Adult Plus-Size Halloween Costumes: Picks for 2007

by Elegant Plus Magazine

 The air is getting cool and crisp. Leaves are beginning to turn gorgeous shades of red, yellow and orange.  And a delightful shushing sound wafts through the air as school children shuffle their way home.  All this must mean fall has arrived…… and Halloween is right around the corner!

Dressing up in costumes used to be the sole delight of kids as they rang door bells and yelled “Trick or Treat!”.   Then Halloween parties became more common, as the specter of candy safety darkened the holiday and parents looked for alternatives for the traditions.  Today, adults love to dress-up and participate in parties as much as the kids and the adult costume industry is booming.  Yet plus-size adult and husky kid costumes are still relatively difficult to find.  Here are some of our favorites for 2007.

  1.  Hairspray Costumes

Hairspray was one of the best feel-good movies of 2007. What’s best for curvy chicks is that it was well-loved in the mainstream and provided several  plus-size characters from which to choose.  Whether you want to go the route of glittery tackiness of Queen Latifah’s Motormouth Mabel, the full-figured, matronly Edna, or the awkward sixties teen fat girl Tracy Turnblad you can.  Either raid your own closet or local thrift store to find just the right combination of Hairspray tackiness and pick up a character wig, or buy a slick ensemble from professional costume suppliers. Both are available this year, including Hairspray costumes in plus-sizes.

  2. Ugly Betty

What’s not to love about America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty?  Create your own Ugly Betty style this Halloween.  The keys are to darken up the brows, add a pair of heavy glasses and choose a dark wig with bangs .  Then go to work customizing your own Betty wardrobe look.  Be creative……. but don’t get too chic! 

Need some style pointers on how to create Bettified style?  Watch the video clip from the experts behind styling Ugly Betty character at ABC.

 3. Disney Costumes

Annually one of the favorite costume categories for Halloween is Disney costumes.  Personally we like the style of the evil, Cruella deVille from 101 Dalmations, but you might want to go for a sweeter character like Snow White or Tinkerbell.  It wasn’t so long ago that such character costumes were completely unavailable in plus-sizes.  This year Disney seems to have woken up to the market demand. (Some other movie studios could take note - where were the plus-size Lord of the Ring costumes when they were in such hot demand? I know more than a few of us full-figured gals lusted after Arwen’s gorgeous flowing gown, cape, tresses and pendent.  And it only seems fair that a character played by plus-model Mia Tyler’s sister Liv would have provided them….. but I digress.  The subject today is Disney.)

You can shop for plus-size Disney character costumes directly from Disney itself up to size 2XL or rummage through the offerings at Halloween super-stores like Buy Costumes (which also carries a selection of Husky kid costumes).  We’ve even spotted a few in larger sizes at places like Target and Walmart too.

  4. Pirate Costumes

Ahoy matey!  The pirate costume craze sparked by the movies Pirates of the Caribbean  is still in full swing this Halloween season.  Not just specific character costumes like Captian Jack Sparrow and the winsome Elizabeth Swann (see Disney shop above), but swashbuckling  pirate lassies and blood thirsty pirate deck hands too.  Styles run the gamut from voluptuously proportioned wenches to more demure full-figured costumes with long flowing skirts and blouses.  The only real requirements seem to be a pirate bandana and maybe an eye patch and sword.

You can of course go for a commercial quality costume, our sexier favorites come from teen and twenty-something plus-size retailer Torrid, but making your own is more fun.   The basics are simply bohemian favorites that have been readily available in trendy stores the last few years that you probably already have in you closet.  A variety of corset tops in plus-sizes are available at Torrid mentioned above and places like Fredricks of Hollywood if you want to go the vampier route.

 5. Fair Maidens

…. or should that be Faire Maidens?   Who doesn’t love dreaming of Courtly Love and dressing up on gorgeous medieval or renaissance gowns?  An off-shoot of the Renaissance Faire scene which has long been a favorite of  full-figured damsels, these costumes can be quite costly and elaborate.   Die-hards try to be as historically accurate as possible, but some of us mere mortals will settle for either an approximation of the right look or simpiler costumes like the classic Gypsy Girl.   Whether you want to be a regal queen, a maiden from the Arthurian legends, or a simple tavern wench this is one of the easiest categories to find plus-size options.

Elaborate, historically accurate costumes are available from Buy Costumes.  Gothic dresses can be purchased from a small plus and super-size specialty retailer called Sanctuarie in sizes up to a generous 9X, while trendy teen retailer alight has Calito prom dresses in the right style in sizes up to 34W which can be used as the basis for your costume.  

6. Vampy Vixens

You knew we couldn’t leave this one off the list.  For many adults and teens, Halloween is the one time you can dress as trashily as possible outside the bedroom and no one will say anything.  For some in the size-acceptance movement who are interested in body issues,  this is an opportunity not to be missed.  It’s a chance to scream to the world that girls with curves are GORGEOUS and SEXY and BEAUTIFUL, just like their skinnier counterparts.  So if this is your cup of tea, vamp it up.   

Play it coy with a flirty Marilyn Monroe or Betty Boop in a voluptuous halter dress plus come hither heels and fantasy wig.  Choose the classics like French Maid, sexy nurse, mysterious harem girl, or Playboy bunny from your favorite plus-size lingerie stores. 

Retailers are also getting more inventive in this category (it’s clearly a hot market) with sexy twists on everything from fairytale characters like Bo Peep and Little Red Riding Hood to Goth Fairies and Bar Maids.   Racier options cross into the territory of the dominatrix, Mile High Club, and other fantasy costuming usually reserved for more private venues.   If you wear larger than a 4X which is where ready-made costumes in this category tend to stop, there is still just barely enough time to order a custom costume in sizes up to 12X.

School Girl Jumper   Be sexy, sassy and very naughty in this plus size sexy school girl uniform. Be sure to add a pair of red or white panties underneath in case the teacher bends you over his knee!	French Maid Set     Breakfast (or lunch or dinner) in bed has a whole new meaning when you serve the orange juice and croissants wearing this sexy plus size French maid fantasy lingerie outfit and high heel marabou pumps. This fun plus size French maid set includes an underwire teddy with adjustable straps, flirty apron, gloves, lace hair band, and neckband.	Alice in Wonderland     Show off your shapely storybook curves without revealing the happy ending (until you’re good and ready). This powder blue stretch velvet costume says Alice in Wonderland all over, but he’ll know it’s going to take more than his Cheshire Cat grin to get into your good graces.	Sexy Pirate     Four piece Sexy Pirate adult costume includes stretch velvet and Spandex dress with lace-up front, feather trimmed hat, eye patch and sword.	Sailor Girl     Ahoy Mate! You may just send a few guys overboard when they see you in this strapless, stretch white twill and gold lurex spandex dress that salutes your shape so appealingly.

Share Your Creative Costume Ideas

The best costumes that I remember from growing up weren’t the ones everyone else had.  Nor were they the one’s you could go down to your local store and buy.   They were the result of a little creativity, a lot of glue, cardboard and sewing, and a magic box of make-up.  

I still have a gorgeous bronze and gold sequin mask embellished with a long black feather that I made for a costume party one year.  It was a fairly formal affair.  I dug out of my closet a beautiful, long floral silk tunic in black and orange I’d had for years and had purchased from the wonderful J. Peterman catalog.  It was long and sweeping and split down the front to reveal the black silk palazzo pants that went with it.   I always got lots of compliments whenever I wore it.  I then went down to my local sewing store,  found felt, sequins, beaded appliques usually used on formal gowns, that wonderful curling black plume, and some black velvet ribbons.  What emerged from the flurry of cutting, hot glue and creative inspiration was a mask somewhat reminiscent of those from Venice or New Orleans.  The whole ensemble made me feel beautiful and mysterious as a glamorous rendition of the very spirit of Halloween.  Alas, the tunic was well loved and it’s been long gone and worn out after constant wear, but I still have that fabulous mask.

What was your most successful Halloween costume? Do you have creative ideas for this year?  Share!

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Real women with Real bodies in the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

“I’m So With You on That. I am Too Fat” or A Mother’s View of Body Image from the Trenches

by Lisa Klobucar, Elegant Plus Magazine “Hello Gorgeous! Learning to Love Your Curves” Columnist

Poof! Summer’s over, did you enjoy it? The summer fun, the trips to the pools and parks? The family reunions, cookouts and fireworks…. I hope so, because it’s time for books, homework and of course Christmas is just around the corner. But that’s a whole other column.

In June, long before September makes her grand entrance I start planning and thinking about the upcoming school year. As a divorced mom of two girls I have always made it a staple of my house to show and instill in my girls the importance of a healthy self-esteem. Since children spend about 75% of their time at school with teachers and friends, it’s important that my girls know that they are loved; and, when they look in the mirror that they love what they see looking back a them too. I want them to feel secure with themselves. As we all know, peer pressure can change a child’s whole outlook not just about school but more importantly about how they see and project themselves.

During the summer something interesting happened. My house became the, “it” house. You know, the house where all the kids like to hang out. How and why this happened, who knows? My girls and I live in a small three bedroom townhouse. However, at any given point in time during the summer I had at least one or more extra children in my house. Now I am not some cool, easy going, laid back mom. My girls will tell you I am rather strict. Yet there are several little girls who have no problem being in my home, not only visiting and playing with my girls, but cleaning and straightening up the messes they make.

One very hot and fun filled weekend I had four giggling, “ohh he’s cute, let’s wear the same color” girls in my house. I was in a grocery store with my tribe, half-listening to them laugh and banter, discuss likes/dislikes about who is cute (by the way, Johnny Depp is hot all four agreed).  Suddenly one of the girls who is ten years old said, ” I need to lose ten pounds.” Then my eleven year old states, “I am so with you on that. I am too fat.” I stopped dead in my tracks, grocery cart and all, as all four girls promptly walked into me.

I turned and looked at them. All four are different, shapes, sizes, colors… all beautiful, smiling and for the most part happy. I looked at the two oldest girls and asked, “Why do you think you are fat and need to lose weight?” I was very interested to hear what their answers might be, especially since one of the two who thought she was fat was my own child. The ten year old stated that her mother was always lamenting to her and whoever else would listen that she (the mom) was too fat and needed to lose ten pounds. I immediately saw that the mother of this child had transferred her own poor self image onto her child, a child that was and is still growing and developing.

I then asked my own daughter, why she thought she was fat. My daughter asked if she and could talk about it later. I said, “Of course, “  making sure that they all knew I wasn’t upset, just very interested in their answers. Later that evening as the girls were getting ready to go to sleep for the night, my daughter came into my room and we talked. She said that she didn’t think she was fat, but she wanted to support her friend. She said that her friend is always complaining about her weight. Now I will have you know that the ten year old is thin and wears a girls size 12, all very right for her body and size. My daughter however, trying to be a good friend and be supportive thought that agreeing with her friend on being fat would somehow ease the ten year old’s dislike of herself.

The next day after all the girls had gone home, I asked my daughter, “What do you see when you look in the mirror?” Of course I get the, “Oh mom, do I have to answer this now” statement. But she walked to the full length mirror in the hall and said, “I’m cute. I have great hair, a dazzling smile.”  I asked her, do you really think you are fat? My daughter said, “No” but she went on to add that she has seen kids who are built smaller than she is get teased because of their weight.

This school year my oldest enters junior high. This will certainly be a test of wills for both my daughter and myself. Girls around this time tend to change, due to hormones and other developments that are going on. Cliques come into play. The issue of being popular also starts to rear it’s head. And we cannot forget that boys start to notice girls and vice versa. My daughter’s sense of self will be tested, I am sure. While I have done my best to prepare my daughter for what may or may not happen. In the end it will be up to her to decide how she will handle and carry herself with her peers. I have always been a big girl. I was a BBW, before the term BBW was even brought into existence. If nothing else, I believe that as a parent I lead by example. I have always let my girls see me as I am -  a beautiful, confident woman with no self deprecation in constant fat, diet and weight-loss talk.  I think that is one of the best things I can do  to let them know that no one body is “perfect” and that is OK.  I also have faith in my oldest. She is like me in many respects. The girl has chutzpah and moxy, OY!

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Six Tips to Help your Child Cope with Feeling Fat in a “Thin is In” World

By Dr. Robyn Silverman, Kiss My Assets Column at Elegant Plus Magazine

[This article was first published in Bay State Parent magazine as a Parenting 1,2,3 article]

You probably wouldn’t believe it if you had heard it yourself. MaryBeth, a mother of three, came to me in a panic. Her daughter, Madeline, who had recently turned six years old, had been standing outside by the pool with her two friends, Hallie and Rachel, when the snubbing began. Marybeth witnessed Madeline’s two friends slapping their bellies and whispering to each other. Hallie spoke first. “You can’t be our friend anymore, Maddie, ‘cause you’re 55 pounds and we’re only 45 and 47 ½ pounds.” Rachel continued, “Yeah, 6 year olds like us shouldn’t weigh more than 50 pounds. If you are, it means you’re fat… and fat people are ugly.” At that, Madeline ran to her Mom, and whimpered, “Mommy, am I fat and ugly?” while the other girls jumped into the pool.

As a body image and child development specialist, I believe I have heard it all. Too fat. Too short. Too flat. Too big. Too scrawny. These stories, while plentiful, are never easy to hear. 

We used to think that “fitting in” had mostly to do with how your personality meshes with your friends. But in today’s world, when everywhere from Hollywood to New York is preaching extreme thinness, “fitting in” seems to have more to do with how you appear on the outside rather than who you are the inside. And, unfortunately, those parents who thought that they didn’t have to worry about body image issues until their children became teens are being sideswiped in the head by a large dose of reality. 

No child should ever feel that s/he is “worth less” because of how s/he looks. When it comes to society’s messages that “thin is in” and “fat is faulty” what can we do to help our children remember that it’s what’s inside that counts?

Tip 1. Show children that everyone comes in different sizes

Let them know that on the normal bell curve for weight, children fall in all different places. Some are lighter and some are heavier. It’s normal for children to gain weight at different rates and at different times during their childhood. Some shoot up like weeds and then gain weight while others gain weight and then grow taller. What’s important is that each child is healthy and active NOT that each child is at the average weight for his or her age group. Of course, if you’re concerned about your child’s weight or weight progression, contact your pediatrician for advice.

Tip 2. Don’t compare

Even within families, siblings will put on weight at different times and at different rates. Pointing out that one of your children is putting weight on faster or is heavier than another sibling, can be interpreted as a criticism that s/he is not fitting in to what is “normal.” Given societal messages regarding dieting and thinness, especially those delivered to young girls, it’s easy for children to interpret seemingly innocuous comparative comments as judgments of a child’s worth.

Tip 3. Watch the media that comes into your house

A lot of magazines and TV shows hail thin frames and denigrate bodies that are not thin enough according to Hollywood standards. When someone once said, “a picture’s worth a thousand words” they were right. Research shows that media has a large impact on the way children feel about themselves and how they judge others. If you see something that celebrates very thin figures or denigrates those who are not thin, talk about it and ask your children what their take is on the subject. TV shows and books that confirm that people come in all shapes and sizes, can also be extremely helpful. (I use a self-published book for my own presentations on this topic. If interested, please contact me directly through www.DrRobynSilverman.com)

Tip 4. Be aware of your own language and behaviors

 If you’re hyper-focused on weight and looks, your child will pick up on it. As they say, “monkey see, monkey do.” You are your children’s role model and superhero. They want to be just like you and they want you to be proud of them. So when a parent looks in the mirror and says “yuck,” their children may wonder if you think the same thing about them. Young people follow your lead so be sure to show them what a healthy body image (not just a healthy lifestyle) looks like.

Tip 5. Expose them to different activities and people

 When children have the opportunity to meet different kinds of people and do different activities, they learn about and develop strengths. Other people show them that children can be good at all different things and how someone looks does not determine their worth or their abilities. A wide array of activities like team sports, martial arts, hip-hop dance and drama can help children develop confidence in what they can do and who they can be without hyper-focusing on weight and appearance.

Tip 6. Stress your values

 Raising your children to determine their true friends by who they are and not by how they look is helpful in several ways. First, they’ll attract people who think similarly. Second, they’ll be more apt to judge themselves by the strength of their values rather than how thin they are. And third, they’ll be less apt to surround themselves with people who base friendship on appearance.

But most of all, be patient and supportive. Be prepared for your children to change shape and size often during childhood. Growing up and out can be confusing and even anxiety-provoking for children who are trying to “fit in.” Helping all young people feel worthwhile, valued and capable, no matter what weight they are, is vital to the development of positive body image and self esteem.

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