Costume

August 24, 2023

I was (only) mildly surprised when I went to the big box store in town yesterday.  I needed to get smoked salmon for my version of the “tiny sandwiches” my sister-in-law makes for Christmas Eve.  I really like smoked salmon, so we tend to have this treat whenever they take my fancy.  Mine are not nearly as elaborate as the traditional ones her Danish mother taught her to make, but I still count them as an homage to the many times we have enjoyed the delicacies at her house.  As I wound my way through the snack aisles, I came across an endcap that had a large display of Halloween treats.  These snacks were on display with Halloween still two and a half months away.  Still, it was only tubs of individually wrapped cheese balls and pretzels.  When I came out on the main aisle, I was surprised by large racks of Halloween costumes and Halloween yard displays hanging from the ceiling.  This was a full scale rush that skipped right over Labor Day and into Halloween.  I guess Labor Day costumes are not a big sales item.

When I looked online, I found the site Emily Post Etiquette that addressed the summer traditions in the early 20th century.  While there are no official costumes, Labor Day did mark the end of wearing white clothing.  During the first three decades in the US northeast seaboard the summer season was bracketed by Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Society families left their city town house to a seaside “cottage” or mountain “cabin” to escape the heat.  City clothes were left behind in exchange for lighter, whiter, summer outfits.  With their return to the city after Labor Day, summer clothes were put away and replaced by formal city clothes.  This was an age when society had a dress code for practically every occasion, and the signal to mark the change between summer resort clothes and clothing worn for the rest of the year was encapsulated in the dictum, “No white after Labor Day.”  Today’s styles are more about fabric choice than color.  Etiquette says, “the true interpretation is ‘wear what’s appropriate—for the weather, the season, or the occasion.”

Wearing costumes is a big part of attending one of the many Comic-Con events, where it is called cosplay.  When you observe the variety of costumes it reveals the consideration, time, and toil that went into their creation.  That includes the accompanying props, makeup, headgear, and more.  For those wearing the costumes and playing the characters they often view their toil as the labor of love.  They know the “cultural capital” of a completed costume will be judged by overall quality and the amount of time and labor invested in their creation.  Some cosplayers enjoy the attention received while walking around in full costumes.  Others are uncomfortable with the attention, particularly when they are wearing revealing costumes which can prompt inappropriate behavior.  Some cons display signs warning that, “cosplay is not consent,” reminding attendees to ask permission before taking pictures, and to avoid unwanted touching.

Thoughts:  Living in California attended the annual Renaissance Faire with friends.  The Faire was in a large, wooded area which provided enough room for permanent enclaves for fantasy (elves and fairies), pirates, royalty (Queens and peasants), along with knights and ladies.  Each enclave featured the appropriate food and drink.  We would prepare our costumes for the event months in advance by searching the used clothing stores and specialty shops of the Bay Area.  Unlike the comic-cons there were no preset characters, and the costumes could reflect almost anything or one.  My character was usually built around whatever purchases I had made in the previous months.  Costumes are a good way to take on another role or persona for a little while.  In life we need to understand who we are, even as we grow into who we would like to be.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.