Halloween 2012: Medusa

My criteria for choosing a Halloween costume are somewhat unusual.

The primary consideration is temperature; more specifically, what I can wear without being miserably hot. Many of the best costumes, such as Pixel Pixie’s utterly fantastic Jareth, require multiple layers of clothing. Sadly, I am freakishly hot-blooded, and I cannot tolerate the layers.  :(

The secondary consideration is what to do with my hair. I have a LOT of hair, and it’s difficult to hide. With effort, I can stuff it under a wig… but then my head looks misshapen. (And, of course, wigs make me too warm.) It’s better if my costume either incorporates my hair or works around it.

This year’s costume worked perfectly with both considerations. The outfit is a loosely wrapped piece of cotton muslin (worn over a cotton tank dress for modesty) and sandals. Even I won't overheat in that!

head removed for safety ;)

I put my hair in a messy braid and clipped it up, leaving the loose ends to stick out wildly. Then I wove the snakes through, using bobby pins to hold them where needed.

looking a bit ragged... it was the end of the day and my snakes were tired

more snakes would have been better

Lastly, I used green eyeshadow to create a hint of snakeskin on my face.

While Medusa is not a very original idea for a costume, it was appropriate for work and very comfortable to wear all day. I got loads of compliments from my coworkers. Considering this costume was super easy to assemble, I was rather surprised to win the "Most Elaborate" costume award at work. :D