Costumes Through the Years
1994: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
It’s not as if female superheroes didn’t previously exist, but they were usually fighting crime on their own, and in skirts. When the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers burst onto the scene, however, they had a girl on their team warding off evil with them, and in pants. The pink costume allowed girls to feel strong, pretty and empowered.
Illustrations by Alex Coward
1996: Ghostface
Want to guarantee nightmares to last a lifetime? Wear a mask that signifies evil, horror and death that everyone of a certain generation will recognize instantly. The original "Scream" movie premiered in 1996, and the character of Ghostface wore a mask fashioned after Edvard Munch’s "The Scream" painting. Ghostface wasn’t confined to a single character, rather a disguise worn by many of them who all had one thing in common: being a serial killer. Happy Halloween, kids!
Illustrations by Alex Coward
1999: Britney Spears
Dressing provocatively on Halloween is nothing new, but when a teenage Britney Spears gyrated through the hallways of a high school in a Catholic-school uniform in her “Baby One More Time” video, the sluttification of 14- and 15-year-olds went mainstream. If it were on MTV, it must be OK. At least on Halloween, anyway. Please? Mom and Dad?
Illustrations by Alex Coward
2001: Harry Potter
Reading has been around forever, although the advent of the Harry Potter series took the pastime to a whole new level when kids (and their parents) devoured the fantasy novels along with the subsequent films. Harry Potter costumes were made for Halloween, with a pair of round spectacles, black robe, wood-carved wand and carefully placed scar.
Being a Potter fan, and dressing as the half-blood for Halloween, meant you were well-schooled in wizardry and firmly against the dark arts, all while magically navigating through the dark in search of sweet treats.
Illustrations by Alex Coward
2003: Jack Sparrow
It’s rare to find a costume for boys that’s the perfect blend of naughty and nice with a dash of Robin Hood and Superman thrown in for good measure. Meet Jack Sparrow.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, played by Johnny Depp in three films, survives—and usually just barely—by expertly blending his dashing personality with his quick wit and the occasional muscle. Sure, maybe you’d rather your son chose a hero with a more legitimate job, but you can’t argue with the lack of weapons and the abundance of character.
Illustrations by Alex Coward
2004: SpongeBob SquarePants
You may imagine that parents of young kids who allow them to watch a character who resides in a pineapple under the sea to be in need of an inexpensive babysitter—and you’d probably be right.
While, yes, SpongeBob SquarePants airs on Nick, it’s questionable whether it’s really a show for kids or it’s a more a show for adults who let their kids watch it with them in the name of family bonding.
Just because it’s animated doesn’t make it appropriate: There are some seriously dark subplots and even more annoying characters. So perhaps when this costume reigned supreme, it was more about parents making a statement of indifference then kids enjoying in dressing up as a porous dishwashing aide.
Illustrations by Alex Coward
