AS she stops to snap a photo of her six-year-old son at the local pumpkin patch, Carolyn Anderson can hear the jeers from other mums.
“Who wears a sexy catsuit to a pumpkin patch? Leave the dressing up to the kids,” one says within earshot.
“Where’s her jeans and tracksuit?” another asks.
Proud single mum Carolyn, 40, grabs her son Theo Zeus and heads for the tills, but she won’t allow the insults to affect her.
Dressed in a vintage catsuit, that un-zips all the way down, a fur coat from the charity shop and a YSL handbag, she thinks she looks great.
In fact, the mum-of-one considers the ‘mummy moaning’ and snarky comments a badge of honour.
“I don’t care if I’m going to the shops or doing the school run, I love dressing up in the run-up to Halloween,” she tells Fabulous.
“I adore Halloween. It brings out the kid in me and I celebrate hard every October, by dressing up every day.
“I do get a mix of comments from other mums for my sexy Halloween looks – some love them but others are jealous.
“I am proud of my sexy outfits. And my son loves the fact that I try so hard.”
Carolyn, who’s from Merseyside, grabs her Jane Fonda inspired catsuits and Vivienne Westwood style corset dresses – costing upwards of £620 for the real deal – for 50p from her local charity shop or storage unit sales.
She also has Chanel bags and Pucci scarves she’s picked up the same way – and says she won’t hide her curves or 36DD boobs.
“I don’t dress like an average mum,” she says. “But if you can’t dress up at Halloween, when can you? I am just a fun, happy person who knows what styles suit her body.”
The quiz night host and social media marketer says: “I love wearing catsuits and if that makes me the target of criticism, then I just feel sorry for the trolls.
“I wear the brightest clothes I can find. I love mixing vintage with designer fashion.
“Halloween is a chance to show off my unique style and my love of fashion. It confuses many people, who think I should dress down or in a ‘mumsy uniform’, but I know what suits me.”
By Abby McHale, Fabulous’ Deputy Fashion Editor
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to get dressed up, take on a different persona and have fun with your look.
These days, celebrities provide the perfect inspiration for costumes, however, they also have a team of stylists, makeup artists and endless bounds of cash at their disposal.
So how do you make an outfit like theirs work for you?
A lot of stars make their outfits look sexy and your lingerie drawer is the perfect starting point.
You can use anything from a bra, fishnet tights, stockings and suspenders to add to your look, then depending on the look you’re going for add makeup according.
I.e wearing a black bodice and tights, add some red lipstick and dark eyes for a vampy look.
The rest of your wardrobe can be more inspiring than you think too – for example a plain black can be a perfect base for your costume.
If you are however happy to spend a bit of money on your Halloween costume but are running out of time then Amazon is your go too, there are so many costumes to choose from with many sitting under its Prime next day delivery option.
Or if you’re wanting to see what the in store shops have to offer, look to the supermarkets and budget stores such as B&M, Poundland and Primark which are still full of accessories and clothing to fulfil your Halloween wishes.
In the lead up to Halloween, Carolyn will wear bright orange prisoner uniforms, camouflage bodycon catsuits or black skintight vinyl trousers daily on the school run.
“I wore a blue full-length Jane Fonda workout catsuit with pink charity shop leg warmers and pink boots to run errands last week,” she says.
“You should have seen the looks. I really do not care. It is about having fun.
“I like to mix up my vintage fashion with outfits from dance brands, which I find in sales.
“Some people adore my Spook-tober looks. My mates know I love Halloween and cannot wait to see what I wear throughout October.
“People are always gobsmacked at how I have turned vintage fashion into Halloween looks for daily life. People don’t immediately think vintage is something you wear at Halloween.”
Among Carolyn’s jaw-dropping looks is a bright green, you guessed it, catsuit, she wears with lime green striped trainers and a vintage scarf.
It was not a typical mum outfit, it showed off my curves. I felt sexy.
Carolyn
She says: “I call it my sexy Shrek look.”
While at a Halloween party last year, she wore a body-skimming suit which she painted like a skeleton.
“I had make-up done to match,” she says.
“It was not a typical mum outfit, it showed off my curves. I felt sexy and it was my most unusual outfit to date.
“Once women hit 40, they worry they’re ‘past it’ when it comes to dressing up and fear how they’ll be judged. Not me, I treat every day in October as if it’s Halloween.
“Kim Kardashian and her sisters wear catsuits all the time – and they’re in their 40s. I want to inspire other mums to do the same.
“They push you out in the right places and hide any flabby or floppy bits you might have.
“I encourage mums to embrace their inner child at Halloween. I have helped some mums find the guts to wear catsuits.”
Carolyn says part of the reason she pulls off her daring outfits is because of her youth-defying looks.
“People look at me and think I am in my mid-twenties,” she says.
“My blonde hair, fun attitude and makeup often gets me mistaken for a 25-year-old. The fact I am 40 shocks people. But I will never bow to pressure to ‘dress my age’.
“I refuse to wear what other people want me to. I look young because I refuse to be boring and turn into a ‘greige’ mum or dad. It suits some people’s skin tones, which is fine. It just does not suit me.
“Halloween is my time to cut loose. Why own a bright pumpkin outfit or black goth boots unless you can wear them to the supermarket in the lead up to Halloween?
“I love my iconic fashion looks. I refuse to dress down. It shows Theo Zeus I have pride in my clothes and will not let other people define me.”
In 2010, Carolyn took her love of dressing up to new heights when she was cast as a Pamela Anderson lookalike.
“Friends and even my dad told me I looked like her,” she said.
“Baywatch was a huge hit, and my agent got me bookings as a Pammy double. I loved it. She’s an icon.”
Carolyn flew to LA and across Europe doing lookalike appearances.
“I got to see how designers used costumes and themes on the catwalk, and I incorporated that into my Halloween style,” she says.
“I also spent £4,000 on two boob jobs, it’s one of the secrets that helps me look so great.”
Carolyn spends £1,500 a year on Botox and filler, as well as twice yearly chemical peels.
“I work hard to keep my twenty-something looks. I believe in positive maintenance,” she says.
“I know I look good so I don’t care what other people think. I don’t criticise what anyone else wears. My style and positive attitude are what keep me young.”
Carolyn considers herself a “later in life” mum.
She says: “I fell pregnant with Theo Zeus when I was 34 years old.
“My style was already firmly established. I vowed to not let myself become a boring fashion victim mum after I had my baby. What’s the fun in all that?
“I was not going to follow the ‘mum herd’ and dress down just because I had a child. I simply adapted my wardrobe. Halloween is my chance to let my true style loose.”
Carolyn gets up at 6am to spend “a good 90 minutes” getting ready every morning before the school run.
As well as a daily blow-dry, she makes sure her makeup is on point.
Carolyn shares her outfits on her blog – Scouse Girl in the City.
She says: “If people want to troll me, bring it on. Haters need to realise their words bounce off me. My Halloween style is a celebration of vintage outfits, modern taste and glam mum looks.
“More people should try enjoying Halloween and embracing the magic. It’s not as scary as you might think.
“Halloween isn’t just for kids.”
