Make Your Own Billy Mays Halloween Costume
You, Too, Can Be a Great Pitch Man!
Billy Mays, one of the late great TV infomercial pitchmen, was an American icon. Known for his infomercials for Oxi-Clean, Mighty Putty, and other must-have products, he gained even more fame for his appearance in PitchMen, a show on Discovery. To honor his memory, why not dress as Billy Mays for Halloween? He makes a quick, easy and fun Halloween costume. You may even be able to create it with items you have around the house.
Get on the Ball!
Billy Mays' signature look in every infomercial is a blue top with a white T-shirt underneath. First, find a medium blue button down shirt. The blue shirt goes over a plain white crewneck men's T-shirt. Pants are simple: just basic Dockers-style khaki pants. If you wish, you can print out a small Oxi-clean logo on your computer and tape or safety pin it to the shirt. Make sure you roll up your sleeves!
Fix, Fill and Seal . . .
The cracks in your Halloween costume with some Billy Mays accessories. White socks, and plain white sneakers or boat shoes are appropriate footwear. He wears a silver watch with a wide strap on his left hand, and a dark leather belt. For maximum trick-or-treat entertainment, find a 2-gallon white or blue bucket and paste an Oxi-Clean logo on the side. Use that for collecting your treats. You can tote a bottle of Orange-glo and a cleaning cloth around in the bucket and randomly clean things at any Halloween parties you attend. To soak up party drink spills, make sure to bring along a bright yellow Zorbeez, or substitute a yellow hand towel.
If You Act Now
You can even have Billy Mays' hair. Use a little gel to slick the hair back. Dark colored spray on dye can be used to tint your hair, or you can wear a wig. If you don't already have a full dark beard and mustache, and don't have time to grow one before Halloween, you can purchase them at any costume shop. If you prefer online shopping, consider the black 70's dude mustache ($ 8.95) paired with a slightly trimmed Lincoln beard ($10.68) available at Costumes4less.com. If you don't get a self-adhesive beard and mustache, use spirit gum or toupee tape to attach the beard rather than Mighty Putty, and make sure you get a bottle of spirit gum remover.
But Wait, There's More!
You can't just look like Billy Mays; you have to act like him too. Practice talking in a loud and cheerful voice, throwing in his signature catch phrases. And don't forget the signature "Thumbs up" gesture. Learn a little more of Billy Mays' TV persona by watching some of his greatest infomercials. Now hurry to get your costume together because operators are standing by!
"Top Ten Billy Mays Commercials", As Seen on TV
Published by Susi Frock
Susi is a midwestern native now living in the mid-Atlantic. She left her professional life as a practicing small animal veterinarian with 12 years of experience to focus on family responsibilities, her love... View profile
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- Clothing: blue button down, white T-shirt, khaki pants
- Hair: Black hair, black 70's beard and mustache
- Accessories: A bucket of Oxi-clean, of course!