Project Costume

In the world of Halloween costumes, either you're in or you're out.

In this episode of America’s favorite fashioned-themed reality show, three sets of parents are challenged to come up with the best Halloween costume they can for their child. They have just 31 days to do it and a budget of only $30. Let’s meet our contestants.

Allison and Adam’s 7-year-old son Zachary loves superheroes. He’s a fan of Spiderman, Batman, and Captain America, but this year he’s told his parents that he wants to be the man of steel: Superman. With two full-time jobs between them, how will this couple find time to make their son’s Halloween dream come true?

Gina and Tom are not surprised that their 2-year-old son Ryan wants to be a firefighter this year. He has been obsessed with fire trucks for the past six months, and they’ve already got a helmet that Ryan wears for dress up.

Laura and Ben are the parents of an adorable princess-loving 4-year-old named Elizabeth who wants nothing more than to be Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Authenticity is the key when it comes to this costume. The dress must be an exact replica of the one in the movie, right down to the color she describes as “a big dip of ruby.”

Two weeks into the competition, and Allison and Adam are spotted at Target in the costume aisle. Zachary has happily pointed out the Superman costume, which includes a one-piece outfit with enhanced muscles, a cape, a mask, and boots. The price tag says $24.99 so they throw in a plastic pumpkin for collecting treats and head to the check out.

Back at home, Gina and Tom rifle through Ryan’s closet and pull out his yellow raincoat, his dress-up firefighter helmet, and his rain boots. After they try the outfit on him, Ryan decides that he really is a firefighter and proceeds to wear the outfit all day, every day. The $30 still sits in Gina’s wallet. She’s considering rewarding herself with a bag of mini Milky Ways, which she will hide in that corner kitchen cabinet where no one ever looks.

Laura and Ben have decided that the only way they are going to give a dime to the Disney corporation would be through buying a pattern and sewing the Sleeping Beauty costume themselves. Luckily Disney has marketed their own line of patterns and if they are able to find fabric the color of “a big dip of ruby,” they can make their little girl happy.

Laura and Ben both grew up with mothers who could sew any costume they desired and with the aid of a handed-down Singer, they figure they can pull this off. Never mind the fact that the most complicated thing they’ve ever done with the sewing machine was to hem a pair of pants. But, they happily remember that they’ve signed up for unlimited long distance calling and help is really just a phone call away. The cashier informs them that the fabric, the pattern, and the notions total $26 and they head home.

It’s now a week before Halloween and Zachary has safely hidden his Superman costume in his closet. He’s worried that taking it out of the plastic package might cause it to be stained or wrinkled. Ryan is still happily pretending to be a firefighter. Laura and Ben are up until midnight every night cursing at the Singer. They’ve managed to pin the pattern to the fabric, cut out the necessary pieces, and even sew the skirt together. Now, something called the “peplum,” which seems to be a princess word for a belt, is giving them trouble. Phone calls are placed, the webcam is set up, and although they are completely frustrated, they have to admit that slowly things are beginning to come together.

The night before Halloween, Zachary carefully unsnaps the plastic bag that contains his costume and lays it out on his bed. He admires the mask and cape, wonders if the blue tights will make him look like a girl, and then decides that the chest muscles will far outweigh the bottom of the costume.

Ryan announces that he’s tired of firefighters and would actually like to be Bob the Builder for Halloween. Gina and Tom try not to panic, go back to the closet, and manage to pull out overalls, a plaid shirt, work boots, and a construction helmet from the dress-up box. Ryan happily tries on the costume and Gina sighs with relief, knowing that spending the money on the Milky Ways was a good choice.

Meanwhile, Laura has noticeably more gray hairs and Ben hasn’t slept in days. Their mothers are getting annoyed by their constant phone calls and begin to put caller id to good use. After Laura breaks down in tears on the phone with a friend, therapy is kindly suggested. But the costume is nearly finished and Elizabeth excitedly dances to the spinning and whirring of the sewing machine.

It’s Halloween, the day of the big runway show, and the children put on their costumes as their parents make last-minute adjustments. Zachary is strong and confident in his costume and Allison and Adam know that with their busy schedule, a trip to Target was the perfect idea for their family. Ryan looks adorable as Bob the Builder and Gina and Tom are glad that their dress-up box contained so many possibilities. Elizabeth twirls and curtsies in front of the mirror, proud of how much she looks like the real Sleeping Beauty.

Meanwhile, Ben is sound asleep, having finished the costume at 3:00 a.m. and Laura is furiously counting the change from the fabric store to see if there’s enough for her own bag of Milky Ways. She’s got to find something to give her enough energy to walk through the neighborhood all evening.

And here, another entertaining episode has come to an end. It just goes to show that you don’t need to be America’s next top designer to make your kids look presentable on Halloween.
Auf wiedersehen, readers, and best wishes for a happy and safe Halloween.