when a store has a costume party your suppose to dress up!

[queenbb]

im gonna rant for the good people over at the walden books where they had a midnight release party. the flyer said dress in ball attire, or as your fave harry potter character.

well with me and my friend only 4 dressed up in actual costumes. 2 wore witches hats, and 5 wore funny glasses.

proof...

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/IMG_0068.jpg
the line of no funions who did not dress (you can see one of the witch hat girls though)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/IMG_0072.jpg
girls with funny glasses

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/IMG_0069.jpg
the adorable harry, (pic taken with permission of mommy) I dont have a pic of the other kid who dressed sorry)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/IMG_0067.jpg
me and my friend (apparently i looked like bellatrix lastrange so thats who i was named as for the costume contest) harry won by the way, and deservingly so.

yah so out of about 100 people or so, only 4 people dressed what kind of a turnout is that for a costume party

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

You guys looked great! Did you feel funny that hardly anyone else came in costume or formally dressed?

I hate the fact that people are willing to wear those fake Harry glasses, and that's it. Hell, the stores give those out, so what kind of effort is that? That's why I don't bother with Halloween at the library, cause I can make a huge effort with all the crap I've saved over the years, but if no one else does ... well, I don't have the confidence to pull it alone.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I would have gone as Bellatrix, personally; I have the dress!

And that sucks; people shouldn't be allowed in unless they've made an effort; or have a door charge that is waived for people abiding by the rules.

[reformedwaitress]

Did the flyer say fancy attire or costume REQUIRED? Cause I know most of the book stores I saw / heard of doing midnight releases had costume parties and contests but it wasn't *required*. I sure didn't go in costume (though I guess I could claim to have been Ginny out of school; I look like her anyway :D).

I see no reason to require people to wear costumes and no reason why not wearing a cosutme makes you any less fun or less of a fan. If you're there are midnight to get a book, you're probably a pretty big fan. I don't need to prove my love of the series to anyone by spending money I might not have on clothes I'll never wear anywhere else. :p

[fma_fanatic]

Did the flyer say fancy attire or costume REQUIRED? Cause I know most of the book stores I saw / heard of doing midnight releases had costume parties and contests but it wasn't *required*. I sure didn't go in costume (though I guess I could claim to have been Ginny out of school; I look like her anyway :D).

I see no reason to require people to wear costumes and no reason why not wearing a cosutme makes you any less fun or less of a fan. If you're there are midnight to get a book, you're probably a pretty big fan. I don't need to prove my love of the series to anyone by spending money I might not have on clothes I'll never wear anywhere else. :p

No, it's not required, but it does make it that more enjoyable. Especially when you can compete for prizes; really really nice prizes. Like a $100 gift card. Free food/drink from the cafe, that sort of thing.

The Borders near us had a nice bash. It was the only Borders I knew of around here that had a replica of the dragon bones hanging from the ceiling, as well as a flying owl.

[reformedwaitress]

No, it's not required, but it does make it that more enjoyable. Especially when you can compete for prizes; really really nice prizes. Like a $100 gift card. Free food/drink from the cafe, that sort of thing.

While I agree (I did go in costume to the release parties for four, five, and six), I still maintain that not being in costume being the sole crime does not make someone an SC. :D

[BookstoreEscapee]

We had a lot of people in costume...or at least wearing robes. One of the employees was wearing his old school uniform and just got a tie in the right colors, with a graduation gown for a robe. Lots of girls in plaid skirts and knee socks. A few women in Bellatrix costumes. I just wore jeans and a black t-shirt (in my defense I had to go there straight from work) and I borrowed someone's extra "robe" they had. I also got one of the baseball caps with the Hogwarts logo and also a button. But I was outside most of the night checking off reservations and handing out wristbands. Which was what I was hoping to be doing. It was nice out and except for a few wind gusts that threatened to blow away the wristbands it was fun. Then at midnight I was a box opener/bagger for one of the cashiers (and managed to twist my knee twice climbing over boxes and people - 7 cashiers/7 baggers/I don't know how many boxes in a space about 4-5 feet wide). The store has a max capacity of 750 and they had a line from the front door down to the pizza place 4 stores down waiting for people to leave so they could let more in. They had 2 security guards and 1 cop there the whole night. The manager said they sold over 1100 books, and that's not even counting the people who reserved and will go today or tomorrow (they hold the reserves till Sunday and I'm sure some people got their wristbands and decided not to stay).

One of the guys made a whole bunch of buttons...Hogwarts logo (I wore one of those instead of a name tag on my lanyard), the different houses, various characters (including ones with Snape that said either "good" or "evil" so you could make your opinion known). They even got fortune cookies made with funny fortunes...mine said "Never tickle a sleeping giant."

We actually were done with the line by 1:30. I was surprised. I knew it would go fast once they got going, but I was figuring at least 2-2:30. I stayed until 3 helping to clean up (which I didn't have to do) and got home at 3:30. It was an absolute disaster area and I was only doing magazines for over an hour. Of course I was so wired on sugar, caffeine, and adrenaline I didn't get to sleep until 5. I woke up around 10, was awake for a bit, and went back to sleep. Next thing I know it's almost 5pm, and then the next thing I know it's almost 6. So I dragged myself up and into the shower. It's 7:15 now and all I have "eaten" today is a soda, 2 advil, and a pseudafed....

Surprisingly enough, though...no real SCs. A few people were ranting a bit about not getting into the store and what was the point of the numbering system if they won't even let us in and blah blah blah, but they weren't talking to me and if they were I'd have pointed them to the big guy in the black suit, or the uniformed cop, and said "Take it up with him." :wave:

[queenbb]

thanks, it was not required to dress, and no you dont need dress up to be considered a fan. but it is good fun,

i did feel a bit strange being the only one, although it has happend that i am usually the only one dressing up. lets say at the HALLOWEEN store, i have worked there for 2 years, and you know what i for the last 2 years am the only one who has come in costume on halloween. i called them all a bunch of bah humbugs. so they went in to the damaged costume area and put on wings and horns ect. but i was also known for wearing costumes the whole time i would walk around in a robe or horns or witches hat. whats funny is that people would see me wearing the stuff and ask where to find it, eventually all the items that i wore sold out completely both years i did it. you would think that others would do the same hmmmmmmm.

anyway...

if i had thought that i would be bellatrix i would have worn my black ritual robe it would have been perfect for it. i actually thought about wearing it but i thought it wouldnt be too potterish so i went with the ball gown because they said ball attire and i was thinking they were thinking about the yule ball thing.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Oh, yeah, and I even had a customer named Potter come to get her wristband. I would have laughed if her name turned out to be Lily :)

[XCashier]

Well, costumes shouldn't be required, but I can understand it's irritating being the only one or one of a very few who dress up for what is supposed to be a costume party. You feel like a peacock in a flock of pigeons.

It's like Halloween. Kids come to your door in cute costumes and receive treats for their effort. Then you have some twit in ordinary everyday clothes, claiming he's a "street person" or "undercover cop" or "a homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else". They put no effort or thought into their attire, yet expect to be rewarded like the kids who do. It spoils the fun.

Besides, it's fun to put on a costume and playact as someone else for a while! :D The mundanes who think it's beneath them to dress up will never understand it.

[ArenaBoy]

I had a lot of fun on Friday. I dressed as a dementor, met a few people, and got a free poster with my book. There was a guy walking around dressed as Hagrid and him and I had our pics taken way too much. A lot of fun it was.

[EmiOfBrie]

Last night, on my daily mallwalk....

At the Mall of America, it was almost like a mini-convention! All those HP fans gathered, many in costume, and there were activities too like a sorting hat, tarot reading, palm reading, and even a roleplay table.

Tonight when I went back for my daily mallwalk, I actually got twinges of post-con depression.

...and I'm not even a HP fan....

[Hon'ya-chan]

My Location was swamped. Crap, some were so intricately dressed, I could swear I was at AX or Otakucon.

[fma_fanatic]

While I agree (I did go in costume to the release parties for four, five, and six), I still maintain that not being in costume being the sole crime does not make someone an SC. :D

I never said it was a crime or that those that didn't were SCs. I was simply reiterating that the costumes weren't a requirement.

When SO and I went out Friday night, we passed quite a few B&Ns as well as Borders. A majority of the people weren't dressed up at all. It looked as if the staff really were the ones making any sort of effort at all.

I just know from looking at the fliers at our local Borders that they were giving away some great prizes. If SO didn't have such an issue with crowds, I think we would have gone to the party. I could have at least coaxed him into wearing his Order of the Phoenix shirt he got from Hot Topic.

[queenbb]

none of them were sc's in the literal sense, but i could see the frustration in the employees eyes because so few were dressed up. they passed out flyers and even sent out email notifications to the people who had reserved a copy about the midnight release party.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That's what is awesome about about being/hanging out with SCA people. We do love to dress weird, and will seldom pass up an opportunity to do so. :D

[Jester]

As I have said many times before, I have never read the HP books or seen the HP movies. I did have RW buy me a copy of the new book, because 1. I wanted to give my youngest niece an early birthday present surprised (she freaked!:D), and 2. I had to work so couldn't do it myself, as I had originally planned to do. (And 3. RW is cool like that.)

Not being a fan, I STILL planned to dress up in costume had I been able to go, though admittedly it would not have been so much an HP costume as a generic type of costume (all in black with a black hooded cape).

That being said, I see no problem with people not dressing up for what is essentially just a trip to the store to buy a book. Yes, it is kind of a bummer for the staff that spent such an effort, but I am sure that many of the people there, in or out of costume, still appreciated the staff's efforts.

Also, if they are giving out prizes for costumes and you are wearing a costume, other people NOT being in costume is good for you, as it increases your odds of winning something. Don't ya think? :D

It's like Halloween. Kids come to your door in cute costumes and receive treats for their effort. Then you have some twit in ordinary everyday clothes, claiming he's a "street person" or "undercover cop" or "a homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else". They put no effort or thought into their attire, yet expect to be rewarded like the kids who do. It spoils the fun.

I agree that that is lame. "I'm going as myself." Yeah, real creative there pal. Halloween being one of my favorite holidays, I always dress up. Heck, in my 37 years there was one Halloween I didn't wear a costume for, when I was about 13 and sick. Every year I dress up for it. Actually, in Key West it is actually more of a Fantasy Fest thing than a Halloween thing, as FF occurs right about the same time as Halloween and severely overshadows the actual holiday down here. It's the same idea though....lots of people get in the spirit and dress up, lots don't. (This last Fantasy Fest I shattered my old record: eight day, ten different costumes. :cool:)

Whether its a Ren Faire or Halloween or some special event, there are always going to be those who dress up, and those who don't. For those of us that do, it kind of makes the whole thing all that much cooler, don't you think?

[Tigress]

I feel this way about Hero's Con, a comic book convention in Charlotte. It's basically just a a huge dealer's room, with a few panels thrown in as an afterthought. There are only a handful of people that wear costumes. And I always wonder why.

This year, I went as Belldandy and I got glomped. People manning the booths worshipped the concrete I walked on (with bare feet). Little kids came up and hugged me and wanted pictures. I made new friends with fellow cosplayers. One guy manning the Klingon booth that was taking donations for hospice nearly broke own his leg in his hurry to give me a hug.

Why don't more people want to get in on this?! :)

[queenbb]

cause they dont realize how fun it is.

that must have been an interesting experience, belldandy is cool.

heres my belldandy avatar, i made it from the 2nd season opener, i use it on the goddess project boards (yikes i havent been in there for a while)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/anime%20avatars/amgopeningavy.gif

[air914]

good for you for dressing up and having fun! I would dress up if I had a costume, but I don't really want to spend a lot of time making one... I might have gone in my old Catholic school uniform if I could find it.... but I have a friend that goes to conventions and really spends time on her costume and everything and if she lived near me, i'd probably do it too. If I dressed up though, I'd be all alone and I'd feel really weird if no one else was dressed up.

BTW - who/what is your friend supposed to be??

[queenbb]

just a wizard who is ready for a battle royal.

he made the armor him self, he likes to wear it when ever he can lol. he does sca as well, so normally he would be wearing it with his kilt.

unfortunatly my boyfriend who was takeing the pics did not think to take a full length shot of us. i do have an older pic of my dress in full length. i do have one of him sitting on the ground talking to his girlfriend on the phone.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/IMG_0075.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/tammy-bm.gif

[Andara Bledin]

I went, but I didn't dress.

When you work a full day, then bus home, then have to bus to the store, dressing up just isn't high on your list of things you want to do.

It got cold enough, however, that I wished I had grabbed my cloak on the way out the door. It's dark grey wool with a deep burgundy lining that I had custom made years ago.

^-.-^

[Jester]

This year, I went as Belldandy and I got glomped. People manning the booths worshipped the concrete I walked on (with bare feet). Little kids came up and hugged me and wanted pictures. I made new friends with fellow cosplayers. One guy manning the Klingon booth that was taking donations for hospice nearly broke own his leg in his hurry to give me a hug.

Why don't more people want to get in on this?! :)


Sometimes costumes can really catch people's attention, and make you a huge hit.

I have had a few good costumes people like (my court jester's costume is always getting comments), but I doubt I will ever doubt my best costume ever, or the reactions I got to it.

Keep in mind, during Fantasy Fest here in Key West, of the 75,000-100,000 people that attend, there are a lot wearing costumes, many of them, how shall we say, rather skimpy, so to catch people's eye with a non-skimpy one is pretty good. To be mobbed is phenomenal.

On the Thursday of Fantasy Fest 2001, six weeks after 9/11, I went dressed as Osama bin Laden. :eek:

With a U.S. cruise missile going through me. :D

I shit you not, I could not go five feet without someone stopping to shake my hand, give me a high five, give me praise, or want a picture with me. In all, I think about 12 people were offended. I think about 2-3 THOUSAND wanted photos.

Now let me make something clear. To avoid the appearance of a racist costume that targeted Arabs, Middle Easterners, or Muslims as a whole, I clearly dressed as much like bin Laden as I could, including the beard and the turban, put BIN LADEN in big football jersey typ letters across the top of my back, and had a name tag that read "Hello! My name is Osama!" So why those 12 people were offended, I have no idea. Hell, as I recall, all of them were very Caucasian. :shrug: