Learning how to make historical costumes can be useful for various events: reenactments, school plays, even book reports. For beginners, however, it’s difficult to know where to start. Elaborate dresses from movies can be wonderful sources for inspiration, but attempting one of those on a first try is as ambitious as replicating a Van Gogh without previous painting experience. Just as one needs to learn the basics of brush strokes and blending to paint, a costumer needs to learn the basic regarding fabrics and styles of clothing worn during the specified era. This is an introduction and resource for those interested in 18th century France, the time of Marie Antoinette, Victor Hugo, Versailles, peasants and a glamorous aristocracy. This guide includes the basics on what clothing was worn by both women and men, images, and a list of instructional and contextual resources.

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What should you wear to fit your body type? It’s a question we all ask! There are many different articles of clothing that can either help show off our wonderful assets or slightly cover up something we don’t necessarily want showing. Dressing for your shape comes into play while shopping for your day-to-day wardrobe, but it’s just as important during Halloween. The costume experts at HalloweenCostumes.com have created a guide to help you make the perfect choice this October!

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If you're hanging out with your group of girlfriends this Halloween, you definitely have a lot to plan. Do you want to stay in and watch scary movies or do you want to go out? Do you want throw your own bash or do you want to hit the town and be seen? Do you want a candied apple or a bag of Twizzlers? Like I said, lots to plan. The most important thing, though: what are you going to wear? If you want to be remembered for looking great, and not for how many candy corns you can eat in 60 seconds, then you should start putting together an amazing group costume. We here at HalloweenCostumes.com have come up with a ton of awesome costume themes that are perfect for you and your group of girls to be noticed.

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Makeup is what can take your Halloween costume from yawn-inducing to award-winning. I believe that makeup is just as essential as a wand is to a Harry Potter costume or an eye patch is to a Jack Sparrow get-up; without these accessories, the outfit would be alright, but with them, the costume is enchanting. Not sure how to get the look you want? Don’t fear! I’ve found the top 25 best makeup tutorial videos, from super-sweet to super-sick, and I am going to share with you! Here they are, in no particular order:

 

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From Lucille Ball on “I Love Lucy” to Christina Hendricks on “Mad Men,” redheads have always had a special place in Hollywood (just look at Cosmo and Marie Claire.) You can emulate a classic starlet this Halloween with a vintage dress and a glamorous red wig.

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Marilyn Monroe is known for her embodiment of glamour, confidence and charm. Her classic look is unforgettable: platinum blonde curls, dramatic eyes, bright red lips, and, of course, her beauty mark. If you plan on dressing up as Marilyn or any other starlet for Halloween, you can't forget the makeup! You’ll need it to achieve the timeless 1950s look to complete your outfit. Our HalloweenCostumes.com makeup expert has put together a step-by-step video on how to look just like a pin-up bombshell.

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Do you want to make a statement at on Halloween night? Do you want to be seen, talked about and envied for your confidence and style? A Nicki Minaj costume would be the perfect choice. There is nothing subtle about the self-nicknamed Harajuku Barbie. Nicki loves having fun and looking great while doing so and you can, too, with the right outfit choices. Here are some tips for how to get her look:
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Geisha costumes are classic for Halloween and will again be popular costumes for 2011. The Geisha Girl look traditionally includes a Japanese kimono, dark wig with hair pulled back, and very distinct white makeup. Our HalloweenCostumes.com makeup expert has put together an easy tutorial on how to look like a Geisha girl:
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In Hollywood, pirate characters are predominately male. They are clever, defiant, and, most importantly, irresistibly gorgeous. Johnny Depp as "Jack Sparrow" is pretty much the epitome of this manly pirate hotness. On the rare occasion that a female pirate does show up in a movie, she is portrayed as one of two stereotypes: brute or vamp. We all know that Hollywood cares more about ticket sales than historically accuracy, so in this post I try to discover what women pirates were really like.

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