Vampires and Their Halloween Outfits
If one thinks of traditional Halloween outfits, either being a witch or being Dracula usually comes to mind. Today, there’s also Scream, Freddy Krueger, and Beetlejuice, but in your area, you will still find quite a few little Dracula's at your door saying, “Trick or Treat!” Where exactly did Halloween costumes come from, and what influence do vampires have on them?
Dressing up, or “guising” for Halloween is first recorded in Scotland in 1895, where townsfolk would go door to door with hollowed out turnips, and were rewarded in kind with fruit, money, and cakes. In 1911, “guising” was first recorded in Canada, and by the 1930s, costumes were first mass produced in the United States. This coincides with the 1931 release of the film version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. Prior to the literary, and subsequent film version of Dracula, popular folklore envisioned vampires as bloated, rather disgusting creatures. Bela Lugosi brought to the screen a charming, sophisticated vampire. It would soon be emulated in men's Halloween costumes worldwide.
The vampire men's Halloween costumes of today still resemble the character of Bela Lugosi as Dracula: a long flowing black cape with collar, a vest, a button down shirt, black pants, black shoes, and pendant. Perhaps the most memorable scene of Bela is when Renfield arrives, and we catch the first glimpse of Dracula coming down the stairs. In his first line of the movie, chillingly, he simply says, “I am Dracula.”
Women’s Halloween outfits of modern times are not completely dissimilar. They can be long and flowing, or short and sexy, but they typically adhere to the button and cape style of dress of the masculine Dracula. Children’s Halloween outfits follow the same pattern, and you can even order a Dracula costume for your dog.
Beginning in the late 1990s to early 2000s, vampire popularization experienced a new resurgence with TV shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and in 2005, an author named Stephenie Meyer released a novel called Twilight, which really brought vampires into the spotlight. Twilight exploded into a series of books and movies, the popularity of which was unparalleled.
The men's Halloween costumes from Twilight are quite different than that of your typical Dracula. Female costumes associated with Twilight are on the plainer side, if one is to emulate the character Bella, the main female character, correctly. To dress as Bella, your main accessory would be simply a corduroy jacket. Edward, the main male character in the book and movie, does not sport the flowing cape. He does favour a plaid button down shirt, Ray Ban sunglasses, and for the true Twilight fan, shimmer powder, as Edward does sparkle.
No matter what fads come and go, there will always be vampire costumes, and the traditional cape, vest, and button down look will always be the most popular, for both women and men's Halloween costumes.
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