Make Your Own Rocky Horror Columbia Costume This Halloween

Rocky Horror Picture Show is definitely one of my all-time guilty pleasures, and it will also be the inspiration for my Halloween costume this year! For my current RHPS costume, Halloween or not, I’ve opted to dress up as Columbia (Little Nell). Since I already have the correct hair length, that would be partly pretty simple (hello hair dye, here I come!). Which made me decide to share some of my Columbia costume secrets with you now, in case you want to create your own Columbia costume.

The shorts are the easiest part. Go to any regular clothing store and buy a pair of black biker shorts, then cut a multi-colored ribbon to size, sew the shorts together, making sure to use a zig-zag stitch (always use a zig-zag stitch). -zag in stretch fabrics). fabric so everything stays where you put it).

The top hat would be a bit more difficult, of course. It seems like the easiest option would be to buy a costume top hat (boo), or find a top hat at the thrift store and invest in a lot of glitter. Spray glue on the top hat, brush it evenly across the glitter, and pop it out. I would do this a couple of times, of course, to make sure there were no spots where the original color of the top hat would show through.

Then comes the sequined top. I can hear the moans now – the sequins can be a pain, but check it out once you’re done – it’s absolutely gorgeous and well worth the effort. Tube tops are also pretty easy to make, and I’d stick with a stretchy knit base (probably four-way stretch) so it’s less likely to shift, and then sew an extra elastic band on top to make sure that fool really didn’t go anywhere. (This is especially important if you’re doing a stage production like the one I did once; you don’t want anything jumping during your tap dance or lab scene with Eddie!)

And for the last part of a Columbia costume: the bright blue socks. Ruffled socks are pretty easy to come by in most sizes these days, but when I was playing Columbia, that wasn’t the case, and I wasn’t about to go out and buy a complete RIT dye pack just for a pair! of socks! (And to be honest, RIT dye scares the hell out of me.) So this is what I did. Combine unsweetened blue kool-aid and two cups of water in a small saucepan, adding to that a healthy splash of vinegar. Soak your new white frilly (cotton) socks in this solution, then wash them on their own on the gentle cycle. Ta-da! Blue ruffled socks.

Now, throw on a pair of tap shoes and you’ll be on your way to a great performance, or just a night on the town with friends. Hint: Learn the tap dance from the movie, or at least the hat-twirling trick. People really like that and you’ll be the hit of any party you attend this year with your own creative and colorful Rocky Horror Columbia costume. Have fun and Happy Halloween!