According to CNNMoney.com, dressing like a dead celebrity will be the most popular Halloween costume theme this year.
How to Dress Like a Dead Celebrity for a Halloween Costume Party
Start with an identifiable symbol, like Farrah Fawcett’s hair, Michael Jackson’s sequined glove or Humphrey Bogart’s white dinner jacket. Additional clothing and props can be simple and comfortable.
Never dress as a dead celebrity if you need a face mask or an accent to create a convincing portrayal. Masks can be uncomfortable and mannerisms can be tiring. It’s a party, so focus on having fun rather than working hard to stay in character.
Dead celebrities can include anyone in the arts, sciences, politics or pop culture and historical figures. Add some wit to a dead celebrity Halloween costume by portraying someone who is still alive, but whose career – political or otherwise – is dead.
Dead Celebrity Halloween Costume – Tribute or Parody?
There are two ways to dress as a dead celebrity at Halloween. For authentic or tribute-style dressing, pick a celebrity that you somewhat resemble. For a parody costume, anything goes. Consider a portly Michael Jackson, as in Weird Al Jankovic’s “Eat It” spoof of Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It.”
Recently Deceased Celebrities as Halloween Costume Ideas
It might seem simple to emulate a recently deceased personality but not every celebrity will translate into a Halloween costume. The strong style of Michael Jackson makes him easier to copy than someone like Patrick Swayze.
Farrah Fawcett-style wigs have been available at Halloween costume shops for many years. Though recent photos of Farrah were published at the time of her death, she will always be remembered for her 1970s long, blonde, layered haircut.
Expect 2011 Halloween parties to include Amy Winehouse costumes (black beehive hairdo and cats-eye black eyeliner) and the Steve Jobs uniform of wire-rimmed glasses, black turtleneck and denim jeans.
Halloween Costumes for Different Celebrity Eras
Some stars, such as Elvis Presley, have distinct periods that you can mine for different Halloween costume ideas. Add signature black hair and suitable sideburns to create a young Elvis in an army uniform, black leather jacket or Hawaiian shirt. Sunglasses, sequins and jumpsuits are essential for his later Vegas era.
The same is true for Michael Jackson, where tribute costume ideas might range from the Afro-haired young singer in flared pants and wide collars, through to the end of his life where he had long, straight hair, paler skin and wore large dark glasses.
Classic and Contemporary Dead Celebrity Halloween Party Costume Ideas
- Marilyn Monroe – bouffant blonde wig, red lipstick, beauty mark
- Anna Nicole Smith – see above
- Marlene Dietrich – top hat, blonde wig, tuxedo
- Audrey Hepburn – upswept hairdo, pearls, elegant black dress and cigarette holder
- Carmen Miranda - fruit-filled headdress, off-the-shoulder blouse, skirt
- Frida Kahlo – black braided hair, colourful Mexican dress, unibrow
- Liberace – bouffant hair, fur or feather-edged cape, flamboyant jewellery
- Steve Irwin – khaki shirt and shorts, boots, mini-crocodile
- Groucho Marx – thick eyebrows and moustache, round glasses, cigar
- John Wayne – cowboy boots and hat
- Andy Warhol – shaggy white wig, black stare
- Sonny Bono – shaggy brown wig, floppy moustache, sheepskin vest
- John Lennon – granny glasses, long brown wig, chain with peace sign
Dead Celebrity Halloween Party Costume Forecast:
Film biographies of both Coco Chanel and Amelia Earhart may spark interest in dressing like these famous dead celebrities. Adult revellers can wear multi-strands of pearls or leather bomber jackets and goggles. Michael Douglas's Liberace bio-pic won't be out before this Halloween, but you can still dress like the flamboyant pianist. Just leave the candelabra at home. Other popular do-it-yourself ideas include '50s, '60s and '70s themed costumes.
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Oscar Week in Hollywood
Visitors to Hollywood during Academy Award week can see actors dressing like celebrities, both dead and alive, and pick up a real Oscar statue at the Hollywood and Highland Center.
Heather Zorzini - Heather Zorzini's stories, essays and photographs have appeared in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto's NOW Magazine and ...
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