Planning to celebrate Halloween by dressing up like the Michael Jackson? There's no shortage of ways to do this, as the King of Pop was known for some very distinctive and recognizable outfits. Here are some ideas for creating a memorable Michael Jackson Halloween costume.
The Silver or White Sequined Glove
A Michael Jackson costume without a single glove is like a witch costume without a pointy hat or a black cat costume without a tail. This essential accessory comes in two standard forms: silver sequined or white sequined (although a plain white glove may do the trick as well). Fortunately, it's easy to find Michael Jackson gloves in just about any costume store, and with some sequins, glue, and a plain glove, this is one Halloween accessory that doesn't take much effort to make.
The Red Pleather Jacket Look
One very recognizable Michael Jackson look is the tight red pleather jacket. Jackson wore these in the early eighties, most notably in the "Beat It" and "Thriller" videos. For a costume, these jackets can be decorated with a series of functionless zippers, or with a big black V strip in front. Complete the look with tight red or black leather pants and boots with lots of buckles.
The easiest way to achieve this look is to purchase it in a costume store, but this can get expensive. For a DYI Michael Jackson jacket, shop around at thrift stores to find something appropriately red and plastic-looking, and decorate it as desired.
The "Bad" Black Jacket Look
Another recognizable Michael Jackson look is the black jacket ensemble he wore in the "Bad" video. This military style jacket was adorned with large gold badges a gold shoulder epaulets, along with a gold belt with "Bad" written on the buckle in the style of the "Bad" album. Jackson wore a similar version of this military style jacket to the White House in 1984 with a gold sash (see below).
The Thriller Look
"Thriller" may be the most perfect Halloween song, so why not dress up like Michael Jackson in this video? Unfortunately, save for expensive yellow contacts, pulling off the trademark yellow cat eyes might be a challenge, although strategically coloring in a Michael Jackson mask might achieve something close. An easier way to achieve the Thriller look is with some pasty makeup in a greenish or yellowish shade. The outfit for the video is the red pleather jacket look, but torn up zombie style.
The "Thriller" look works well as an ensemble costume too. Michael's ensemble can arrive at the Halloween party dressed in their best undead zombie garb. For a couples costume idea, an accompanying female can dress up like Michael's girlfriend in the video, with a blue denim jacket and assorted orange accessories.
Other Michael Jackson Accessories
Any Michael Jackson costume can be spruced up by a classic, wide brimmed black fedora, especially if the person in the costume feels like doing the moonwalk! Happily, black fedora are inexpensive and easy to find.
Another classic Michael trademark accessory: the dark glasses. These may or may not be paired with a less flattering accessory associated with Michael Jackson: the face mask.
Michael Jackson for Halloween?
The King of Pop is a readily recognizable person who had a wardrobe filled with unique looks, so coming up with a Michael Jackson look is not difficult. For more ideas, peruse a costume store, or watch some old Jackson videos. Happy Halloween!
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
