Madea's Family Reunion Halloween Costume: Be the Star of the Hit ABC Series

Can you believe it? It's October already! Soon pumpkins will be out, candy corn will be everywhere, and children will be seen knocking on doors to collect candy. Parties will be raging, and haunted houses will be alighted as the night rages on, making darkness lively and heart beats race. But before the fun begins, one vital question must be answered: What will my costume be?

Halloween isn't Halloween unless you are decked out in something awesome. Whether you take and old basketball uniform and shred the legs and use make up to look like you've come back from the dead; go the "devilish route" of ghosts, witches, or vampires; or play a fairy, ballet dancer, or princess, Halloween is a get out of jail free card from the hassles of everyday life. For just a bit, you can be anyone or anything you choose.

Those Halloween costumes are a bit mundane, though. It's always the more interesting characters that are remembered; the people bold enough to dress up like Cher (and actually look like her, not just buy a wig), Schwarzenegger, Clinton and Kid Rock. They are in the pictures I've displayed; ballerinas, butterflies, and axe murders didn't even make the cut. I've decided today to describe the costume of Madea, from Madea's Family Reunion. She's displayed as a humorous black woman on an ABC sitcom and a powerful woman in a film released a couple of years ago. She has also appeared in numerous skits and acts which center on her no-nonsense humor and notorious sarcasm.

Her costume will be relatively easy to make, because although her outfit is creative and uniquely fashioned, the majority of what she wears can be scrounged up from within the average closet. All you will need to do is gather a few items that I am about to name, pair them up, and call it a day, because fashion is not her top priority and her make up is always interesting.

The easiest thing to look for will be the shirt; it just needs to be collared and tucked it. It doesn't matter what's on it or what color it is. I've seen cherries, roses, and a variety of checkered patterns worn and colors of all shades. More often than not, her clothes are a bit bigger (you can tell by the way they hang when tucked in). She also throws a vest on sometimes to add some "umph" to the ensemble, and it of course doesn't match anything. Purple and red, yellow and orange, there are no rules- go wild and have fun with clothes you've sworn to never wear.

Time for the skirt. She goes Grandma style, lovingly hitching a calf length skirt up to her bellybutton. Skirts are also worn in multiple colors, but they stay a bit darker, purples, browns, greens, but mainly gray. She usually completes the set with bobby socks and white Keds.

Now that you're fully dressed, you can get ready for the night. The first thing you will need is an elderly wig. These can be bought from stores like Wal-Mart or Target when Halloween comes up, but it needs to be the last thing you put on because you don't want to mess with it once you bobby pin it down. If your hair is long, my advice is knot it up into a bun and hairspray it, then begin to put your make up on. If you've ever seen Madea, you know she's always dolled up, but her lipstick is never quite right. You might as well go to the dollar store and buy a tube with the most dust on it, because she's been seen in pinks and purples but she's never in tune with the season or her outfit. Also, if needed, buy a liquid base to darken and smooth your skin and don't forget mascara!

Last but definitely not least, throw in a mammoth pair of glasses (can be found at the dollar store), and if you want to go the extra mile, or if you're just looking for a few extra things to add, stick something in your hair, find a brooch or gaudy button cover, and add fake nails.

Happy Halloween!