Given this town's odd past and even weirder present, why, we think, can't we come up with costumes that really illustrate what Las Vegas is about?
It's in answer to that nobody-ever-asked question that we herewith offer a few suggestions for Halloween costumes that speak to the heart of this city.
ELVIS Finally, we couldn't possibly offer up a roster of Las Vegas-type costumes without including at least one variation of The King. Here, Dylan channels Elvis in a get-up that recalls the deceased icon's Las Vegas years (other Elvis eras include the lean, mean younger years and the bland gone-Hollywood years). You can add as many pillows as you'd like to depict Presley's fluctuating weight during his Vegas days, and add such accessories as a pompadoured wig or a sack of Big Macs. Photos by K.M. Cannon.
THE SLOT PLAYER Indigenous to Las Vegas' casinos, the burned-out slot player usually can be found in close proximity to one-armed bandits. Create a hard-core slot player costume with the help of some hair rollers, a scarf and a pair of gaudy sunglasses, all of which combine to create the look of someone who, perhaps, should have taken up a more active hobby eons ago. Remember, though: What's really key to making the costume work is the expression of zombielike ennui Taylar affects here.
THE SHOWGIRL The Las Vegas showgirl is nothing less than an icon. Here, Destiny offers a basic showgirl costume blueprint via a simple leotard decorated with glitter, a pair of long gloves, a boa and a tiara-and-mask combo. Feel free to build upon these basics, and remember that what's over-the-top in the rest of the world is only a starting point in Las Vegas. Seriously, if you were to design a showgirl headpiece that incorporates a live marmoset in it, odds are it has already been done in some show at some hotel at some point in Las Vegas' history.
THE HIGH ROLLER AND THE TROPHY WIFE The high roller is a simple yet effective costume to assemble. Just don the nicest suit you own, add a piece or two of ostentatious jewelry -- a gold chain, maybe, or a fancy Rolex -- and, like Dylan, paste on the sort of world-weary expression we're told rich people wear when they've decided they've seen it all. Meanwhile, Destiny captures the look of the Trophy Wife -- the high roller's most prized accessory -- with the help of a boa, a few pieces of gaudy jewelry and some judiciously applied makeup. Feel free to add a chihuahua, a la Paris Hilton, for even greater effect.
THE RAILBIRD You see 'em in every race book in town, those guys who play the horses just a tad too seriously. Here, Dominic shows that Oscar Madison-like vibe with the help of a Hawaiian shirt, a Panama hat, a cigar, a copy of the Daily Racing Form and, most important of all, that expression of disbelief displayed when that tip you got on the fifth race at Pimlico didn't quite pan out.
OR HOW ABOUT THESE?
Here are a few other ideas for more offbeat Las Vegas-themed costumes any kid or adult would be happy to trick-or-treat in:
Howard Hughes. Pay tribute to the inventor, industrialist, casino magnate and recluse by wearing a scraggly beard, a long, frizzy-haired wig -- the scarier the better -- and pajamas. Then, for a crowning touch, wear empty Kleenex boxes as slippers.
The rookie Clark County schoolteacher after his or her first day on the job at a just-built school. Wear a business suit and carry a school bag filled with rulers and books, then top it all off with a sprinkling of plaster dust everywhere (the school isn't quite finished, you see) and a frizzy-haired wig (because of the first-day stress). A few large spitballs affixed to the back of the suit would be a creative touch, too.
A 20-something tourist in town for a bachelor party. Wear a T-shirt and hold a fistful of dollar bills. Keep a mister handy, too, to replicate that sweaty-faced look guys at a gentleman's club tend to have.
The politician. This one's too easy: Wear a business suit and hold a briefcase that has money spilling out of it. Look furtive.
The Las Vegas buffet. This one's kind of conceptual, but fasten a menu of buffet-ready foodstuffs -- cuts of meat, a few broccoli stalks, a chicken-fried steak or two -- onto a jumpsuit, then drench yourself liberally with gravy.
A Southern Nevada xeriscape. Ditto, on the conceptual thing. Pay tribute to water-efficient landscaping by attaching rocks, cactus branches and pieces of desert-friendly shrubs onto a T-shirt and cover yourself liberally with dirt.
