Hall Costumes

In the parlance of science fiction conventions, there are two kinds of costumes - those worn for competition, and those worn for the fun of it.  The latter are called collectively, "Hall Costumes."  There is, of course, some cross-over, as you'll occasionally find Masquerades that permit hall costume entries, and you will occasionally find costumers wearing versions of old costumes in the halls.  And you will usually find costumers wearing hall costumes, even if they are showing something very different.

I am, in the plain truth, a bad hall costumer.  I usually wear simple street clothes, or the occasional tuxedo, to conventions, being neither inspired nor technically competent enough to do such a costume properly.  That said, here I show the simple Hall Costumes I have worn, whether they were to conventions or just to costume parties.
 

My CostumeMy Costume From the SideThe Original MagritteRene Magritte

Rene Magritte was a 20th century surrealist painter from Belgium who painted, among other seminal works, a series of studies of men in simple suits and bowlers with a green apple suspended before their faces.  This costume is a simple pin-stripe suit ($5 at the Salvation Army store), a felt bowler (from Boston Costume), and a green silk apple suspended in front of it via a bent coat hanger embedded in the front wall of the hat.  You can always tell who knows their art history - they just chuckle and walk on.  They who don't always come up and say, "OK, I'll bite; what's the apple for?"

 

Mardi Gras CostumeMardi Gras


This costume we threw together for a friend's Mardi Gras party.  Note the green brocaded smoking jacket (here being used as a tuxedo jacket), the purple cummerbund, and the gold hat and tie.  All the important colors covered.  I'm also wearing Mardi Gras beads, leopard-print sunglasses, and black tuxedo trousers.


Return to Costuming Page
Send me e-mail