Indiana Jones and the Ultimate Halloween Costume

Indiana Jones is one of Hollywood's most indelible icons. Just the silhouette of the character is enough for many to recognize it as Harrison Ford. The popularity of the character, boosted by the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," makes Indy a popular choice for Halloween, and there are a number of sources to obtain a costume.

Rubies makes a number of Indiana Jones costumes for children and adults, ranging in price from $30 to $50 for adults and under $20 for children. However, anyone can build a more elaborate Indy Halloween costume from scratch, if you know where to look. With the help of IndyGear.com, here are some tips to finding just want you need.

*Fedora. AdventureBiltHats.com is the maker of the fedora used in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and you can order one (hand-made from rare beaver pelt) online from their website for a mere $400. Dorfman Pacific (1-800-DORFMAN) makes the official replica Fedora for retail, and it can be found in many hat stores and online retailers like BeltOutlet.com for around $50.

*Shirt. A basic khaki or white safari shirt will suffice for a costume. ToddsCostumes.com makes an official replica modeled after the original "Raiders" shirt which is priced at $50.

*Jacket. Indiana Jones used a brown leather jacket with no chest packets. Since leather jackets can be expensive, consider a used jacket from a second hand store (the movie jackets were always used and worn anyway). Wested Leather Company of England made the original "Raiders of the Lost Ark" jacket for Harrison Ford and you can order one from them via IndyJackets.com for around $275 (the price varies due to the changing pound to dollar exchange rates).

*Bullwhip. Professional bullwhips can cost well over $100 each, but you can often find less expensive version in western stores or online (try WesternStageProps.com) for well under $50. There is a toy version available at retailers like Toys R Us for under $20 that looks great hanging on your belt but won't fool anyone if used.

*Pants. You won't need to splurge on the pants, so you can get away with khakis or brown Docker's.

*Shoulder bag. This is an essential detail to really look like Indiana Jones. The bag used in the film is a replica of a British World War II MKVII gas mask bag, but if you can't find that, an olive or brown shoulder bag with a matching strap should work. ToddsCostumes.com offers a replica bag for around $40.

*Gun and holster. Most costume places, or even toy shops for that matter, offer replica six shooters and gun holsters, which would match what Indiana Jones uses.

*Boots. No one really remembers what sort of shoes Indiana Jones wore, so you can get away with brown shoes or dark brown leather work or hiking boots.

*Relics. The ultimate accessory is to have a relic for Indiana Jones to carry around. Officially licensed props are not widely available yet, so until then your only hope is to find a fan-made replica at a sci-fi convention or online auction sites like eBay. Try doing searches for items like "fertility idol," "holy grail," or "crystal skull" to find some great looking replicas at decent prices. The earlier you order, the better. Demand goes up as Halloween nears. Check out pottery or earthenware stores for a cup to use as a "Holy Grail" prop. Grab some large smooth river stones, paint them brown, and put three gold streaks on them to make the "Sankara Stones" from "The Temple of Doom." Find an ornamental cross, paint it gold, and use it as the "Cross of Coronado" from "The Last Crusade."

When it comes to Indiana Jones, the key is in the details: a nice looking bullwhip, a decent shoulder bag, and a good fedora go a long way in selling the look as everyone's favorite adventurer. If you can find a replica movie prop to invest in, you'll likely be the only Indy at the party who brought back a prize.

Source: IndyGear.com