How to Make a Sexy Abraham Lincoln Costume

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and the issuer of the Emancipation Proclamation, the controversial human rights effort at the heart of the Civil War. On April 15, 1865, Lincoln took a gunshot to the head from John Wilkes Booth. If anyone deserves a night out on Halloween, it's this guy. His hat and beard are dead sexy. Don't let being a woman deter you from attempting this costume. This is a variation on the bunny pin-up girl costume for the beauty with a brain.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Construction Paper
• Tape
• Headband
• Theatrical Hair
• Adhesive
• Vest
• Short Skirt or Shorts
• High Heels

1. Make your beard. If you need inspiration, open your change purse: Abe is the cover boy on all your pennies. To make the beard, you'll need theatrical hair, which is loose synthetic hair that you can apply to your face with adhesive. This can be found in a costume shop or party supply store. (The beard in the picture came from a werewolf makeup kit that also included fangs and fake blood. It was about five bucks.) Using a small makeup brush, make small dots on your face with the adhesive. Do one section at a time, starting with your chin and working your way out. Press a few strands of hair gently on to each dot, then make new glue dots and continue. Keep the hair together if you can--the more tangled it gets, the harder it is to work with. Trim the hair to your jawline. Do not brush the hair. The hair can be pulled off and replaced. The adhesive will wash off with soap and water.
2. Make a hat that takes you back to first grade. It's nothing fancy. Just roll a piece of black construction paper and tape or staple shut. On another piece of paper, take a small bowl and trace a circle. Take a smaller bowl or cup and trace another circle inside. Cut out the smaller circle and save the outer rim. This is the brim of your hat. Put two pieces of tape on either side of the inside of your hat and attach the brim, pushing the tape through the inside and under so it won't show. Take the smaller circle and tape it on top of the hat. The hat you have just made will not fit on your head. Instead, tape it to a headband. It takes some experimentation to make it secure, but the advantage is that the hat won't fall off, cover your ears, or mess up your hair.
3. Wear basic black. Just like the bunny pin-up girl costume, the key details here are the lapels. Try a vest or a short jacket with a boustier underneath. (The costume pictured is a one-piece shorts outfit with a collared halter top. It was found in the clearance rack of a popular junior clothing store for eight dollars.) You can also add a bowtie and cuffs, fishnet stockings, and a pair of high heels, just like Abraham Lincoln wore when he freed the slaves. (Not really.)