Paint the town red

There used to be a saying: One person’s trashy outfit is another girl’s Halloween ensemble. Just ask Mean Girls autocrat and official high school ruler Regina George who so eloquently explained, “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”

Unfortunately the year of the slut is so over. The movement’s most celebrated champions have gone on to less slutty undertakings: Paris Hilton embraced her inner matron by shearing off her extensions and taking up charity work; Lindsay Lohan sought redemption in the warm arms of a Utah rehabilitation center; Tara Reid invested in a better plastic surgeon and wardrobe-malfunction-proof apparel; while Britney, well, she’s gone from trampy to crazy in a matter of a few court-appointment meetings and Starbucks runs.

Far be it for me to lecture people on appropriate attire for Halloween (this is, after all, the only time of year my affection for incredibly garish, over-the-top faux lashes is tolerated and admired) but there are far more fashionable ways to do the costume than simply donning a pair of bunny ears, your skankiest bikini, some tacky stripper heels and calling it a day.

This year, YStyle took inspiration from the spring-summer 2008 runways and had a few local designers recreate versions of Halloween-worthy ensembles. Joey Samson drew inspiration from the kooky universe of Louis Vuitton, in particular the show’s opening act of supermodels in white nurse outfits, their faces masked with lace, arms dripping with colorful LV bags. Dries Van Noten’s clashing print-on-print aesthetic and Comme de Garçons eccentric, clown-faced looks also served as starting boards for Samson’s costumes. Tippi Ocampo experimented with fashions en dishabille, thanks to Marc Jacob’s latest collection. Gretchen Pitchay took on Betsey Johnson’s ‘80s flamboyant promwear while Ronaldo Arnaldo looked to Lanvin’s glamorous Grecian goddesses. 

These aren’t the only collections worth plucking costume ideas from. John Galliano’s dazzling display of lip-bedazzled circus freaks in ruffled dresses is one way to go, while Gareth Pugh’s furry oversize silhouettes would work wonders for animal-inspired garb.

Perhaps the best way to deal with the whole Halloween ensemble dilemma is to think of something you’ve been dying to wear but haven’t had the courage to do so in real life. Maybe this is why many of my more conservative friends like to let it all hang out during this precocious holiday. Halloween gives every girl license to dress up in a way that on any other day would draw censorious glances. Now if only that sense of sartorial adventure weren’t limited to October 31st, the world would be a much more interesting place.

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What are you wearing for Halloween? E-mail me at oohbea@gmail.com.