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How To Dress Like The Clinton Family For Halloween
Don't look now, but Halloween is right around the corner ― so if you're looking to dress up, you should start mulling things over now. And this time we're in the thick of a presidential race, which means political Halloween costumes will be all the rage. Needless to say, that's going to involve a whole lot of Donald Trump costumes, because he's both the more attention-grabbing of the two candidates, and appropriately, the scarier one. But here are seven Clinton family Halloween costume ideas for you too, because sometimes political costumes can be a familial affair.
First of all, let's focus on the three highest-profile Clintons ― Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea. Obviously there are more of them out there, but there's no need to bring young Charlotte or Aiden into this. Besides, the Hillary/Bill/Chelsea trio are the Clintons as we all got to know them on the national stage, occupying the White House from 1993 through 2001, and securing a place in the collective memories of '90s kids across the country.
So, how best to dress up as any of the Clintons this Halloween? Luckily, there's never been a shortage of costume possibilities for this former First Family ― here are some good options that you can put together.
1. Bill & Hillary's Wedding Costume
If you've never seen this picture before, then it might make you feel a little old ― Bill and Hillary were married back on Oct. 11, 1975. If you want to strike a newlywed pose on Halloween, well, you can probably guess what kind of clothes you'll need.
Step 1: Pick yourself up a black tux and a red tie with white dots like Bill wore. Luckily, you can nab a relatively cheap tuxedo jacket off of Amazon.
Step 2: And make sure you get the tie! This one's practically the spitting image of the one Bill's got on in the photo above.
Skinny Tie, $13, Amazon
Step 3: The trickiest part, curse our patriarchal fashion standards, will be Hillary's outfit. You'll need a sleeved, white top paired with a white skirt ― there are definitely some choices on offer for you, however.
Bridal Jacket, $30, Amazon
2. Bill & Chelsea At The White House
If you're dressing up as the 1990s White House-era Clinton family, then you'll want to be sure to get Chelsea into the mix, too, as well as a familiar feline face ― can't forget about Socks! Here's how to strike a father-daughter pose, in the mold of this memorable photo from the family's time in the White House.
Step 1: Chelsea's striped shirt and blue jeans are easy enough to reproduce, and there's probably a great chance you have the jeans lying around someplace already. As for the shirt, however, here's a pretty good facsimile from Maykool.
Striped Blouse, $27, Maykool
Step 2: Get yourself some presidential dad chic ― in this case, a dark blue blazer, a light blue shirt, and a pair of ill-fitting khakis (order up a size, maybe?).
Blue Blazer, $62, Amazon | Khakis, $30, Amazon
Step 3: If you've got a cat, well, that cat's name is Socks from the hours of 12 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31.
3. The Family Disneyland Trip
Who could forget this old family photo? OK, in fairness, maybe you have forgotten it. But it makes for a useful guide to a Clintons-at-Disneyland Halloween costume!
Pink Polo, $14, Amazon | Sweater, $45, Amazon
Step 1: Unless you've got a full body Donald Duck costume laying around, then this is pretty much a two-step deal. If you're going for full fidelity to the photo, you could pick up a pink shirt a la Bill, or a blue-green shirt/shorts combo like Hillary is wearing. Just make sure you roll up the sleeves!
Donald Duck Hat, $34, Amazon
Step 2: There's no doubt what the essential part is, however: the Donald Duck hat. Sadly, you may not be able to find a vintage example, but they're still rolling these things out.
4. Inauguration Day, 1996
Bill's second inauguration may not have been much of a dynamic or revolutionary fashion event for the freshly re-elected president ― the same old presidential suit ― but both Hillary and Chelsea showed some style.
Suit Set, $50, Amazon | White Turtleneck, $11, Amazon
Step 1: Nailing Chelsea's look is a must ― if you've got the money to spare, this sharp gray jacket and skirt combination (albeit lacking Chelsea's long sleeves for a chilly autumn morning) is a good choice. Then, you just need the white turtleneck to layer underneath.
Step 2: Hillary's bright pink outfit may not be quite so easy to replicate, as it's a pretty unique looking cape coat. But rest assured there are some reasonable imitations ― for example, try this one on for size. This is a particular heady choice, seeing as winter is coming.
5. The 2008 Primary Campaign
Remember the 2008 presidential campaign? That was Chelsea's first foray into politics as a surrogate and staffer for her mother, and it was Bill's first time back on the presidential campaign trail on Hillary's behalf, too. Obviously, it didn't work out the way they'd hoped, but it's yet another snapshot in time from their long lives in the public eye.
Step 1: You're into "elder-statesman" era Bill now, so dressing up as him will get a lot easier ― just find a standard issue charcoal-black suit with a crisp red tie, and either streak some white color into your hair, or buy a wig that looks the part. Or better yet, you could always pick up one of the countless Bill masks out there.
Black Suit, $55, Amazon | Red Tie, $10, Amazon | Bill Clinton Mask, $17, Amazon
Step 2: By this time, Hillary was already a devotee of the multi-colored pantsuits that have become her signature look. You won't have much trouble finding a red one that's very similar to the one pictured above, though many of the options are pretty expensive ― if you're feeling in a more playful mood, in fact, you might check out the "everyday pantsuit" tee being sold by the Clinton campaign.
Everyday Pantsuit Tee, $30, Hillary Clinton
Step 3: Chelsea's style is somewhat understated in the photo above, and make no mistake, her look is likely to be the most anonymous in any Clinton costume trio.
6. The Secretary Of State Years
Who could forget this absolutely iconic photo from Hillary's tenure as Secretary of State? Sure, a few years later and an email-related controversy deeper, and maybe it doesn't strike quite the same image as it once did, but it's still memorable nonetheless.
Step 1: Get yourself some texting Hillary shades! The exact model isn't terribly important, but they should have dark lenses, not highly reflective ones.
Sunglasses, $10, Amazon
Step 2: Pull out your smartphone. Better yet if you have one that isn't working anymore, because you don't want to risk damaging your phone just for a costume, right? At the very least, make sure you have a good case ― in the famous photo, the back of Hillary's phone is blue.
Hillary Clinton Mask, $5, Amazon
Step 3: Get a Hillary mask to put the glasses on, and voila! You've gone a long way towards recreating one of her most memorable memes. If you want to incorporate Bill or Chelsea into this one, their relatively simple ensembles detailed in the last entry should work just fine.
7. The 2016 Presidential Campaign
Bill and Chelsea were in attendance for Hillary's victory at the Democratic National Convention, and if you want, you can mimic the family's style in this dramatic and historic moment.
Step 1: Chelsea, as pictured above, attended the convention in an elegant red dress, and while you might not be able to afford the real thing, you can find a reasonably cheap replacement for costume purposes.
Step 2: If you're putting together a costume for Bill, the aforementioned essential ingredients are really all you need ― the suit, the tie, and if you're feeling daring, a mask to cover your face.
Bill Clinton Mask, $16, Amazon
Step 3: And, of course, the showstopper ― you'll need a white pantsuit, like Hillary's glowing outfit during that nomination acceptance speech. Unfortunately, these kinds of outfits can be on the pricey side, and maybe you won't want to spend so much. But on the other hand, if you look great in a pantsuit, who's to say you won't want to keep this one in your closet for big occasions?
Pantsuit, Macy's
Suffice to say, the Clintons have worked their way through a lot of different styles and iconic looks through the years. But for what it's worth, if you don't have the time, money, or effort to really go wild, you can always resort to a simple mask to get your costume across, even if it's a little less fun than doing a full dress-up. In any case, have fun, and if you're a Hillary supporter, enjoy repping her in style!
Images: Amazon (18); Maykool; Public Domain; HillaryClinton.com (2); Macy's
