’ll have the full details at the end of the month.
Hoo boy, it was tough this year. So many great costumes! And we had so many entries in the new Masquerade Division that we divided it into amateur and professional sub-divisions, added a category for “Fantasy” costumes, and reworked the prize money a little bit to make it go further. (For reference, here’s the original contest announcement.)
All the winners will be uploaded to our 2017 Costume Contest Winners album on Facebook. You can also review all the entries this year in our 2017 Costume Contest Album. I will be emailing the winners with official notifications and Amazon gift certificates over the next couple of days.
Thank you all for participating in the contest and sharing your wonderful creativity.
Category Awards, Amateur Division
These are the prize categories that we award every year. They’re based on our own costume categories here on the website: glamour grrls, goddesses and mythological figures, queens, and notable historical women.
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Lafeeq Bowman as Diana Ross.
Is this sharp or what? Lafeeq has perfectly captured one of Diana’s glamorous looks in the movie Mahogany. It’s that short but memorable scene where Diana and weird Anthony Perkins stroll up to the newsstand in Rome—memorable mostly because of Diana’s fabulous ensemble. Lafeeq proves that 1975 fashion can still look good.
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Penny Richards as Urania.
This category was super tough to judge this year, with lots of very competitive entries. But Penny won everybody’s heart with her amazingly original and ingenious costume that includes a built-in pun. Penny writes: “My costume is all crocheted by me—sun headpiece, all the planets, and a black linen tunic (hard to see, but that was intentional—the dark void of space and all that). The Asteroid Belt is beaded. Sun headpiece is mounted on a bike helmet for stability.”
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Adriana Gonzalez as Frida Kahlo.
Adriana perfectly captures Frida’s style and insouciance. Adriana writes: “My top was completely handmade and bought in Oaxaca, Mexico. The earrings were also bought in Oaxaca, Mexico. To me, Frida Kahlo has always been a feminist icon for all women. She taught me that I can do anything I want and that I am myself’s only limit. Because of her will and determination, I know that by following my passions and believing in myself, I can truly be the best person I can be. This is my first year entering the contest, I am beyond excited to at least be able to dress up and participate, to wear something that has a meaning, and show my culture via my clothing.”
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Laura Gill as Empress Theodora.
This outfit is amazing. Look at the jeweled border on the cloak! And the mosaic halo is a genius move. Laura writes: “I made just about everything from scratch, from the white gown underneath, to the cloak, to the collar, and even the chalice and halo. The cloak is purple crepe back satin hand beaded and jeweled. The expensive looking gold “embroidery” is actually stenciled on with gold paint. I bought the crown the website recommended, but modified it by accentuating the designs in copper and light gold paint, half-pearls and extra rhinestones. I hand beaded the tassels so I could have emerald green jewels hanging down.”
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winner: Marguerite Ahl as the Morrigan.
Marguerite desribes herself as an “amateur, no sewing skills, age 70.” She did a bang-up job with our Morrigan design: a red dress and “2 yards of flannel fabric, black feather boa, black wig, circlet, two ravens.” Awesome!
Judge’s Choice, Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Taryn Crosby as Whitney Houston.
Because it’s perfect. Whitney Houston singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl in 1991 was an indelible moment in musical and cultural history. And Taryn has nailed the look here, with a white track suit, some judiciously chosen tape, and a headband. Perfect!
Judge’s Choice, Mythological Costume
Winner: Laura Torgersen as Inanna.
If you’re a Bronze Age costuming geek like me, you immediately see the thrill here: Laura has successfully replicated the look of Inanna’s wings and battle accoutrements on the cylinder seal at the University of Chicago. She writes: “All accessories came from craft, hardware, and thrift stores. Assembly was lots of fun; I cut out oodles of feathers, sculpted horns and hair beads out of clay, braided a wig, wired dowels onto a cardboard form, and did tons of spray painting. I’m especially proud of the wings, which, besides turning out thrillingly close to the source material, I attached to a backpack so I could go out dancing in costume!”
Judge’s Choice, Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Jaweer Brown as Angela Davis.
I grew up in the era of Free Angela Davis buttons, so when this entry arrived in my inbox, it was like a blast from my childhood. Not only is the outfit perfect, but Jaweer is positively channeling Professor Davis in that 1972 prison interview. Respect.
Judge’s Choice, Queen Costume
Winner: Becky Murphy as Razia Sultan.
Razia Sultan was one of the most remarkable women in history, and Becky did a wonderful job with this costume (even without a horse). She got most of the makings at Goodwill, painted the sword and dagger, and added gems and feathers as needed. I think it came together really elegantly.
Category Awards, Junior Division
Our Junior Division this year should really be called the Mother-Daughter Division, because all of the costumes are maternal labors of love. And in fact the winners of the Best Realization of a TBH Design this year are a mother-daughter pirate duo, whose award spans the amateur-junior divisions (but we’re listing them here).
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Minka Dunahee as a Valravn, costume by Jennifer Dunahee.
Where to even begin? This costume is absolutely breathtaking. Mom Jennifer writes: “The Valravn, or Raven of the Slain, is a figure from Danish folklore. My daughter was inspired when she saw an image of the creature, and I thought, given her Danish heritage, it would be fitting. It was a fun project, from start to finish, and took 9 months to complete. All of the blue fabric was hand made using dying, fabric manipulation, appliqué, cutwork, embroidery, painting, and beading techniques, many of which I learned and experimented with as I went. The crown, mask, and armor were all made by heating and shaping craft foam, which I also learned how to do as I went. I dyed and painted the feathers, then applied a buffing wax for extra shimmer. The wings are light weight and flexible, and when my daughter puts her arms down, they fold over her back, like a real bird’s.”
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Emma Glynn as Frida Kahlo.
Frida Kahlo babies are the cutest babies! Little Emma is precious, and her outfit is perfect. In addition to the obligatory eyebrows, the flowers, the jewelry, and blouse, skirt, and rebozo, notice the anatomical heart patch. It’s a nod to Frida’s 1939 painting The Two Fridas.
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Laura Driffield as Aethelflaed, costume by Kathryn Driffield.
The eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, Aethelflaed was a brilliant general and ruler who campaigned against the Vikings and helped to reconquer the Danelaw. Mom Kathryn made this terrific costume for History Day at school, and Laura looks every inch the part.
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winners: Shari and Grace Franey as Mary Read and Anne Bonny.
Mom Shari and daughter Grace have done an incredible job of recreating our costumes for the famous pirate duo, not only in looks but in spirit. In true pirate fashion, Shari and Grace scavenged for clothing and remade items as necessary. The shirts and hats are from Goodwill. Shari followed our suggestion for making a waistcoat by cutting the sleeves off a man’s jacket. Grace’s boots are made from grocery bag material covered with black duct tape. The buttons are repaints, and a few pieces of material were purchased new.The belts were in the closet and the swords are from the party store.
Category Awards, Professional/Expert Division
These are the same category prizes as above, but this division is for cosplayers, Renaissance Faire performers, theatre people, expert seamstresses, and others with professional or expert-level skill.
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Line Godin as Marilyn Monroe.
Line has been making gorgeous dance costumes for herself and her sister belly dancers for years. She says she doesn’t consider herself a seamstress, but she’s obviously talented in the ways of fabric and bling. Last year for Halloween she made this splendid Marilyn Monroe outfit, inspired by the “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Magnifique!
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Mercedes R as a Valkyrie.
Mercedes is an up-and-coming cosplayer, and her marvelous valkyrie costume is inspired by the “Dark Valkyrie” in League of Legends. The costume is completely handmade; amazingly, Mercedes says that this is her first attempt at armor. We love the fact that the costume still has some bird in it: feathers at the cuffs and underneath the armor pieces on the shoulders and hips.
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Theresa Stribling’s Jane Austen costume.
Theresa designed and made this lovely Jane Austen costume (modeled by Emily Murphy). Isn’t it perfect? Wonderful photo shoot, too; it’s as if that portrait of Jane Austen just came to life.
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Debbie Redfern as Elizabeth II.
Debbie wins the prize for her amazing cosplay as Elizabeth II, which featured not only a superb 1955 day ensemble, but also an evening ensemble that looks exactly like the kind of thing the queen wears nowadays. A friend’s Corgi completes the look. The making-of pics for the day ensemble are on Debbie’s cosplay page here; the pics for the evening gown are here.
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winner: Gabriela Salvador as Empress Carlota of Mexico.
Gabriela was inspired by our costume for Empress Carlota, but she really improved upon it and did a better job of matching Carlota’s portrait. Gabriela writes: “I used an 80s wedding dress, adding white tulle over the skirt and petticoats underneath it to give a fuller, Victorian look. A remnant of the tulle was tied to the back of the crown to create the veil. The sash and ribbons were made of scraps of fabric, and the jewelry was from thrift stores and flea markets. While not historically accurate, it is as evocative of the period as I could achieve under a budget. This was a fun costume to wear, and I got compliments all night!”
Masquerade Division
This is our new division with prizes for costumes that don’t fall into our usual categories.
Historical Recreation, Amateur
Winner: Beckie Geddes as “Madame X.”
This is so good it’s almost eerie. Beckie writes: “My costume brings to life the painting “Madame X”, by John Singer Sargent, 1884. Someone told me I looked like her recently, so I had to give it a go. The dress is from the thrift store, which I altered and added new straps from my jewelry-making stash. Nothing new was purchased for this look or styling! Love it when that happens.”
Historical Recreation, Professional
Winner: Sarah Turner as Bonnie Parker.
Talk about authenticity! Sarah writes: “When putting this outfit together I knew I wanted to try to recreate the costume from the famous Joplin photographs of the pair. I did research into 1930’s materials and the pair before purchasing material. For the sweater, it has been assumed Bonnie knit it herself, as she was an avid knitter. While many people assume the ensemble is red, Ted Hinton is reported as saying that it was black with stripes of yellow, red, and green. As he is most likely to have seen it I went with his account when choosing the colors. I then contacted a friend who hand knitted the sweater for me using an original 1930’s pattern. She even took pictures of the yarn in black and white to try to match the stripes to the right color. The skirt and Bolero are make from a wool blend fabric as I learned fabrics with a natural fibers and rough weaves were popular in the 30’s. The bolero pattern was drafted by myself. To give a little authentic feel, as Bonnie was known to love cosmetics, I researched 1930’s makeup and turned to besame who recreates period colors for a more accurate look.”
Historical Recreation, Judge’s Choice
Winner: Nadja Robot recreating a 1920s “Night” costume.
I just love this one. It’s so well done! The stars are perfect, the veil, the headband, the staff, the materials — all just perfectly chosen. It makes me want to dig up more costume designs from the 1920s. What’s amazing is that this was a last-minute job. Nadja writes: “I had a different costume in mind but October got away from me and I had to make a ‘quick’ backup costume… so of course I glued dozens of stars and rhinestones to a 1920s ‘One Hour Dress’ I made.”
Fictional Character, Amateur
Winner: Keda as Ursula/Vanessa in The Little Mermaid.
This half-Ursula, half-Vanessa costume was a big hit with our Facebook community, and no wonder. It’s so clever and cool. Keda did a terrific job with this, from the makeup to the amazing split skirt (love those freaky tentacles).
Fictional Character, Professional
Winner: Courtney Leigh as Celia Bowen in The Night Circus.
Courtney writes: “This is an original design I based off of Celia Bowen from the Night Circus, a book set in the Victorian era and centered on magicians and magic. Rather than go the traditional route that many fan art goes with following the black and white scheme, I wanted to portray every part of Celia’s character that I felt was important before she was consumed with the atmosphere of the circus. In the book she has the ability to change the color of her dress and when in the presence of her love interest, her clothes turn green, like his eyes, so that was a strong inspiration for the color scheme. On the back, I made the wishing tree, an attraction Celia designs in the circus where people can light candles for their wishes and place them on the branches. I carried this design choice to the hat, putting candles on the rim as representation. Every detail, fabric choice, and design on this costume represents something from the book or something about Celia’s character.” Courtney spent eight months on this costume, and it shows. Absolutely exquisite.
Period Costume, Amateur
Winner: Olivia Zeb in 18th century period costume.
Beautiful dress and a perfect photo shoot! Love the shoes, the hair, everything.
Period Costume, Professional
Winner: Monica DeSouza for Tudor period costumes (modeled by Monica and husband Arthur Griffith).
Do you think Monica and Arthur would adopt me? Okay, okay, probably not, but wow. Monica’s genius as a costume designer and seamstress just amazes me, and she and Arthur make such a handsome Tudor couple. (Monica says Arthur’s hat is by Tall Toad and the boots are Armstreet, but she made the rest.)
Fantasy Costume, Amateur
Winner: Lizz Freeman’s family interpreting Henri Rousseau’s “Traumgarten.”
This is such a creative young family. A couple of years ago, when their daughter was a baby, Mom and Dad dressed her up as Amelia Earhart, built a cardboard airplane for her, and accompanied her through the neighborhood costumed as clouds. For this year’s extravaganza, Lizz says that she sewed her daughter’s dress and mask as well as her own dress from scratch. Our only question is how all those dracena leaves are attached to Lizz’s head.
Fantasy Costume, Professional
Winner: Melissa Pevy in a Victorian peacock gown.
Love this dress! And the feathers are to die for. There are examples of actual peacock masquerade gowns from the late Victorian period, but we think the styling on this one pushes it into the fantasy realm. Either way it’s a winner, beautifully designed and executed. Congratulations, Melissa!
Canine Division
Surprise! Behold our lovely and talented canine winners:
Canine Division, Judge’s Choice
Winners: Phoenix and Gryphon as Aphrodite and Athena, costumes by Bonnie and Beth Abelew.
What is life without dogs? When we saw this entry we knew we had to create a special Canine Division. Bonnie and Beth write: “Phoenix and Gryphon are dressed as the beautiful Greek Goddesses Aphrodite and Athena. Phoenix as Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and is wearing a hand-made white and gold toga with a blonde wig covered with flowers and a shell tiara. Gryphon as Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, the warrior goddess, and is wearing hand-made breastplate armor over a white toga, with a black wig and helmet. There is also an embroidered owl on the back of the dress, since this is the symbol of wisdom. They are floating in the clouds by the castle atop Mount Olympus.” LOVE.
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.
Tips
If you’re new to Take Back Halloween, it might help to look at our contest winners from past years to get a sense of what we like:
2016 Costume Contest winners
2015 Costume Contest winners
2014 Costume Contest winners
2013 Costume Contest winners
2012 Costume Contest winner
Happy costuming!
Announcing the winners of our 2016 Costume Contest! Thank you so much for your patience in the wake of recent events. All the winners will be uploaded to our 2016 Costume Contest Winners album on Facebook. You can also review all the entries this year in our 2016 Costume Contest Album.
The prizes track pretty closely with the original contest announcement, with a couple of slight adjustments, as usual. We didn’t get any Professional Division entries for Notable Women, but we made up the difference by adding a Glamour Grrl category to the Junior Division. (I think next year I may re-label the professional division as the “expert” division, since what we’re trying to capture is a skill level rather than an income stream.) The Special 2016 Division is rounded out with honors for this year’s unique achievements. I will be emailing the winners with official notifications and Amazon gift certificates over the next couple of days.
Thank you all for participating in the contest and sharing your wonderful creativity.
Category Awards, Amateur Division
These are the prize categories that we award every year. They’re based on our own costume categories here on the website: glamour grrls, goddesses and mythological figures, queens, and notable historical women.
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Becky Murphy as the Lady of the Lake.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords may not be a good basis for a system of government, but it does make for a great photo shoot. Becky’s costume is great too, and very resourceful. The cloak is actually a set of curtains with an attached valance, re-fashioned to form a hood; the sword pommel is the repainted top off a bottle of salad oil.
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Anne Peterson as Empress Elisabeth.
Anne’s costume recreates the Hungarian coronation gown worn by Empress Elisabeth of Austria (“Sisi”) in 1867. Sisi’s gown was a frothy, pearl-encrusted extravaganza that is a favorite subject today for historical costume enthusiasts. The amazing thing is that this costume is only the second dress Anne has ever made. Way to go, Anne! Really impressive.
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Maia Weinstock as Grace Hopper.
Talk about attention to detail: not only is that a real Navy uniform, but those are replicas of Admiral Hopper’s actual service medals. Maia pulled off a similarly uncanny photo shoot as Justice Ginsburg last year, so we can’t wait to see what she does for next Halloween. (We should add that Maia did actually wear this costume for Halloween, though we’re not sure if any of the trick-or-treaters recognized her. One kid thought she was dressed as an Italian cop.)
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Autumn Thomas-Brown as Diana Ross.
Autumn takes the prize in this category for the second year in a row with her modern Diana Ross ensemble. She writes: “I found a red beaded dress, red chandelier earrings, the curly ‘big-hair’ wig, the sparkly glitter eyeshadow, the fake eyelashes, the chiffon jacket (with a sequined underlayer to mimic the sparkle she has), and the microphone, of course.” You look fabulous, Miss Ross.
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winner: Amber Richardson as Hypatia.
Our Hypatia page gives instructions on how to recreate the costumes and props from the movie “Agora” using ivory crinkle fabric and DIY scrolls. Amber did a terrific job here, cannibalizing an old 1980s formal gown for the crinkle fabric and draping a long philosopher’s cloak around herself. She really looks the part! Very nicely done.
Grand Prize, Amateur Division
Winner: Tanya Page as Bessie Coleman.
Judging a costume contest is always hard, but one thing that makes it easier is when someone sends in a costume that’s perfect. Literally perfect. Everything about Tanya’s ensemble is flawless, from head to toe. She writes: “Having learned that Bessie chose a clothing style that was based on military officer’s uniforms of her day (just pause and reflect on how amazing THAT is), I wanted to replicate her outfit with as much authenticity as I could. My costume is a combination of replica WWI officer’s uniform and actual vintage pieces. The best part about wearing the costume was the opportunity it gave to educate people about this Notable Woman who has been largely forgotten. Bessie Coleman is my personal hero, and I want everyone to know what she accomplished and the obstacles she overcame to do so.” We couldn’t agree more.
Category Awards, Professional Division
These are the same category prizes as above, but this division is for cosplayers, Renaissance Faire performers, expert seamstresses, and others with professional-level skill.
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Marisa Montesino as a Viking Shield Maiden.
Marisa’s interpretation of a Viking Shield Maiden is both fun and ferocious. She writes: “I made the whole dress, apron, cape, belt, bag, gold turtles (broaches made of half styrofoam eggs covered in sculpt, designed and painted) and beading, and shield. The axe I found at a thrift store and repainted.” Marisa also did the wonderful embroidery on the apron and dress.
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Lindsey Marth as Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Lindsey writes: “Eleanor has been an inspiration to me for many years so I was excited to finally get the chance to emulate her and make an outfit in this style that I’ve never done before! The gown is made of two-tone royal iridescent purple/blue shantung with hand-covered buttons at the cuffs. The tunic-overdress has a lion embroidered on the silk fabric (similar to her coat of arms), thin jacquard trim on the sides, and gold cording for side tying. I decided to do the barbette and veil like on her effigy because I wanted to do some fun long braids. The veil was a particular challenge because I wanted to add some detail and also to indicate her royal status so I embroidered fleur de lis in metallic gold thread on the veil.” Gorgeous!
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Gabriela Salvador as Mary Pickford.
This is Mary Pickford as she appeared in the mid-1920s, before she cut her hair, so it’s that interesting in-between period: Jazz Age dress with old-fashioned coiffure. Gabriela writes: “I made the black velvet devore and chiffon dress based off the ‘one-hour dress’ patterns of the 1920s. I also made the black silk satin slip in the same style. I’m wearing reproduction shoes and stockings.” Gabriela also tried to replicate Mary’s thick barrel curls, and found that they fell apart very quickly: “No wonder she had to have her curls reset up to 7 times a day!”
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winner: Geneviève Leprohon as the Morrigan.
Geneviève’s professional take on our Morrigan design is a thing of beauty. She writes: “The birds are affixed to shoulder pads which I covered with black feathers; they have pins sewn underneath so I can attach them to my shoulders through the fabric. I added a hook on each to clip a multi chain necklace—it adds to the look, and it helps to keep the birds balanced. The collar is two lengths of hackle feather trim sandwiched between two layers of black velvet ribbon; a large snap is used for closure. I made the circlet and earrings. I use a celtic knot brooch to close the cape, and I’ve added a black boho belt with leather circles and metal eyelets to complete the look.”
Grand Prize, Professional Division
Winner: Monica De Souza-Griffith as Lady Isabella, Lady Elizabeth, and Countess Anastasia.
Monica submitted three costumes for our contest, and we loved all three so much that it was impossible to pick one. Each ensemble is an exquisite symphony of colors, fabrics, and trims. LOVE. Monica’s talent for costuming is incredible, and every dress she makes is gorgeous. Congratulations to a genius costume designer and amazing craftswoman!
Category Awards, Junior Division
Same categories as above, but for youthful humans.
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Sheri Schmitz’s daughter as Medusa.
Sheri writes: “We started the costume a year ago by buying three dozen rubber snakes on clearance after Halloween. I glued each one to a barrette in different positions. We then did her hair up in a glamorous 40’s style roll before attaching the snakes. The chiton was purchased but the over-drape was a piece of fleece I had laying around that had a pattern of snakes in a Greek key. Perfect! She also wore sunglasses to prevent turning people to stone.”
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Elizabeth Apland as Aud the Deep-Minded, costume by Ellie Apland.
Aud the Deep-Minded was a 9th century Norse queen who went on to become one of the founding settlers of Iceland. Ellie Apland writes: “For the costume, Elizabeth, age 3, is wearing a Norse underdress, apron dress, and caftan, all made by her mother (myself) in the style of clothing excavated from the Birka settlement, located in modern-day Sweden. Rather than the traditional beads hung from the apron dress, which could be impractical for a 3 year old, we gave her a ‘battle chain.’ She is carrying a ‘traveling/raiding bag’ for candy. The hat came from a Norwegian festival and is purely for fun.”
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Taylor Richardson as Mae Jemison.
Taylor Richardson is an amazing young lady: this 13-year-old aspiring astronaut is a Girl Scout, honor student, STEM and literacy advocate, triathlete, anti-bullying activist, Mars Generation Space Ambassador, and one of the youngest kids ever admitted to Space Camp. No surprise that the brilliant Mae Jemison is her idol. Taylor’s goal is to become the first African American woman on Mars, and we’re betting she’ll make it.
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Brennan Wheeler as Hedy Lamarr.
Here’s another smart entry from young Brennan Wheeler, who last year dressed up as Dolley Madison. This year she decided to go as Hedy Lamarr. Mom Victoria writes: “Her costume featured a 1940s hairstyle (Victory Rolls), Lamarr’s trademark high yet rounded brows, and neutral makeup tones highlighted by classic 1940s red lips. More 1940s fashion included black and white checks, velvet collars, and pearls, pearls, and more pearls. The outfit is crowned with a patent diagram (attached to her trick-or-treat bag) which illustrates the player piano-inspired punch card and the electrical wiring designed to make the radio frequencies hop in a way the Germans couldn’t follow.”
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween Design
Winner: Joanna Durbin as Anne Bonny, costume by Bernadette Durbin.
Joanna’s mom Bernadette says that she pulled together this whole costume for about $30-35. She writes: “My six-year-old wanted to be a pirate for Halloween this year, so we dressed her up in fine style. The jacket is an up-cycled ringmaster’s jacket; I stamped the fabric with different inks and used heat to set it in order to give is a jacquard look and then replaced the lapels and cuffs. The buttons and gold ribbon trim cost about $10. Her cravat and shirt cuffs are from an old skirt, and her boot covers are actually made from an old couch (leather-look vinyl.) The pirate hat was redecorated from the Spirit Halloween Store one that had weird red bows on it; I cut the bows off and used turkey and pheasant feathers for the plume and the sparkly jewel stickers at my daughter’s request. The plastic earring hoops are from a dollar store.”
Grand Prize, Junior Division
Winner: Maya Szakaly as a suffragist in grayscale.
This costume seems especially appropriate this year, but it would be a winner any time. Maya has the 1910s suffragist outfit down pat, and the grayscale approach makes her look like she just stepped out of an old photo. Congratulations!
Special 2016 Division
This division includes the two special prizes we announced this year for Madam President and a Future TBH Mythological costume, plus a couple of unique achievements from this year’s contestants. On the Future TBH costumes, we really love all the suggestions that people sent. The two designs we picked are those that seem like they will work best for our site: they’re no-sew and easy to put together. We will write them up in detail later.
Best Madam President Costume
Winner: Christina Davis as Shirley Chisholm.
Shirley Chisholm was my personal hero as a child, and I remember very well wishing that she could really be elected President. Christina did a wonderful job with this costume: perfect dress, perfect hair & makeup, and a sign that replicates the actual graphics used in the Chisholm campaign. Unbought and unbossed!
Future TBH Mythological Costume
Winner: Lori and Mikayla Russell as Mother Hulda and the Girl, costumes by Robyn Russell.
Mother Hulda was a costume candidate on our Kickstarter a few years ago, so we were thrilled to see this suggestion. Mother Hulda (or Frau Holle) is the fairytale version of an ancient Germanic nature goddess; when it snows, people say “Mother Hulda is shaking her pillows.” These delightful costumes were created by Robyn Russell and modeled by her 85-year-old mother Lori and her 19-year-old niece Mikayla. Lori’s family is of German descent, and when she was growing up in Iowa people would still talk about Mother Hulda when it snowed.
Future TBH Mythological Costume
Winner: Denise Dixon Goerisch as Arachne.
You all know the story of Arachne, who challenged Athena to a weaving contest and got turned into a spider. The great thing about Denise’s costume is that she keeps the Greek flavor, with a black chiton forming the basis of the ensemble. The spider legs are just black tights stuffed with plastic bags and attached with thread. Very clever!
Adventures in Archaeology
Winner: Laura Gill as an Amazon.
If the Take Back Halloween book ever sees the light of day, it will have a whole section on the real-life Amazons (Saka/Scythian tribeswomen). In the meantime, we salute Laura’s ingenious interpretation patterned after the depictions on Greek vases. The really cool thing is the Scythian-style belt, which Laura “made from scratch with self-designed felt appliques of deer, moons, and suns, which I embroidered and hand beaded. Those are mirrors inside the suns; the Scythians did use mirrors on their felt boots and such.”
Outstanding Creativity
Winner: Laura Mayer as Baba Yaga.
Laura Mayer wins the prize this year for Outstanding Creativity with her Baba Yaga costume, replete with knitted chicken feet and a chicken-legged hut on her apron. She writes: “I designed and knitted the chicken socks I am wearing. I also designed and knitted the hut I am wearing on my apron. I have tried to include many of Baba Yaga’s attributes in this piece. I used fabric with trees on it as the forest background for her hut. I knitted a small mortar and pestle and crocheted the fence next to her hut, which I adorned with plastic skulls and bones, and I included a black cat bead. I carried a small birch broom and the embroidered cloth and wooden comb that Vasilisa took from Baba Yaga’s hut. The bead flowers and birds and knitted tree were just to add atmosphere.” Congratulations, Laura, on a wonderful costume and a magnificent piece of fiber art.
To everyone who participated in our 2016 Costume Contest, rest assured that we will announce the winners soon. Pretty soon. As soon as I can pull myself together, basically. My goal is to announce the winners on Sunday.
This has been a devastating week. It’s still devastating. Take Back Halloween is, of course, a feminist site. Everything about this website is dedicated to empowering women and fighting sexism and racism.
The election this week proved that powerful women are still hated and feared in this country. It proved—if it still needed proving—that our country is awash in racism and xenophobia. It’s hard to be cheerful about a Halloween contest when America just elected the KKK candidate as president.
But it’s also all the more reason to continue. Take Back Halloween is about empowering women and girls of all races and ethnicities to claim—to insist upon—their full humanity. Sure, it’s just a costume site, but popular culture is where sexism and racism flourish. It’s where stereotypes go unchallenged, seeping into our brains and warping our society.
So Take Back Halloween will not only continue, it will get bigger. I promise you that.
First I just need to drink a pot of coffee and get this contest wrapped up.
With love to you all,
Suzanne
It’s here, everybody: our 5th annual costume contest! It’s still the same lo-fi contest it’s always been, but this year we’ve added a separate professional division for you cosplay types with your latex and blowtorches and whatnot. For everybody else, haul out your helmets made from tinfoil roasting pans! Send your photos to contest@takebackhalloween.org, and we’ll upload all the entries to our 2016 Costume Contest Album on our Facebook page.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, November 6, 2016.
What 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. No generic costumes and no copyrighted characters, please. To get a sense of what we like, the best thing you can do is look at our contest winners from prior years:
2015 Costume Contest winners
2014 Costume Contest winners
2013 Costume Contest winners
2012 Costume Contest winner
Here are the prize categories for this year:
Adult Division
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
Junior Division
(No Glamour Grrl category for juniors, because reasons.)
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 (this prize is about faithfully recreating one of our specific designs here on the website)
Grand Prize for Best Overall = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Professional Division (all ages)
What do we mean by professional? Basically we’re just trying to make sure folks can compete at their own level. So if either #1 or #2 applies, please submit your entry in the Professional Division:
- (for existing costumes): Your costume has been exhibited at a cosplay convention or awarded a prize in a cosplay contest; or it is a professional costume used for Renaissance Faire performances; or it is a professional stage costume used for a theatrical performance.
- (for newly constructed costumes): You are a professional cosplayer, Renaissance Faire performer, or theatrical costumer, and the costume you are entering exhibits a professional skill level commensurate with the uses outlined in #1.
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
Special 2016 Division
We’ve created a couple of special categories for costumes we’d really like to see this year. These are open to everybody, though if we get a lot of submissions we may create Adult, Junior, and Professional subdivisions.
Best Madam President Costume = $25 Amazon gift certificate
In honor of the first U.S. presidential election with a woman at the top of a major party ticket, we’d love to see some costumes celebrating the women throughout American history who have thrown their hat in the ring. You can dress up as anybody from Victoria Woodhull (the first woman to run for president) to Shirley Chisholm (this blogger’s childhood hero!) to Hillary Clinton (pantsuit. wear a pantsuit). There are a bunch more too — Patsy Mink, Belva Lockwood, Margaret Chase Smith, just to name a few.
Best Future TBH Goddess/Mythological Costume = $25 Amazon gift certificate
We are planning to add some more costume designs in our Goddess category next season, but in the meantime we’re throwing the floor open for your ideas. If you’ve created a costume for a mythological figure we haven’t done yet (Bastet? Morgan le Fay? Juno? Chang’e?) and it’s a design we could adapt for Take Back Halloween, send in the pictures along with a description of exactly how you put it together.
General Rules
1. 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 three (3) costumes for consideration.
8. Submissions should be emailed to contest@takebackhalloween.org.
9. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, November 6, 2016.
We expect to publish the winners about a week after the submission deadline.
In May 1952, Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) made a photograph. It wasn’t just any photograph: it was an X-ray diffraction image of the DNA molecule. Labeled “Photo 51,” it would prove to be the crucial piece of data in unraveling the double helix structure of DNA. Unfortunately, Franklin never got the credit she deserved. Her resentful male colleagues—who seemed to feel that women had no business being brilliant scientists—conspired to purloin her data behind her back. When James Watson and Francis Crick made their big announcement in 1953 unveiling the structure of DNA, they carefully omitted any mention of the fact that it was their unauthorized access to Franklin’s research that had given them the key.
Elizabeth Rich as Rosalind Franklin in the Theatre J production of “Photograph 51” by Anne Ziegler. Costume design by Luciana Stecconi. Photo by Stan Barouh.
Rosalind Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1958, so she never learned that she’d been cheated of credit for her role in one of the greatest breakthroughs in science. After her death—and after Watson, Crick, and co-conspirator Maurice Wilkins had received Nobel Prizes for the discovery of DNA—James Watson went on to write a bestselling book in which he ridiculed Franklin as an unimaginative clod and a frump. He also spent the next 40 years bloviating about the inferiority of people who aren’t white males, leading to the inescapable conclusion that Mr. James Watson is not what you might call a reliable narrator. In fact his entire portrait of Rosalind Franklin was false. Since this is a costume project, we’re especially interested in the part about her being a frump.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with being a frump. Most male scientists are pretty darn frumpy, and it’s absurd that a female scientist should be held to a different standard. But the irony is that Rosalind Franklin wasn’t a frump. She was actually very, very chic. She cared about clothes, and avidly followed the latest Paris fashions. Friends remembered her as always being beautifully turned out, wearing Dior’s “New Look” silhouette and well chosen accessories.
Modern theatrical productions usually portray Franklin as a stylishly dressed lady in a lab coat, which seems pretty close to the mark. We suggest you go for the same effect. The items we recommend (pictured from left to right in the row of product images up top):
Kristen Bush as Rosalind Franklin in the Ensemble Studio Theatre production of “Photograph 51” by Anna Ziegler. Costume design by Suzanne Chesney.
1. Lindy Bop ‘Ramona’ shawl-collar dress. This retro dress is just the sort of sophisticated thing Rosalind would have worn. It even has that elegant shawl collar she liked.
2. Alternative option: vintage 1950s shirtwaist. That link goes to a page of search results at eBay, which is probably your best bet if you’re hunting for a bargain. Another excellent place to look is Etsy. You could also just wear a skirt-and-blouse combo that’s conservative enough to pass for the 50s.
3. Lab coat. Fortunately, lab coats haven’t changed much in the past 60 years. A long modern coat like this will work fine.
4. Black suede stiletto heels. The quintessential 50s shoe. A similar pump with a slightly lower heel is the Goldie by Vince Camuto.
5. Jet bead necklace from 1928 Jewelry. Jet jewelry was popular in the 50s, and this 18-inch necklace looks a lot like the one Rosalind is wearing in several photographs. Graduated pearls or beads would also be a good choice.
6. Photo 51. This is it: the original Photo 51, now held in the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers at Oregon State University. (No one is sure how Linus Pauling ended up with it, but speculation is that Rosalind gave it to him when he visited her in London.) Click for a full-size version you can print out and carry with you:
And furthermore: Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant scientist whose contribution to DNA research went far beyond just taking a great X-ray image. Within a few months of beginning work on the DNA molecule, she discovered that it had two forms, A and B. This was critical for deciphering the structure. She correctly argued that the sugar-phosphate backbone had to be on the outside with the bases pointing in, held together by hydrogen bonds. By the spring of 1953 she had identified the double helix structure, and made precise measurements of the diameter, separation, and pitch of the helices. All this was part of the model presented by James Watson and Francis Crick as their own work.
The definitive biography of Franklin is Brenda Maddox’s Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA. For a shorter take but one that is chock full of goodness on the hard science stuff, read “Rosalind Franklin and the Double Helix,” an article by biologist Lynne Elkin that was published in Physics Today. The website for the NOVA documentary Secret of Photo 51 also has a wealth of information. And thanks to YouTube, you can watch the whole program online:
Aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was the first black woman in the world to earn a pilot’s license. The child of sharecroppers in Texas, she overcame incredible odds—poverty, racism, sexism—to pursue her dream of flight. Inspired by the exploits of World War I’s flying aces, she set her sights on becoming a pilot herself. She saved up until she could go to France for flying lessons (no American aviation school would accept her), and returned home a sensation. Coleman became a huge star on the barnstormer circuit, thrilling audiences with her bravery, her skill, and her glamorous image. Her self-designed uniform set the pattern for female aviators: a military jacket and breeches, an officer’s belt, a leather helmet with goggles, a silk scarf, and a long leather overcoat.
Tragically, Bessie Coleman was killed in a flying accident in 1926. But her legacy influenced generations of African Americans, including the Tuskegee Airmen. When astronaut Mae Jemison made history as the first black woman in space, she was carrying a photograph of Bessie Coleman with her.
To dress like Bessie, you’ll want to get as close as you can to the look of a World War I officer’s uniform—plus, of course, an aviator cap and goggles. The items we suggest, from left to right:
Bessie Coleman circa 1922.
1. Military-style jacket in olive drab (“forest floor”). This is a great substitute for a genuine military uniform jacket. Ideally you’ll want it large enough that you can button it closed all the way in front. Then just wear a white button-down shirt underneath with a tie or cravat. If you can’t find a military-style jacket, you could also go with a short trench coat in olive drab or khaki.
2. Sam Browne belt in brown leather. Another possibility is here: Sam Browne belt in black leather. So who was Sam Browne? He’s the guy who invented that cool-looking belt with the cross shoulder strap, which was quite the military fashion statement in the World War I era. Unfortunately they’re kind of expensive nowadays. New ones are available from specialty costumers or from uniform supply stores; vintage army surplus Sam Brownes can usually be found on eBay. You can also rig up your own by cobbling a couple of belts together: Sam Browne Steampunk Belt on Instructables.
3. Breeches. These breeches are baggy at the thighs and tapered below the knee, which makes them a good choice to simulate the look of World War I breeches. Also available here.
4. Military-style lace-up boots in tan. Don’t these look like World War I boots? We love them.
5. Costume aviator hat. Note that this is just the hat; you have to get the goggles separately (next).
6. Costume aviator goggles.
Overcoat: For cold weather Bessie wore a long leather coat over the rest of her outfit (see photo at right). You may not need the extra layer, but a leather or faux leather trench coat would fit the bill.
Aviator’s white silk scarf: If you don’t already have a white silk scarf you can use, this is the genuine article. That same store also carries real leather aviator hats and reproduction goggles—not costume shop stuff—if you’re looking for authentic gear.
Learn more: The Smithsonian documentary Black Wings has a very nice segment on Bessie Coleman:
In this excerpt from the WTTV-PBS documentary Chicago Stories, biographer Doris Rich talks a little bit about Coleman’s flying uniform:
Main illustration credits: The beautiful painting of Bessie Coleman is by John de la Vega, and was commissioned by the Wright Brothers Memorial Museum in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The newspaper and publicity photographs of Coleman date from between 1922 and 1925. Her pilot’s license is a facsimile based on the photos in the Smithsonian collection. The photograph of a World War I British officer’s uniform, which is extremely similar to the outfit Bessie Coleman designed for herself, is from the Museum of the Manchester Regiment in Ashton-under-Lyne, UK. The photo was contributed by Graham Cook to the Clash of Steel online gallery of military uniforms.
They’re here! The winners of our 2015 Costume Contest! Our contest was huge this year, and we were astounded by not only the number of entries but the quality and variety. They’re all in our Facebook album, which I invite you to marvel over: 2015 Costume Contest Album. And if you need a refresher on the whole deal, check out our original contest announcement post.
I said last year that the judging was agonizing; this year it was excruciating. There were some very, very close decisions, and some of these prizes were awarded on the basis of literally one or two points. If you didn’t win, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do a great job! We just had so many fabulous entries for each category.
Also, our contest has grown enough that I think next year we’ll establish separate divisions for professionals, amateurs, and so forth. That way people can compete at their own level.
And now, without further ado, here are the winners. Each winner’s photo card from below has also been uploaded to our 2015 Costume Contest Winners album on Facebook so you can share them individually.
Category Awards, Adult Division
These are the prize categories that were announced before the contest. They’re based on our own costume categories here on the website: glamour grrls, goddesses and mythological figures, queens, and notable historical women.
Best Glamour Grrl Costume
Winner: Autumn Thomas-Brown as Josephine Baker.
Doesn’t she look gorgeous? This is what our Glamour Grrl category is all about: dressing to the nines and piling on the bling for a fabulous night out. We love that Autumn brought along a little Chiquita (Josephine’s pet cheetah), replete with diamond collar—just as we suggest on our Josephine Baker costume page.
Best Mythological Costume
Winner: Rae Bradbury-Enslin as Athena Parthenos.
The Athena Parthenos was the huge ivory and gold statue of Athena that once stood in the Parthenon, and Rae’s masterpiece is a recreation of that statue. We use the word “masterpiece” advisedly, because this costume is one of the most astonishing things we’ve ever seen. We’re awarding Best Mythological Costume here, but as we told Rae, really she deserves all the awards the costume world can possibly bestow on her.
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Solenn Féral as Christine de Pizan.
This whole costume was handmade, and Solenn tells us that she constructed the attor de gibet (the two-horned headpiece) from thick paper, fabric, and “many pins and staples.” We believe it! Bonus points for the awesome photo shoot; the only thing missing is Christine’s little dog (you can get a better view on our Christine de Pizan page).
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Anneliese Meck as the young Queen Victoria.
This exquisite costume began life as a discarded 80s prom dress, which Anneliese transformed into queenly attire in a matter of hours the weekend before Halloween. It will perhaps not surprise you to learn that Anneliese is an aspiring costume designer; her talent, skill, and eye for balance and detail are superb. You can read more about this costume on her blog: A Young Queen Victoria.
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween design, Mythological category
Winner: Becky Murphy as Freyja.
Becky was inspired by our Freyja design, but took things in her own direction to make the costume even more of a battle goddess look. The chainmail is a toy hammock that she spray-painted silver and hammered metallic black; the shield was made from styrofoam and plaster cloth. The cloak is black velvet with a huge feather collar attached. At the last minute Becky decided the green apron dress/overskirt from the original design wasn’t working, but the costume still looks great without it.
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween design, Notable Woman category
Winner: Caitlin Driscoll as Admiral Grace Hopper.
Caitlin is a Technology Resource Teacher at Parkway Elementary School in Alliance, Ohio, and this year for Halloween she used our guide to dress up as Grace Hopper. She writes, “I also issued a video challenge to the school that played after daily morning announcements. Students and teachers learned about Grace Hopper, what she did (they liked the story with the moth), and why she is important to the history of technology.” Way to go, Caitlin—and thank you for being such a great teacher!
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween design, Queen category (tie)
Winner (tie): Angel Rios as Catherine the Great.
We just love what Angel did with our Catherine the Great costume design. The dress is the exact same one we recommend, but Angel has really bumped things up a level with the addition of a cape. She put it together using gold fleece, faux fur trim, iron-on coat-of-arms decals, and bling on a roll to recreate the diamond chains that held Catherine’s cape around her shoulders. Wonderful!
Winner (tie): Jean Martin as Liliuokalani.
Jean did a beautiful job with our Liliuokalani design, right down to the butterfly in her hair. The black dress, lace trim, the order sash, the choker—it’s all perfect. Thank you, Jean, for presenting such a lovely image of a great queen.
Grand Prize, Adult Division
Winners: The God Squad of Oberlin College as the Olympic Pantheon (plus Odysseus and Penelope).
To get the full effect, you need to check out the God Squad of Oberlin College photo album on our Facebook page. The story is that ten friends at Oberlin College decided to dress as the Greek pantheon, inspired by or using our costume designs, while another two friends joined the party as Penelope and Odysseus. The resulting group calls itself the God Squad of Oberlin College, which we note would also be a really good band name. Roll credits: Katerina Walter as Poseidon, Michael Ponz as Dionysus, Caitie Rodger as Hecate, Amelia Wedel as Artemis, Sarah Larkworthy as Zeus, Emma Sterling as Persephone, Margaret Saunders as Athena, Felipe Firmo as Apollo, Casey Emerson as Ares, Morgan Griffith as Aphrodite, Perry Hatchfield as Odysseus, and Stephanie Zellers as Penelope.
Category Awards, Junior Division
As with the Adult Division, these are the prize categories that were announced before the contest. They’re based on our own costume categories here on the website, except no glamour grrls because reasons.
Best Mythological Costume (tie)
Winner (tie): Marlena Nkene’s daughter as Yemaya.
This elegant little outfit is perfect for Yemaya, whose colors are pure white, shining silver, and the watery blue of the ocean. Marlena’s daughter looks wonderful—notice the glittery belt and silver jewelry—and even her makeup is gorgeous. We love it.
Winner (tie): Jade Jones as Morgan le Fay.
Emphasis on the “fay,” because obviously this Morgan has gone pretty far into fairy territory—she’s even sprouted wings! This imaginative and exuberant costume was designed and made by Jade’s aunt, Heathery Hebert (aka Heathery Mythos). Beautiful work.
Best Notable Woman Costume
Winner: Brennan Wheeler as Dolley Madison.
Brennan is only 7 years old, but she was the one who came up with the solution to make sure everybody knew she was Dolley Madison: she would attach Washington’s portrait (the one Dolley is famous for saving) to her trick-or-treat bag. What a smart little girl! And kudos to Brennan’s mom for pulling together the costume and making it happen.
Best Queen Costume
Winner: Gabriela as the Queen of Hearts.
“Off with your heads!” Gabriela’s mom tells us she had a ball playing the Queen of Hearts, and she’s certainly the cutest version we’ve ever seen. Notice all the little touches, including the heart-shaped earrings and makeup. So precious!
Best Realization of a Take Back Halloween design
Winner: Faith Harrison as Ada Lovelace.
Faith put together this costume herself using our Ada Lovelace page. Doesn’t she look perfect? She even has the ballet slippers and the little tiara. Wonderful job, Faith!
Grand Prize, Junior Division
Winner: Sierra Decordova as Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow.
The wings are made from 1200 duck and rooster feathers. The dress is handmade and bedazzled. The staff is a tiki torch strung with LED lighting, and the ribbon represents the rainbow. Ladies and gentleman, Sierra Decordova: 14 years old and already an incredibly accomplished costumer with boatloads of talent and ingenuity. Congratulations, Sierra!
Special Achievement Awards
This division is for calling out particular accomplishments, like superior artistry or homemade craft-fu or an inspired performance/impersonation. All winners will receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
Scariest Costume
Winner: Nadja Robot as Baba Yaga.
Nadja did a lot of research to make her version of Baba Yaga as authentic as possible, and constructed the dress and sarafan herself. She also made the jewelry (skulls), the chicken feet (from toy velociraptor claws), and used tooth black to make her teeth look dirty. Ew! And check out the wart with the one giant hair sprouting from it.
Cutest Costume
Winner: Eleanor Dulcinea Galvez as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Notorious RBG).
This pint-sized Notorious RBG is squee-level cute. And talk about resourceful: Eleanor’s mom made the costume from a t-shirt and a pillowcase. A pillowcase!
Cleverest Costume
Winner: Mabel Kelly as Amelia Earhart, with Mom and Dad as clouds.
Is this some kind of crazy genius or what? Mabel’s mom and dad built the plane on a little wagon, dressed themselves as clouds, and then accompanied (pulled) Mabel as she “flew” through the neighborhood on Halloween. Too cool for words.
Best Impersonation, photographic
Winner: Maia Weinstock as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Notorious RBG).
This is so good it’s almost uncanny. The photo shoot is by Jordi and Maia Weinstock; for legal reasons (heh) we should probably say that the original photo of Justice Ginsburg wearing gloves is by Sebastian Kim, and the photo of her seated with her hands in her lap is by Ruven Afanador.
Most Inspired Performance
Winner: April Koel as Boudicca.
Because you know this is what she looked like. Boudicca was a badass, people. She was a queen, but she was a badass warrior queen with blue face paint and serious attitude. April’s got it down. (Her costume is also perfect: check out our Boudicca page for reference.)
Most Hacktastic Costumes
Winner: Niesha Spencer as Mother Earth and as a Mermaid.
“Hacktastic” is our word for fabulous homemade costumes that require creativity and ingenuity, but not hardcore sewing or construction skills. Niesha here is proving what we’ve been saying for years: you can do amazing things with a green dress, silk flowers, and tulle. (We used a similar mermaid technique for our LaSiren costume.)
Outstanding Historical Costuming (three-way tie)
Winner (three-way tie): Ainsley H. as Puabi.
When we started this website five years ago, some people were skeptical of our decision to include costumes like the one for Puabi. “Who wants to dress up as an ancient Sumerian?” they said. Well, we do—and, it turns out, so do some other people as well. Last year Janice Strickland entered a beautiful Puabi costume in our contest, and this year we have two incredible Puabis. First up is this superb creation from Ainsley, who also happens to be an Assyriologist. She did an excellent job of replicating the actual artifacts from Puabi’s tomb, including that jaw-dropping beaded cape.
Winner (three-way tie): Laura Gill as Puabi.
Our second Puabi is from Laura Gill, who modeled her headdress after a different reconstruction of the jewelry in Puabi’s tomb. She cut out and perforated all the leaves and medallions from sheet brass and sewed them onto a gold ribbon. The “lapis lazuli” stones on the medallions are actually blue vase gems that were hot-glued on. And the huge earrings are shower curtain rings spray painted gold!
Winner (three-way tie): Elizabeth McKinnon as Nefertari.
Elizabeth is a history student, and her goal here was to recreate Nefertari’s crown and dress as accurately as possible based on the paintings in her tomb. Boy, did she ever! That phenomenal crown was a commission made by Elizabeth’s friends at Organic Armor, while the dress was completely hand-sewn and hand-pleated.
Outstanding Fictional Cosplay
Winner: Monica De Souza-Griffith as the TARDIS.
Modern fictional characters aren’t eligible for our regular category awards, but we’ve noticed that there is a significant overlap between people who like Take Back Halloween and people who like Dr. Who. We receive a number of Dr. Who-related contest entries every year, but Monica’s TARDIS dress blows everything out of the water. Gorgeous and perfect.
Outstanding Fictional Cosplay, Junior Award
Winner: Madeleine Wheeler as La Muerte from The Book of Life.
Ditto what we said above about modern fiction, but La Muerte is at least based on myth and folklore: she’s a blend of Mictecacihuatl, Santa Muerte, and La Catrina. Madeleine’s mom constructed the amazing sombrero from a foam hat, foamcore board, straws, and gallons of hot glue. The facepaint isn’t really facepaint; it’s a mask painted to look like La Muerte. We are in awe.
UPDATE 11/9/2015: Thank you, everyone, for your amazing entries! This year’s contest is our best yet, and we are thrilled by all the terrific costumes. We plan to announce the winners on Monday, November 16. In the meantime, be sure to look through our Facebook album to see the incredible creativity of all our entrants: 2015 Costume Contest Album.
It’s time for our 4th annual costume contest, folks! And thanks to a couple of generous supporters, our prizes are bigger than ever this year. So send in your pictures! Make ’em good, because it helps a lot when we’re judging the costumes. We’ll upload all the entries to our 2015 Costume Contest Album on our Facebook page.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
What 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. No generic costumes and no copyrighted characters, please. To get a sense of what we like, the best thing you can do is look at our contest winners from prior years:
2014 Costume Contest winners
2013 Costume Contest winners
2012 Costume Contest winner
Here are the prize categories for this year:
Adult Division
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
Junior Division
No Glamour Grrl category for juniors, because there will be plenty enough time for that when you’re grown, young lady.
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 (this prize is about faithfully recreating one of our specific designs here on the website)
Grand Prize for Best Overall = $50 Amazon gift certificate
Special Achievement Awards
This is our wild card category. The same rules apply in terms of the kind of costumes we want to see, but these awards are to recognize special achievements in fabulousness. We never know what people are going to send us, so we’re just leaving the prizes unspecified until we see the entries. Check out those links to our contests from past years to see the kinds of things that float our boat.
Rules
1. 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 three (3) costumes for consideration.
8. Submissions should be emailed to contest@takebackhalloween.org.
9. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
We expect to publish the winners about a week after the submission deadline.
Calamity Jane (1852-1903) was born Martha Canary, and after that things get fuzzy. Almost every detail of her life is disputed, mostly because she told quite a few tall tales (as did all the other Wild West figures who were interviewed back then for newspapers and dime novels). What’s certain is that she dressed as a man—at least some of the time—and raised a lot of hell.
If you’re interested in Calamity Jane’s life, Linda Jucovy’s Searching for Calamity: The Life and Times of Calamity Jane is fascinating. If you’re just interested in rocking a Calamity Jane look, here are the items we suggest, from left to right:
1. Vintage suede fringe jacket. From eBay, which is probably your best bet if you don’t have a local thrift store you can scour. The older and grodier the jacket, the better. (Search for “vintage suede fringe jacket.”)
2. Brown derby hat. Also called a bowler hat. This, rather than the Stetson, was actually everybody’s favorite hat in the Wild West. But people wore all kinds of hats, and a slouch hat or cowboy hat would also work.
3. Brown waistcoat. You need some kind of waistcoat or vest; either get an inexpensive vest like this, haunt the thrift stores, or raid a family member’s closet. You can also make do with a button-up sweater vest or sweater. No kidding: Billy the Kid was wearing a cardigan in his studio portrait.
4. Pack of four jumbo bandanas. These are 27″ square bandanas in muted colors: white, olive drab, black, and red. Use one as an ascot and maybe tuck another one in your pocket.
5. Bandolier bullet belt. It’s 60 inches long, so it’s enough to sling around your body.
Pants: We recommend jeans or khakis. You can look for fringed suede pants, but they’re expensive.
Shirt: Wear a plain men’s work shirt or a plaid shirt.
Extra credit: Carry an empty whiskey bottle!
Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965) was a dynamo of talent and beauty who became the first African American nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Her starring role in Carmen Jones launched her into the Hollywood stratosphere, but the racism of the era meant that there was still no real place for her in mainstream pictures. She was a brilliant performer and a box-office draw, yet her talents were ultimately wasted by the white movie industry. Sadly, she died much too young, but her memory—and her mesmerizing screen presence—lives on.
The easiest way to dress like Miss Dorothy Dandridge is to rock that iconic Carmen Jones look. It’s unmistakable! Here are the pieces we suggest, from left to right:
1. Red pencil skirt.
2. Off-the-shoulder black top.
3. Red rose hair clip.
4. Silver-tone hoop earrings (2 inch diameter).
Hair and makeup: Ebony McCrary did a gorgeous retro glam look à la Dorothy Dandridge on her Colored Beautiful YouTube channel a few years ago:
And this is the wig-styling video she’s talking about:
The wig she’s using is the Naomi from the Janet Collection, but we’re not sure they make that model anymore (the video is a few years old). They do have a synthetic wig called the Monroe that seems very similar. As Ebony shows in her video, it’s amazing what you can do with an inexpensive wig.
Now you just need a man who looks like Harry Belafonte…
