Halloween 2023: Dress like these 6 iconic women from history to celebrate their legacy
If you love costume parties then you must know that Halloween is the best time of the year. And, what could be better than dressing like your favorite history woman icon this year?
Listing out 6 phenomenal women from history to help you pick your feminist-first Halloween costume this year:
1. Rosalind Franklin
A feminist icon, also known as the “dark lady of DNA”, Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist whose work on DNA remained severely unrecognized all through her life and beyond. Her best work is on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA.
Put on a classic white shirt paired with a knee-long skirt and then throw in a pearl necklace with a vintage short bob wig to create this look.
2. Cleopatra
The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt was Queen Cleopatra. She was the sole lawgiver and the chief religious authority of her kingdom and handled the administrative affairs with efficiency.
Elizabeth Taylor made shiny and beaded black hair with bangs, heavy eye makeup with major wings, nude-pink lips and thick eyeliner really famous with her 1963 film, Cleopatra. Put on a grand, glistening golden gown to go with the makeup and you’re all set!
3. Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was a civil rights activist in America, widely known for her “Montgomery bus boycott” where she fought against racial discrimination by refusing to give up seats for fellow white passengers. Her act of defiance and bravery inspired the black community to boycott the Montgomery buses for more than a year.
Striped or plaid shirt and skirt with an oversized blazer, glasses and your hair put up in a bun with the mandatory plate stating “7053” is a great way to pay homage to the mother of the civil rights movement.
4. Amelia Earhart
American aviation pioneer and a prolific writer and also the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic ocean. With numerous records to her name, Earhard was also part of the formation of “The Ninety Nines”, an organization of female pilots.
Recreate the statement Amelia Earhard look by wearing a brown leatherette jacket with khaki pants, accessorize it with a bandana, goggles and a brown aviator hat.
5. Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s literary works like Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility and several more explored a narrow theme of the exasperation of women in society with wit that still universally appeals to readers. As one of the early feminist voices in literature, Austen’s writings explored women being able to make their own decisions, seek formal education while defying gender norms.
To dress up as Jane Austen, you can simply wear a 17th century era gown, and a hat along with a simple necklace with a mandatory book in your hand.
6. Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel, the designer, founder and namesake of the luxurious, “Chanel” brand was the pioneer of popularizing chic yet casual wear for women. The only fashion designer who made it to the list of 100 most influential people in the 20th century, Coco Chanel also replaced the Victorian “corseted silhouette” with a more comfortable, yet elegant corset.
To dress up as Coco Chanel, the fanciest black dress or skirt and suit is preferred. You would also need to accessorize with big earrings, and multiple layers of pearl necklaces. And, put on a stylish 20s chic wig with little curls at the end to complete the look.
While Halloween is generally when we let loose and just party, you can dress up this year as these women who set the stage for numerous generations of women after them. Pay a tribute to the ones who made a name for themselves in a man’s world when our kind was primarily confined to the domestic quarters and maternal duties.
