There are so many cool vintage-inspired Halloween costumes out there. This year I have a new inspiration for what I am going to be…Atomicpunk (aka atompunk).
Above image from Planet of the Female Invaders, 1967
You are all familiar with steampunk I am sure, which is the modern stylistic interpretation of speculative science fiction of the 1800s using steam powered technology, the technology of the time. Atomicpunk is a derivative of this same idea, but instead it draws its inspiration from the Atomic Age of 1945-1965.
Wikipedia defines it as: Atompunk (sometimes called “atomicpunk”) relates to the pre-digital period of 1945–1965, including mid-century Modernism, the Atomic Age, Jet Age and Space Age, Communism and concern about it exaggerated as paranoia in the USA along with Neo-Soviet styling, underground cinema, Googie architecture, the Sputnik programme, superhero fiction, the rise of the US military/industrial powers and the fall-out of Chernobyl. Its aesthetic tends toward Populuxe and Raygun Gothic, which describe a retro-futuristic vision of the world.
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The science fiction genre of the Atomic Age centered a lot around a curiosity with outer space and the look was everywhere at the time. Science fiction movies and television shows gave the public a glimpse into the worlds beyond Earth and the fascinating creatures that might reside on other planets. The costuming and makeup of this genre, especially for female characters, was ornate, feminine, and creative. It makes a perfect inspiration for a Halloween costume.
My favorite place to find inspirations for things like helmets, hair accessories, and costume details like edging and shape are pulp science fiction covers.
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And don’t forget the final touch! Makeup!
The look of these fascinating female alien characters can be done so many different ways. Some characters looked human with just a change in eyebrow shape and exaggerated eyeshadow which is the easiest and least messy.
Or you can go all out and cover any bare skin with green, blue, red, silver…whatever goes with your costume. Movie makeup artists in the 1960s especially used many different colors to convey someone was not of this Earth.
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