Akbar and Jeff Halloween Costumes: Idea for Gay Couples

Dressing up like Akbar and Jeff for Halloween is a rather novel idea, especially for gay couples who want to do something snarkily and adorably matched yet still recognizable by a sizable chunk of the population. It's a simple, no-makeup costume that can be assembled for as little as $20-25 a person.

Akbar and Jeff are kind of squat with belly bulges, so the Halloween costumes can look convincing on guys with a few extra pounds as well as on thinner guys. That said, anyone - regardless of gender or size - can don the outfits and instantly be recognized by people even remotely familiar with Life in Hell. It's mostly about the matching fezzes and matching shirts!

Akbar and Jeff Halloween Costumes: The Fezzes

Finding the two fezzes and shelling out the cash for them will probably be the most involved part of the Akbar and Jeff Halloween costume. Though many readers know Akbar and Jeff characters in black and white, the couple does occasionally appear in color, usually on the cover of their books. Their fezzes are red, in line with most of the fez hats available for purchase online or in stores. Compared to traditional fezzes, Akbar and Jeff's tend to have longer, skinnier black tassels with fewer strands. So, if it's feasible, look for unbulky black tassels on red fezzes. Try VillageHatShop, which sells an appropriate maroon fez for around $15, or Malabar Online, which sells an "economy" fez for under $10. Procuring the fezzes online will probably be cheaper and easier than visiting a hat shop.

Akbar and Jeff Halloween Costumes: The Shirts

Akbar and Jeff's shirts are essentially an homage to Charlie Brown, who wears a similar golden yellow shirt sleeve shirt with a thick black zigzag circling around the chest/tummy area. While it's possible to simply buy a storebought shirt inspired by the Peanuts character, it's probably best to create your own Akbar and Jeff tops. Most large retailers (Target, Kmart, etc.) sell inexpensive yellow shirts in the appropriate dandelion-ish gold color. Craft stores also sell solid t-shirts for this purpose. To create the black zigzag lines, you can either use a conventional magic marker, a Sharpie, fabric paint, or black electrical tape (what I recommend_. Note: Akbar and Jeff have appeared with red stripes as well; I just think the black looks better.

Akbar and Jeff Halloween Costumes: The Shorts and Shoes

Probably the least important part of the Akbar and Jeff outfits are simple blue shorts (never long pants) and basic black or grey shoes that don't draw any attention. Try to go with shorts and shoes that are an exact match, and you'll hit the cartoon gay couple look.

Enjoy…and if you end up dressing like Akbar and Jeff this Halloween, add a link to your photos in the comments section.