I designed a funky, Halloween inspired raincoat that you can wear all year round - to festivals, carnivals, fetes and - of course - for Trick or Treating (it has two side pockets - one for tricks and one for treats). But if you are a truly funky person, you can wear it on any everyday excursion when rain threatens. Prowl the shops, haunt the bus stop or claw back street cred on the school run.
Unboxing
Here I am, unboxing the black coat and trying it on.
Eco-Friendly
Halloween is a lot of fun, but it can get wasteful with heaps of cheap, ghoulish decorations in all the shops. They have such a throwaway feel. It is so much more sustainable and eco-friendly to re-use your Halloween treats.
So I propose Halloween all year round! Why keep that dapper skull in the casket when you can haunt the catwalks any time of year?
And I'm not the first! Mr and Mrs Halloween agree with me:
“For us, Halloween isn’t just a holiday that comes one day, once a year. It’s a feeling and a spirit of merriment and nostalgia that can be recreated anytime you’re in the mood.”
Well said.
And with that, here is my first listicle:
10 Wicked ways to wear your Hip Bones jacket all year round
1) Haunt the Halloween Forum
It's Saturday morning, you are sipping your coffee and wearing some big fluffy slippers. Add a funky skeletons raincoat, and log on to:
Get busy answering burning questions such as:
“How do I secure tombstones easily?”
“Giant foam skull - suggestions for teeth?”
“Help me customize my Bog Zombie”
2) Materialise at a Ghost Town
Having floated through here myself, back in the day, I recommend Tyneham in Dorset. It was deserted within days, in 1943 after being officially requisitioned during plans for the D-Day, World War II invasion of France. But beware, Tyneham is not well signposted, it has no postcode for satnavs, and poor mobile phone service. So you are at serious risk of getting lost. You might not be able to find your way home before nightfall, as the full moon rises... yikes.
3) Jiggle your bones at a music festival
Pitchfork for example.
4) Pogo behind a Mas Band float at the Notting Hill Carnival
Mas, short for 'masquerade' is one of the 5 key arts which form the core of the annual festival. Read all about the deep Caribbean history of the Mas
5) Sidle along Egyptian Avenue in Highgate Cemetery
One of London's Magnificent Seven, this graveyard is a stoney grey and mossy green marvel of the world's deadliest dead people.
6) Spy on bats
From the Whiskered to the Barbastelle, bats like to fly at sunset in the Summer so, don't wait until Halloween to go bat watching.
7) Transfer to Transylvania
Apparently, Kind Charles III offers lodgings there in the Carpathian Mountains. Don your skeleton jacket and scare off any bears along the trail. Check the Lonely Planet guide first and remember to pack your garlic and a stake.
8) Decorate the front of your house with old dolls
At least you won't get any more junk mail, but you might receive a visit from Places of Suffering photographer Christian Lipovan.
9) Claw back some street cred on the school run
Just don't expect to see your children again.
10) Scare crows at the Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival in Swanage
This mini fest is one of the best off-the-beaten-track events in the UK to drink beer, eat pasties, stay dry and show off your skeleton skull kegs whilst perching on a giant pumpkin. They really are big.
Modest and lurid
I know some people are a little modest, so I created two raincoats. One with a lurid design and one with a dash of lurid (hood only).
Give each one a twirl.
Minimal lurid
Hyper lurid
Like this? Buy the lurid raincoat and Halloween ALL YEAR ROUND
Or Buy the modestly lurid raincoat and Halloween ALL YEAR ROUND but only when you put the hood up.
As ever, have fun. Let me know any All Year Round Halloween recommendations of your own.