Ten Awesome Ladies to Dress Up as This Halloween Power Grid By The Mary Sue StaffOct 3rd, 2012, 12:45 pm You are seeing this message because you have javascript disabled. To use our slideshows you need to enable javascript. There's no cross domain hackery or tracking voodoo, it's just some sweet jQuery animations. Please, think of the animations. In the meantime, enjoy the html version below. I guess. If that's your thing. Allow Us To Explain Shopping for a Halloween costume can be a somewhat disheartening experience for a woman. There's the sexy nurse, the sexy pirate, the sexy Chewbacca (oh yes, it exists). But what if all you really want to do is dress up as an awesome lady, and not necessarily in a way that exposes your skin to the brisk October air? There are plenty of options; you just probably won't find them in your local costume store. So we at The Mary Sue have assembled our own list of geek girl costume ideas, split evenly between pop culture and history, the latter courtesy of Take Back Halloween, an unparalleled resource for those who A) like kick-ass ladies from history and B) want to know how to dress up as them. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Athena The Greek goddess of war, wisdom, and craftsmanship, Athena is credited with the invention of, among other things, the plow, the rake, the chariot, and the art of navigation. A cunning military strategist (Virgil's Aeneid has her inspiring Odysseus with the Trojan Horse trick) who was rarely portrayed by classical artists without being in full battle armor, Athena was famously chaste and once turned a woman into a spider for claiming to be a better weaver than her (that's actually tame by Greek mythology standards; her punishment of Medusa, a once-beautiful maiden who defiled one of Athena's sanctuaries by being raped there, is much harsher). The plus side to the TakeBackHalloween costume is that it’s sheet-based, making it A) relatively inexpensive and B) comfortable. But don’t think you can just get away with wrapping a sheet around yourself like an Animal House extra. You’re dressing as the Goddess of War, so make it good–and don’t skimp on the weaponry. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Felicia Day I saw someone cosplaying Felicia Day at Dragon*Con this year and at first I thought it was odd. Sure, we’ve seen gals (and guys) dress up as Day’s The Guild avatar, Codex, but that’s a costume and she’s just a regular person like you or me. But then I thought about it a little more and once you get over the possibly awkward situation of being in the same room with someone pretending to be you, it’s actually a neat idea. Especially for Halloween. Like many individuals on our list, you may wind up getting a lot of “who are yous” if you’re attending a party without a large geek population but for a comfortable, easy costume, you can’t beat Felicia Day. Day, who doesn’t consider herself the “sexy type” (though I know many who disagree), also happens to be a great alternative to the “sexy x,y,z,” costumes you’ll find in stores. The Eureka actress some standby easy, everyday pieces. She tends to wear jeans (alternative color choices are a plus) paired with a simple tank top, blouse, or just a nerdy tee. A cardigan will also go well on top, especially if you live in cooler climates. Day has also been known to sport a pair of neon sneakers so if you’d use them again, I say go for it. And yes, you’ll need a redhead (not red) wig and a small side-braid would be a nice detail. Feel free to finish it off with a pair of glasses. If you want to go the extra mile, create a cardboard YouTube frame with Geek and Sundry as the title to carry around with you! Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Joan of Arc You know the story: While still a young woman Joan of Arc led the French army to a major victory against the British at the Battle of Orléans; months later she was captured by the British and burned at the stake for heresy. She was only 19 years old. While most people know that Joan of Arc was said to have talked to angels and saints, less commonly known is how damn good a military leader she was. Back then, French military tactics tended to be cautious and nonaggressive, but Joan saw the need for decisive action to lift the British siege of the city of Orléans, and boy did she deliver. Writes Irene Beaudry, an attack on the British “would have to bring a halt to the gentlemanly sport of continuous warfare, which had cost so many lives, military and civilian. A crushing blow was urgent and vital; however, since none was coming from the King, Jeanne deployed herself to carry out that task.” You hear that? If you’re not going to do your job and kick some British butt, King Charles VII, Joan of Arc will do it for you. We like TakeBackHalloween’s costume, though we’d also add that you can add an extra geeky dimension by getting someone to go with you wearing a “HELLO My Name is God” sticker. It’s Halloween, a Buffy reference is never out of place. And if you’d rather not don a full suit of armor (hello, extra weight!), you could always opt for the Bill and Ted approach and wear vaguely chainmail-esque tunic and tights with a metal-looking-but-probably-plastic-or-rubber breastplate. As long as you don’t forget the sword. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Josephine Baker A singer, dancer, and actress who had her heydey during the 1930s while living in France, Baker is notable for, among other things, being the first African-American woman to star in a major motion picture, even though she was better known then, as now, as a dancer. A member of the French Resistance during WWII, she smuggled military intelligence reports out of France by way of invisible ink on her sheet music; after the war, she became the first American-born woman awarded the Croix de guerre, a military honor for those who fought against the Axis. A civil rights leader, Baker refused to perform for segregated audiences, thus helping to integrate the Las Vegas nightclub scene. She also adopted 12 children from all around the world (she called them her “Rainbow Tribe”—your move, Angelina Jolie). Oh, and she had a pet cheetah. Plus sides to dressing up as Josephine Baker for Halloween: You’ll get to glam yourself up as a 1930s superstar. Downsides: Doing so can be a tricky—and expensive—thing to pull off. The hair, makeup and accessories all have to be just right (especially the hair if you’re dressing as Baker), or else you’ll just look like you’re wearing a very fancy dress. Nice, but not worthy of Halloween. As TakeBackHalloween notes, ginormous bangles and baubles are key, though strand upon strand of fake pearls wouldn’t be amiss, either. And instead of a ‘30s-style gown you could always go for her famous banana outfit... but you’d probably be cold. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Hillary Clinton Sunglasses Meme I am a woman who always appreciates a nice pants suit, or at least the power of a suit jacket to class a t-shirt and jeans right up. Give me infinite money, time, and willpower, and I'd dress like Rachel Maddow every day. Now, discounting the fact that I don't actually own an actual pants suit at the moment, if you do and you've got blonde tresses (look, they don't have to be your blonde tresses, just throw em on), sunglasses, and a cellphone, you're well on your way to going as Hillary Clinton. Or at least her meme form, Texts From Hillary. The Texts From Hillary tumblog shot to internet fame earlier this year by pairing a couple of photos of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton texting like a boss, both literally and figuratively, with other photos of political and pop culture figures handling cellphones, and captioning them. The creators of the blog decided to get out at their peak: getting a White House visit to meet the Madame Secretary herself. So spend Halloween as the most high ranking diplomat in the entire United States, and remember: to a lot of people, there's not much that's scarier than a woman with power. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Lizzie Borden Lizzie Borden’s not so much “kick-ass” as “killer,” but as a costume idea it’s historical and Halloween-appropriate, so give us a pass, will ya? Though she is infamous for killing her father and step-mother with an axe, Borden was actually acquitted of the crimes due to a lack of concrete evidence. The axe, for example, was never found, and there was no blood on the dress turned in as evidence. (The family maid saw her burning a different dress three days after the murders; Borden that she’d spilled paint on it.) Regardless of whether she was responsible for the gruesome murders—we may never know for sure—there’s no doubt she’s irrevocably linked with them, making her a spot-on choice for a Halloween costume. TakeBackHallowen’s Lizzie Borden costume isn’t as easy to put together as Athena’s—modern fashion trends are sadly lacking in muttonchop sleeves, whereas a sheet is relatively easy to procure—but it will be warmer, which is a plus if you’re taking part in a parade. I would add to not skimp on the blood; you can find instructions on how to make the fake stuff here (leave the glitter out). Halloween only comes once a year, after all. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Merida As a natural redhead, I’m constantly on the hunt for costumes that don’t require a wig but if you weren’t born with fiery locks, never fear - Merida wigs will be plenty this year. Merida is likely to be a top costume for the younglings this year but we’ve already seen some questionable versions of her costume being sold and besides, we know you’ve already pretended to be the Scottish lass in the comforts of your own home. The best thing about Merida is she has two costumes to choose from and both are fully covered. Her dresses don’t need to be exact, mostly any blue or dark green Renaissance dress will do and they’re usually easy to find at Halloween shops (if you don’t already have one like me). Just be sure to add a loose brown belt or sash around the middle. Besides her hair and dress, the other major part of Merida’s costume is her bow and arrow. Perhaps leave the arrows at home if you’re going to be at a party. We wouldn’t want any accidents. And please, for the love of god, carry around a stuffed teddy bear. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? An Olympic Athlete (Tracksuit Style) Doesn't take much to pull off a passable Olympic Athlete costume. Pick up a track suit in appropriate colors, make yourself a medal from an old con lanyard, a cardboard circle and some foil (tell everybody it's chocolate). You could even draw the proper engravings on the medal with the back end of any pen! But the best thing about dressing up as an Olympic athlete is that it doesn't matter what you look like. Big, small, blonde, brunette, you name it. There's an Olympic athlete who fits your type. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Plain Clothes Black Widow We may not have had a lot of choices this past year when it comes to female superheroes in film but at least the one we got was really awesome. Black Widow wore her usual black bodysuit in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers but before she zipped up, she looked rather comfortable. And there’s your costume idea - plain clothes Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson wore four different outfits other than her bodysuit. Her interrogation dress isn’t likely to get you recognized, nor is the one she wore to visit Bruce Banner but the other two are simple enough. First you’ve got the outfit she wears as she arrives on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. It’s basic dark blue jeans with a mustard colored tank top underneath a red one of the same style.. She wears black knee-high boots and a black leather jacket, but any black waist-length jacket will suffice. Then there’s the one she wears at the end of the film as the team goes their separate ways. You’ll need another orange tank top but this time you’ll layer a black one over it. Dark jeans again (almost black I think), this time with short black boots. She has a tan leather jacket to top it all off but that can easily be swapped with a khaki material for the same effect. Pair either of these looks with a gun holster/gun (she wears one on her thigh in the helicarrier outfit) because I’m sure Natasha is always packing heat. Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Wu Zetian Wu Zetian, China's only female ruling monarch, was born around the year 624 and began her political life as a concubine to the Emperor. After his death, Wu Zetian was sent away to become a nun, which tradition dictated was the fate of any consort of a late emperor who had not yet given birth. But living out her life as a nun wasn't up Wu Zetian's alley; she ended up the concubine of the next Emperor and eventually became the Empress after she accused her predecessor of killing her daughter. Wu Zetian’s daughter, that is; though historical opinion is divided, many believe that Wu Zetian strangled actually her own infant daughter so she could pin the crime on her rival. After the Emperor suffered a stroke, Wu Zetian took over leadership of China; even after one of her sons became the Emperor, she was still running things. She challenged the Confucian belief that “Having a woman rule is like having a hen crow like a rooster at daybreak” (i.e., unnatural), having scholars write biographies of famous women and establishing her own dynasty, the only woman in Chinese history to do so. The ruler of China, if not always officially, for decades, Wu Zetian's reign wasn't always pretty; for example, she created a secret police force and would have suspected rivals arrested or killed. But who says your Halloween inspiration can't have blood on their hands? We can't all dress up as Disney princesses. And the costume proposed by TakeBackHalloween is gorgeous, if somewhat complicated-looking (and heavy, if you opt for the period-appropriate headdress). Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Have a tip we should know? [email protected] Filed Under: AthenaBlack WidowFelicia DayHillary ClintonJoan of ArcJosephine BakerLizzie BordenMeridaWu Zetian Follow The Mary Sue: Twitter Join the Conversation Load More
