OOP Release costume guide!

[Scott]

Well it's not a guide yet, but it can be...I need some help deciding 
what to wear for the release party, but I don't expect advice for 
free (that would be way too easy). Instead I want some of your 
groovy (did I just use that word?!?! Yikes!) ideas in exchange for 
some of mine.

Here's MY situation--
I have plenty of HP inspired clothing- a red and gold wool sweater, 
a red and gold wool scarf (both from Abercrombie and Fitch), a red 
and gold rugby shirt of heavy cotton (from J.Crew), and a red and 
gold tie (from Ben Silver). See none of this stuff was specifically 
HP themed, but definitely works; however, the problem with these 
clothing items it that, on Midsummer's Eve, they are likely to make 
me feel Hot!Hot!Hot! (sing with me--ol' le, ol' le, ol' le, ol' le--
sorry I'm listening to the song).  The point is, and I'm not the 
only one with this problem I'm sure, that I don't *want* to roast, 
and so... these things don't really work.

I also have a great LOTR cloak, like the one Galadriel gives them at 
Lothlorien, but there are two draw backs--firstly it's wool (hot) 
and secondly it's brown not black.

Any ideas of how I could combine maybe one of these items with other 
stuff to make a bearable and yet wicked (as in good ;-0) costume?

(I have the obvious things I might need for a uniform etc, a white 
shirt, grey pants, black trainers...but be creative in your advice)

Creative in your advice...maybe I need a spoonful of my own 
medicene...here are my ideas--

KIDS

House Elves
Why not take the kids in tow as HE's. Just take an old pillow case 
and cut arm holes in the sides and a hole for the head. Stick a tea 
cozy on the little guy's head (how one does that I'm not sure 
exactly since I not currently in possesion of a tea cozy or a child, 
but I'm sure it's possible.) Hey presto! You could even try making 
prostetic ears.
(http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/ has some great instructions 
for those ears and other LOTR costume ideas. I used their pattern 
for my cloak and it is truly lovely, besides many of these things 
are easily adaptable to HP.)

ADULTS 

McGonagall

put your hair into a bun and, if you can get the stuff, spray it 
temporarily black (I picture her a bit saltier than peppery though), 
wear a long black dress (to suggest a robe) and put a tartan 
dressing robe over it. She's always 
wearing one after all..."what's all this racket so late? You should 
all be asleep!") For glasses you could take some thin gauge wire 
(cheap from the Hardware store) and twist it into the shape of 
glasses using to strands and separating them for the "lenses".

Vernon and Petunia

Not the most creative of characters, but why not dress up in normal 
muggle clothes. (albeit something that would've been considered posh 
and trendy ten years ago--I think the Dursleys try too hard and 
don't succeed.) You could even act like you loath the whole 
thing...very Dursley-ish. (of course you wouldn't really loath it.)


Ok those are the only Characters I've thought of so far, but here 
are some more ideas

Cloak--go to the $1 fabric bin and buy about 8 yards of 60" fabric 
(NB: I'm really no sewing expert) and cut two semi circles that are 
120" long and use the full width of the fabric. Lay them out to form 
a circle, find the center, cut out a head hole, and sew one half of 
the seem (sp?) together...leaving the front open and voila, a cloak!

Hedwig?
Why not get a cheap bag of feathers (I really like this but I'm 
allergic) and glue them all over a white T-Shirt. You could even 
make a paper beak or something and be Hedwig? who?...(that was a 
pun, or it was supposed to be.)

Quills 
There are plenty of cool feathers available in craft stores, 
probably a green one for Rita Skeeter, and you could even pretend to 
be a Daily Prophet reporter at your bookshop (or whee'er you 
celebrate.)

gosh I don't think I've been that helpful...these are only a few 
scant ideas, but they're something...so add your own!

What I think is really fun is taking on a persona and really playing 
it out. Pretending to be whoever. Like a reporter, or a Hogwarts 
teacher, or even a, *gasp*, muggle.

Hope this helps!

Scott