A group costume is a surefire way to slay Halloween — especially when it involves the creator of Blue Steel.
Group costumes are extra safe, since you know your friends are hitting the town equally as dressed up as you are, and they automatically multiply the overall impression of your look. That’s why Auburn Salcedo has been doing one for the last seven years with her friends Paige, Aida, Jamie, Lindsay, Lauren, and Heather. Each year, the group picks a different actor and recreates their most iconic film moments. This year they’re the impeccably dressed Ben Still’hers’, and Salcedo cosplays as Tony Perkis from Heavyweights.
Image: Auburn salcedo
In previous years, the group dressed up as versions of Tom Hanks, Bill Murray, Robin Williams, Will Ferrell, and Jim Carrey. Their first experiment with the group celebrity look was back in 2012, when they did their best Johnny Depps.
2012’s Johnny Depp look
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“[We] had no idea how popular it was until we went out to a huge Halloween party where people were pointing us out, ‘Oh look, there’s another Johnny!’ and asking us in-depth questions about our costumes, how we came up with the idea, etc.” Salcedo told Mashable. “That’s when we knew we had something special!”
2016’s Bill Murrays
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2015’s Robin Williams
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Each costume is made with extreme care by the group. Some are entirely custom, while others are a variation of bagged costumes mixed with personalized elements.
“It all depends on the year, character and what each of our lives are like at the time! A lot of time and thought goes into the entire process,” Salcedo told Mashable.
2018’s Tom Hanks
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To highlight the group’s attention to detail, Salcedo made a graph segmenting each costume, comparing the looks to their originals.
“Sometimes it is hard to notice the detail when we are in a group,” said Salcedo.
2014’s Will Ferrells
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2013’s Jim Carreys
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Anybody who has attempted a group costume can tell you that coordinating all the moving parts can be difficult. The group met over 10 years ago while working at an advertising agency in Nebraska. But since then they’ve dispersed, and now only three are left in the state.
“This makes getting together a challenge!” Salcedo said. “In 2017 we couldn’t make it happen. But after missing a year, we decided that no matter what we are committed to being in the same place at the same time every October. The nice part is we get to plan some girl trips!”
