hurried halloween
Whoops! It’s Halloween and you don’t have a thing to wear. From quick rentals to D.I.Y., element shows you how to salvage the holiday weekend.
TEXT SONYA RINKUS feedback
Too cool to plan ahead? Don’t even think of turning up at the door of one of Moscow’s huge Halloween celebrations without a costume. Plus, if your mug can’t get you into XIII on a normal weekend night, this is your big chance to rub elbows with the beautiful guys and ghouls. If there’s ever a time to go big or go home, it’s Halloween. Krylaty Krokodil, conveniently located downtown by Hermitage Garden, houses the city’s most elaborate costumes on rent, from ape suits to ballgowns. Get there before 10 p.m and transform into any historical figure (Napoleon, Cleopatra, Batman), nationality (ninja, Italian mafia) or species (panther, mermaid). At 9:45 on Oct. 28, it’s only the dregs that are left, but look on the bright side: You’ll be the only person in the club in full Kirghiz national wear. Renting costumes from Krylatsky Krokodil runs 200 to 20,000 rubles a day for adults. Another downtown option is Esta, a store specializing in dance costumes, which has one of the largest selections of wigs in the city. A good head of novelty hair is not cheap, but it’s cheaper than purchasing an entire outfit, as Esta does not rent. Better a 800-ruble wig than a 6,000-ruble flamenco dancer’s dress. You’re probably not a child if you’re reading this article, but Detsky Mir is still an option for Halloween costuming, especially last minute. A few key accessories found on the second floor, such as devil horns (190 rubles) or a sombrero (360 rubles), are all you need to look like you put in a modicum of effort. Another quick trick is throwing on ghastly face paint (30 rubles) and going as “dead.” Wear all the accessories together for the most creative ensembles. Dead Mexican Devil, anyone? Most of the Detsky Mir costuming can be stretched from kid-size to adult-size with a little deft maneuvering. Girls have long used Halloween as an excuse to dress sexier — “clown” quickly becomes “clown slut” when you cram yourself into a kid’s XL. “The Scream” costume (480 rubles), complete with mask and robe, looked like it could fit an adult man. Couple the black robe with a Venetian Mask (120 rubles) for an “Eyes Wide Shut” Halloween night, but don’t forget the safety word. After the Halloween area, the fourth floor of Detsky Mir has dance store. It’s also geared for children, but stuff like tutus are thankfully made of elastic. There! You’re well on your way to becoming Dead Mexican Devil Ballerina. Ramstore is also a haven for last-minute costume options. There’s a limited holiday section of cheap masks and hair spray paint, though the best options are Do It Yourself. All it takes to become a mummy, one of the traditional fallbacks of Halloween, is a few rolls of Ace bandages (10 rubles a piece) treated with black tea for that embalmed-for-ages look. A last-ditch costume trick for Halloween is the visual pun, which half the people you meet won’t understand and the other half will hate you for. Write “Freudian” on your lingerie in black marker and you’re a Freudian Slip, or cover yourself in cut-outs from nature magazines to become a Chick Magnet. What heartless individual would turn away Dead Mexican Clown Slut Chick Magnet from a club? | 
