Sonny and Cher Costume Ideas
Though Sonny and Cher had their first and most important musical successes in the mid to late 60s, their seminal television variety show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, debuted in 1971. Most people's memories of Sonny and Cher (born Salvatore and Cherilyn) are from the 70s, no matter how much musical success they had in the 60s or (in Cher's case) in the 90s and 2000s.
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was nothing if not formulaic, with Cher playing the part of the tired and unamused wife to Sonny's joking and happy one liners. This is a tried and true formula, and one that propelled Sonny and Cher into TV stardom. Their show was nominated for over a dozen Emmy awards, even winning one for direction.
Sonny and Cher Halloween costume ideas are usually born out of a
need for a good couple's costume. It hardly makes sense to play a 70s era
Cher without Sonny Bono, and vice versa. Because the show was on during the
70s, it is easy to dress up as an amalgamation of Sonny and Cher. They
pretty much just wear typical 70s fashion.
To put together a good 70s Cher costume, look for 70s patterned dresses, a dark colored wig teased into an outlandish style, and sparkly accessories. This image from the Museum of Broadcast Communications shows a later picture of Sonny and Cher in a curious state of repose. Cher's makeup is unremarkable; usually a single pale color and long eyelashes will do. Notice the understated clothes Cher's wearing -- dressing up as Cher doesn't always mean imitating her dress perfectly. To really stand out as "70s Cher", you should find a dress that is more obviously "70s style" than what she's wearing here.
Every good Cher needs a Sonny, and he is far easier to imitate than she. A loose dress shirt, unbuttoned about halfway with chest hair spilling out, can be combined with a piece of obnoxious 70s style costume jewelry and a mustache. Throw in a pair of platform shoes and leisure suit pants and you've got the perfect Sonny Bono.
There are a few "iconic" pieces of costume that people wear when portraying Sonny and Cher. For some reason, Cher is often shown in knee-high boots -- or even higher. These boots are usually plain white, sometimes accented with a small gold chain or other piece of jewelry. Sonny Bono is pretty much a mustache and a dark wig combined with any 70s style clothes. It doesn't take much to hit your next Halloween party like the 70s "it couple" Sonny and Cher.
I have to include this second song, as it's my favorite Sonny and Cher song of all time, "Baby, Don't Go":