Stories: Costuming-Halloween 2004

I enjoy costuming though I don’t usually have time to build costumes as I would want to. This time, I have an old Halloween story to share.

Why Halloween? I was rumaging through some old notes and I wanted to eliminate some papers and transfer it to digital. I happen to like this story, which I wrote long hand and dumped in my files.

Each Halloween, my father’s office had a themed party as many do. One year, my father was one of the 102 Dalmations and he and his department paraded for fellow office workers to “Who Let the Dog Out?” Another year, they did the Addams’ Family and my father did and uncanny imitation of ‘Uncle Fester’. My father then decided in 2004 to dress as a famous and popular singer.

He spent a couple weeks putting the costume together in his free time. He didn’t do any sewing or anything, but he did go shopping and searching for the correct components. On night before the day of the event, he refrained assistance and put he costume together for the first time. I was busy at the time and didn’t realise what he was doing until he walked into the room and made me do a doubletake. The black wig was long and shagy, the black makeup was actually pretty precise for someone who doesn’t do make up and the whole outfit was amazing. He got compliments and suggestions from us and then set it up for the next day.

I didn’t see him as he went out the door to get to work. When he returned for the night, he brought with him a few interesting stories. He won in two categories: Best Original and ‘Most Like…’ in addition, a second costume he bought and loaned to a co-worker won Most Silly. Of course, I was not really surprise the giant Whoopie Cushion would win that.

My father told how he wore his costume to work and entered the building complete with gait and movements of Ozzy Osbourne. A man in the office approached my father and asked, “Was that you crossing the parking lot?” My father answered in the affirmative and the co-worker replied, “Oh Good! I was afraid old Ozzy was here to collect his debt!”

When the presentation time arrived, he entered the floor with Snow White on his arm. As he reached the center of the room, he stopped and looked at Snow White with a slightly confused look, “Uh… uh… uh… .Sharon?!” he asked, affecting the speech of his character. He caused a riot of laughter from all in the room, including his companion. My father’s Ozzy Osbourne was a hit that lasts to this day. The resemblence is a bit uncanny and each time he dresses as Ozzy for Halloween, I am taken aback.

Recently, he showed me his work ID and it sent me into howls of laughter, that I actually ended up on the floor laughing. For whatever reason, he was allowed to use his Ozzy photo as his official ID.

Do you have any silly costuming stories to share? Post a comment and let me know.