Easy Rocky Horror Picture Show Costume Ideas

Whether you're attending a midnight show or just looking for a cool Halloween costume, the cult-classic Rocky Horror Picture Show offers costume lovers some fun dress-up options. While the majority of the costumes are stunning, they also tend to be pricey or on the difficult to recreate side. Let's face it, a lot of the outfits involve expensive lingerie, accessories, and makeup or they involve some sewing skills that many of us lack. There are easier options to get an acceptable Rocky Horror look. Here are five examples:

1. Columbia: When most people think of Columbia, her "Time Warp" sequined tails and top hat outfit comes to mind. And why shouldn't it? It's fabulous! It also tends to be one of the hardest costumes to capture without some craft skills, money, or both.

But during the performance of "Toucha Toucha Touch Me," Columbia sports a much easier look while hanging out with Magenta and spying on Janet and Rocky. In this scene, she's in vertical-striped blue and white men's pajamas, open-toe black heeled shoes, all her makeup is removed with the exception of her lipstick and she's wearing Mickey Mouse ears on her head (minus the logo). If you want to be really authentic, you could go braless and place a few strategic rips in the PJ's, but that's up to you.

2. Brad: While the option of going in white briefs, socks, a watch and glasses is a pretty simple one for Brad, if you'd like more cover, you can opt for a white knee-length lab coat as seen in the lab scene where Frank reveals Rocky, or you can wear a light blue satin robe like the one thrown at Brad when he's led to the bedroom. Keep on your socks, glasses, watch and underwear regardless of which of the three looks you choose.

3. Janet: Like with Brad, Janet allows you the option of going in simple underwear: white bra, white panties, white slip, purse, and skin-toned stockings, but again, some people prefer more cover. So other considerations include the lab coat look in the creation scene, the bedroom robe, or wearing an orange sheet in a towel-like fashion, like Janet hiding her shame when she's discovered with Rocky by Frank, Brad and Doctor Scott.

4. Rocky: Okay, I call this simple because all you really need is gold underwear, so buying the outfit is simple, creating and maintaining the body and confidence needed to pull it off... well, that's another story.

If you want to go as a more modest Rocky, you can go as Rocky before they removed the bandages or you can go with your bottom half covered by an orange sheet. If you do decide to go in the undies, Anal Retentive Rocky Horror suggests that you use padding so everyone doesn't have to see your "equipment." This site also suggests that any female Rockys should use an unpadded, underwire nude bra to prevent any breast escapes.

5. Frank: I'm not going to pretend; any Frank costume is going to involve a lot of make-up, platform shoes, some lingerie elements and that trademark hair. Since we're talking easier costumes, though, I can't imagine an easier Frank outfit than what he wears in the lab when he axes Eddie.

What you'll need is costume makeup, a big "pearl" necklace (large white beads will work just fine), black platform sandals, pink dish washing gloves, black fishnet stockings, a wig and a green surgeon's gown (available as Halloween costumes usually) with a red triangle on the left breast. As an added effect, you can decorate the surgeon's gown with some blood splatters for that just-killed-Eddie look.

Those are some of the easiest Rocky Horror Picture Show costume ideas available. For additional resources to make your outfit just right, visit Anal Retentive Rocky Horror. Oh, and don't forget the hair. A quick Google Shopping search will help you find the wigs to complete any of the character's look.