Today has been one of those days where I find myself running a lot of errands. I first walked over to a Halloween shop to pick up a couple of things for my Halloween costume this year. I still don't have it done, but I'm thinking it'll be ready soon. I've decided to do something relatively simple this year, just because I've been so busy.
A lot of my female friends talk about how Halloween is sort of an opportunity to dress slutty without anyone saying anything about it. (At least not to their face. As much as I hear people talk about dressing slutty, I hear just as many complaints about the slutty dressing.) Although I have problems with the whole concept of slutty, I decided years ago that Halloween would be another opportunity for me to be a feminist and express myself through fantasy.
You know what my fantasy is? To be admired and noticed, but not for being slutty, or even sexy, but for being strong and powerful. Usually that's what my costumes are all about. Strength and power. I am demanding your gaze and I'm also demanding your respect.
This year, I decided to go for something more utilitarian, because I'm expecting to move around a great deal, so comfortable shoes, something I can potentially run in, but still have fun. It's going to probably end up being more cute than about strength and power, but I'm okay with that because of my limited time this week and because of my circumstantial constraints.
I digress. I was in a Halloween shop, and of course I want to buy everything. I love spooky things, I love black, I love all the Gothic stuff, I love a cute pumpkin. I went in and looked around a little. They had cups that said "Zombie Potion" and candelabras. They had this giant spider with hair covering it, and it looked so adorable I just wanted to give it a hug.
I wish that Halloween was a longer holiday. As much as I enjoy giving gifts to friends, I wish we'd switch it so that Halloween was a long holiday and Christmas was short. I want to have a whole week to wear costumes.
I also wish I had money now to just splurge on lots of things for all year. I like clothes as a way to express oneself artistically, and I was thinking that maybe I should consider costumes. Costumes are usually made of cheap material, but in wearing something meant to be a costume I redefine what clothes means, making all clothes seem like ultimately some kind of costume. Which could be cool.
I'm thinking of investing in wigs. Apparently dying one's hair changes it forever and the color isn't as rich anymore. I don't want to dye my hair, but I do want to change it occasionally, and I was thinking maybe I should buy the occasional wig. Something fun, something I could wear to a club even.
I finally stopped daydreaming about Halloween and bought what I needed, then I hightailed it over to the post office. (Got stuff to send.) And then went over to do some shopping for things for my place. (Don't rely on roommates to get stuff.)
Have a great Halloween Eliza. My daughters were out buying witches hats and warty noses and long black gloves that looked like spiders webs, in our local store the other day.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest has been invited to a Halloween party by a new friend in her class. The new friend, Beatrix, comes from Chicago. Abigail is wondering if Beatrix's ideas about Halloween are different from hers. Abi goes goes down the Harry Potter route.
All the best,
Tony
PS How are getting on with reading Jane's manuscripts???
Harry Potter costumes are a great idea. I use to have one myself, before the movies came out and you could just do anything witchy or wizardy for it.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I've been so busy I've had to shelf the reading of Jane's manuscripts for the time being. :( Are you enjoying them?
Do you know, reading some of Jane's documents reminds me of reading your posts. They are immediate and direct.(I would say mistakes and all, but you know, you have to be polite.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much you are into Jane Austen but if you do get into her work, the best thing is to read her letters. Not all in one go but as you feel like itand as you go along. Deirdre Le Faye has edited and produced a fantastic annotated and referenced edition of her letters.I love reading bits of them.
Living in Wimbledon ( South London) in the county of Surrey, and coming from Southampton, Hampshire, I have lived all my life in "Jane country." Her letters are about places I know well.Also read Sanditon if you can. It's very short. It was her last novel before she died. It is unfinished and unedited. It has ampersands, hyphens, abbreviations throughout. It is the true voice of Jane Austen and I think is absolutely lovely. You feel close to her. Comparing it to her finished polished novels you can see how she was becoming even more adventurous in her ideas. She was quite a revolutionary in many ways. You can sense how she wanted to fight against the status quo. Sanditon she was very critical.She wanted to change the world for women and didn't like falseness.