This year, make a Halloween costume inspired by famous figures from Pennsylvania.
You don’t need to buy an overpriced Halloween costume from an old-JCPenney-building-turned-seasonal-costume store. Instead, make your own costume inspired by famous figures — real and imagined — from the great state of Pennsylvania. This writer has personally dressed in two of the costumes on this list, so you can trust our endorsement!
Taylor Swift
The queen of pop music may reside in New York and Nashville, but she grew up in Berks County, and thus, a Pennsylvanian she will always be. You can dress up as Taylor in a plethora of ways, depending on which of her “eras” enthralls you most! You could make a “Junior Jewels” shirt reminiscent of Taylor’s in the “You Belong With Me” music video, or you could channel Ms. Swift on the Eras Tour and wear a sparkly leotard. Actually, pretty much anything with sequins will likely work well, especially if you have a blond wig!
Mr. Rogers
Kindly Fred Rogers was born in Latrobe and spent his adult life in Pittsburgh. Donning a red cardigan and some kicking sneakers will make it obvious to others in the neighborhood that you’re meant to be every child’s favorite TV host, Mr. Rogers. Also, pull on a charming tie and some khaki pants. Most importantly, remember to smile.
Ben Franklin
Dress as Philly’s favorite son by emulating the scores of Ben Franklin impersonators out there. It would be great if you could mimic Franklin’s famous suit, but if 1700s-era costumery isn’t a hobby of yours, you’ll need to do the best you can. Here’s what we recommend: You need a long coat over a button-down shirt — then, tuck a frilly piece of fabric into the top of your shirt, like a bib. (That’s Franklin’s neckcloth.) If you have a vest to put over your shirt, great! If not, don’t sweat it. You still need to tackle the hard part, after all: the hair. Most depictions of Ben Franklin have him balding with long gray hair. You could get a wig for this. But you could forget the gray hair and just make your own colonial wig — you know, the white barrister’s wig we associate with George Washington. While Ben Franklin didn’t usually wear powdered wigs in the U.S., he did wear them while in Europe! You could roll up pieces of white felt or white paper and glue them to a skull cap or shower cap, or even just glue a bunch of cotton balls onto a cap. If it’s white and poofy, it’ll probably work. Or, just pop on a three-cornered hat!
Costumes inspired by The Office
“The Office” is one of the most popular TV shows of all time, and certainly the most popular TV show ever based in Scranton. You could easily dress as everyday Dwight Schrute by pulling on a mustard button-down and his signature glasses. But you could also create a costume with other fans of The Office in mind — maybe you’ll dress as Kevin with a vat of his favorite chili. You could also channel Jim Halpert and mimic one of his Halloween costumes, like “three-hole punch Jim”, which involves merely taping three large black squares to the side of your torso. Done!
Punxsutawney Phil and the Inner Circle
This could be a very cute couple’s costume. Grab some brown fabric, a mask, or even a jumpsuit to recreate the look of a groundhog until you and Punxsutawney Phil are indistinguishable. A friend (or multiple friends) could represent the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle — all they really need is a top hat, though adding a tux would be a major win.
Andy Warhol
The legendary artist was born Andrew Warhola in working-class Pittsburgh, and the city has never forgotten him: It’s home to the massive Andy Warhol Museum dedicated to his legacy. Channel Andy by pulling on big glasses and a floppy wig to match the artist’s distinctive white hair while dressing in all black. Friends could also dress as some of his “muses,” like Edie Sedgwick, achievable with dramatic eye makeup and 1960s-era style.
Rocky
You could dress up as just any boxer — but we know you’d much rather dress as the boxer, Rocky Balboa himself. Make a Rocky costume to celebrate Philly’s favorite fictional son by wearing American flag exercise shorts and boxing gloves. You could also embrace the gray tracksuit and black Converse that Rocky wears when running up the Philly Art Museum steps. Want to take it a step further? Paint yourself entirely gray and mimic the Rocky statue.
Pa. sports mascot
Sure, you could dress as a famous Pennsylvania-based athlete like Sidney Crosby or Jason Kelce, but we think it’d be much more fun to dress as one of the teams’ mascots. Be a penguin and call yourself Iceburgh of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Be the kinda creepy Pittsburgh Steelers’ mascot, Steely McBeam. Cover yourself in green fur and be the Phillie Phanatic, whatever kind of animal he is. Get yourself some feathery wings — and boom, you’re an eagle. But not just any eagle, you’re the Eagles’ Swoop!
Pittsburgh Pirate Pierogi
The Pittsburgh Pirate Pierogies aren’t mascots, but the racing pierogies are still recognizable figures in Pittsburgh! And creating a Pirate Pierogi costume is actually pretty simple — you don’t need a massive pierogi suit. Instead, grab a tan jumpsuit or leotard, white gloves, running shoes, and then the accessories appropriate for your intended pierogi. For example, because Jalapeño Hannah is a female pierogi, she carries a purse and wears big hoop earrings. (Yes, my eye is twitching.) All the pierogies, including Hannah, wear baseball caps in their specific colors with the first letter of their names on them. So, Sauerkraut Saul wears a red hat emblazoned with an “S.”
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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