KISS Halloween Costumes
With a renewed interest in the band KISS (partially due to Gene Simmons' re-emergence as a pop culture icon) comes a renewed interest in the classic KISS Halloween costume. Ideas on how to perfectly duplicate the costume and makeup effects used by the band KISS range from the silly to the sublime. There's nothing quite as bad as a bad KISS costume, but if it is well executed, a KISS Halloween costume can steal the show at your next Halloween party.
When
a band sells over 100 million albums worldwide (and performs feats of
pyrotechnic awesomeness in their live show) they are going to become a
household name. From myths about the meaning of the band's name (no, it does
not stand for Knights In Satan's Service) to near constant rumors of new
shows and tours, 70s icon KISS have somehow stayed in the cultural
mainstream.
If you aren't familiar with the traditional KISS costume, you need to learn a few basics before writing up your KISS Halloween costume ideas. Check out these images from KISSAsylum.com. First, originally a cloth poster put out by KISS themselves, this image gives you a good idea of the standard four KISS members and their makeup style. Gene Simmons, probably the most popular member of KISS to portray in costume, is at the very bottom of this image with wicked black batwing type stars around his eyes. Unless you're going out as a group and want to accurately portray all four members of KISS (including the odd man out Peter Criss) you really only need to worry about perfecting Gene's makeup. As for hair -- long, stringy, and black is the name of the game. If you are able to duplicate Gene's top ponytail style, go for it.
KISS - The Authentic Demon Adult Costume
This KISS poster shows what a good KISS costume should look like. Unless you are a really talented costumer or leather worker, you're not going to be able to put together a good enough KISS costume on your own. If you want to be accurate in your portrayal of Gene Simmons, you'll probably need to buy the costume as a unit. A good KISS costume should contain platform shoes, a pair of KISS-style leggings, plenty of leather and metal, and (ideally) an electric guitar built to resemble a battle axe. The makeup and hair is up to you to duplicate, though the best KISS Halloween costumes come with white and black makeup, perfect for painting up your face and joining the KISS army.
Because KISS wore elaborate and very specific costumes, if you want to go out trick or treating as Gene Simmons or any of the members of KISS, you'll probably need to break down and buy a pre-fabricated KISS costume. The key to making your store bought KISS outfit look like the real thing is practicing and perfecting the face makeup and any accessories you want to add to your costume.