As we prepare for Halloween with our kids this week—buying high-tech costumes that sometimes seem like they came from a studio wardrobe department, or getting crafty in the new age of Pinterest perfection—it's made us think back to our own childhood get-ups. For a bit of fun, we asked our writers to share pics from Halloweens way past, and we've created a gallery of low-tech costumes that we wore when we were kids. (Our trip down memory lane involved a lot of old Polaroid scanning.)
I had forgotten how often we used to dress as hobos, Raggedy Ann, and Native Americans in the '70s. Remember those funky Ben Cooper, Inc. boxed costumes we used to pick up at the drug store? I still recall the sensation of poking my tongue through that scratchy mouth hole in the mask all night long; I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. And trying to get through the night without ripping the accompanying thin plastic sheet printed with our favorite pop-culture icon— ever wonder why the face of the character had to be printed on the chest of the costume, too? Why? Why!
Unless, of course, you had a crafty parent. In those pre-Pinterest days, crafty meant whipping out a roll of masking tape and creating a skeleton on your tracksuit. Makeup generally meant some of mom's lipstick and mascara.
We hope you enjoy some of our favorite costumes from the Ghost of Halloween Past. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween!
