Book excerpt: Have the most original costume at the next Halloween party with our retro costume look book A great costume can come from a simple idea. We offer the images in this book to spark your imagination. The serious crafter can find elaborate outfits to challenge his or her skill, and the more casual creator can be inspired by discovering how a few simple details can make a striking costume. Most of the images in this book are from mid-century French and German costume magazines and catalogs, full of wildly creative pictures and ideas. Our challenge was only in editing down our favorites to a reasonable number. A few of the best and most whimsical ideas include: an artist's palette (complete with paintbrush hat ), a carrot with carrot frond mask, a box of chocolate (for the ambitious costumer and even an alluring version of a high-tension wire.