2B — Thursday, October 31, 2019
b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
There’s nothing quite like Halloween on a college campus. In
most people’s minds, Halloween is one day, Oct. 31, where all
the ghouls and black cats come out to play. But in a college town,
the spirit of the season goes on for weeks, if not all year round.
There’s a reason we all refer to the general timeline between
Oct. 15 and Nov. 5 as “Halloweek.” This is especially true of
the costume culture in Ann Arbor, which serves as a healthy
reminder of both the brilliance and the stupidity of everyone in
their early twenties. You might see the best costume to ever walk
this earth, but you will also inevitably witness a parade of sexy
black cats marching to various frat parties. Who’s to say which
is empirically better — the point is, Ann Arbor is no stranger to
dressing up.
In the past three years that I’ve lived in our magical city,
Halloween has always been an event to anticipate eagerly. I’ll be
honest: It is my favorite holiday and always has been, so it wouldn’t
take much to get me excited about that special day anyway. But
there’s something even more whimsical and fun about the energy
of an entire city dressing up for weeks on end, the joy on the faces
of everyone who lives here, from students to children to those
who hand out candy and host parties. Regardless of what you’re
disguised as this year, the brilliance of Halloween in Ann Arbor
is worth noting, even if it’s just listening to the laughter on our
streets or catching a stray glimpse of a cape as someone walks
past.
This seasonal spirit is most present at special events on
campus, such as the annual showing of cult film “The Rocky
Horror Picture Show” at the Michigan Theater.
“‘Rocky Horror’ has just been something that we’ve been doing
in our theater forever,” said Ariel Wan, Director of Programs and
Marketing for the State Theater in an interview with The Daily
last week. The showing of “Rocky Horror” is something myself
and my friends look forward to annually, notwithstanding the
excuse to go out in basically nothing and scream at a screen for
two hours. It isn’t truly Halloween in Ann Arbor, or even
fall for that matter, without seeing that line of leather-clad
students and film geeks alike wrap all the way around the
block.
“They always did it at the State Theater,” Wan continued,
“you know, the State Theater used to be really divey and
kind of gross, like perfect for people to throw stuff, you
know?” (For anyone who has, in fact, attended a showing
of the film around Halloween, they would know that this is
an absolutely perfect setting for a very dirty time, in more
ways than one.) “When they closed the State Theater for
renovations, we were like, well, we still need to do ‘Rocky
Horror,’ but we can’t do it at the State, let’s just put it up
the Michigan . . . And it sold out. 1700 seats.” The sheer
scale of the main theater she was referring to is a sight to
behold, especially compared to the pre-renovation State’s
mere 400 seats. “You can’t hear the movie at all,” Wan said,
laughing. “But it doesn’t matter, because someone next to
you is screaming all the lines.”
The energy around “Rocky Horror” is a perfect example
of what can happen when you put one crazy event and an
entire city of equally crazy people together for one night
of the year.
“A lot of people are dressed up as the characters. So
there’s just a lot of thongs and fishnet stockings,” Wan
said. “We again sold out this year, and we encountered a
few problems where there were some people not wearing
shoes and shirts, and we were like, you have to at least
wear shoes.” We both laughed as she explained the camera
footage that State Theater’s employees watched that night,
but I couldn’t help but imagine some of the things I have
seen myself. This no-shoes, no-shirt, no-nothing concept
really checks out. There’s nothing like seeing someone
stand in line for hours in nothing but a bustier and face
paint.
Wan said much of the enthusiasm around cult film
showings like that of “Rocky Horror” is due to the student
population on campus, notably in terms of the turnout for
each event.
“Yeah, I mean, the reason why we’re able to sell out 1700 seats
and still turn away like tens and tens of people is because of the
students,” Wan explained. “‘Rocky Horror’ is one of those films
that we don’t spend much, if any marketing dollars on promoting,
it’s usually just social media and flyering . . . I was looking at the
number of student tickets versus adult versus our member tickets.
And students by far were, like, almost 1100 tickets or something
like that. So we know they’re all still there.” It’s easy to see why
events like these are so alluring to the students of Ann Arbor
specifically. I mean, hey, during midterm season, who doesn’t
enjoy yelling at things with 1700 other people, clad in sequins and
stars and fake blood all night?
Though “Rocky Horror” is probably the best example of
costume culture as it pertains to film events in the city, the movie
isn’t alone in its thousand-person draw to the theater. In addition
to annual events like a showing of the famously bad movie “The
Room” starring Tommy Wiseau, the theater also makes sure to
put on seasonal series that appeal to a larger audience. This month
specifically saw audiences clamoring to both the Michigan and
State Theaters to see movies like “Night of the Living Dead” and
a special late-night feature of “The Blair Witch Project” in light
of Halloween. Each movie
is chosen from a different
decade for every weekend in
October: “They’re all really
just
really
great
horror
movies,” Wan said, “some of
it is funny, but it’s because
it’s older. ‘Blair Witch’ still
scares the shit out of me,”
she laughed. I couldn’t agree
with her more.
According
to
Wan,
events like this are what
keep theaters alive in an
age of home entertainment
and
streaming
services.
“People still go to the movie
theater for the experience
of watching a movie with
other people,” Wan said. “No
screen is bigger than the
screens here.”
The
Michigan
Theater
is decidedly the place to go
to celebrate the Halloween
season in style, but where do
you even start with a costume,
or for fun dressing in general? Go no further than The Getup
Vintage, a purple-painted secret hidden amongst the shopfronts
of State Street. Sandwiched in between Totoro and Taste of India
and just a stone’s throw from Urban Outfitters, the vintage store
is a nugget of color and happiness on the chilly streets of Ann
Arbor.
“We’re very fortunate with the foot traffic here on State
Street,” said co-owner of The Getup Vintage Lindsey Leyland in
an interview with The Daily. “People (will be) eating at Sava’s and
something will catch their eye. You know, we’re small. That’s why
we painted the front purple.” In addition to the purple, they also
decorate for every season — trust me, the Halloween window is
something everyone needs to see.
The Getup has a strong history in Ann Arbor, having served
the town and students in particular for almost 15 years. The store
was opened in 2005 by couple Kelly and Paul McLeod in the attic
of their current space, then sold to Leyland and Mitchell in 2015,
who expanded downstairs. “It was like a slow and steady climb
to this place, like, I knew as like a 13-year-old I wanted to have
a vintage clothing store,” Leyland said. “You know, gotta put in
your dues and work for a bunch of other people first and a bunch
of other jobs and figure out what the best fit is. And I love Ann
Arbor, all of my best friends live here. So it was like an easy place
to want to settle in. Michigan is one of the most beautiful places
I’ve ever been.”
The Getup has always been a favorite of fashionistas in the city
and also lends itself to costume in whatever form they may desire.
For Leyland, this line between the costume and the every-day is
thin, all depending on the day. “To me, costumes start with just
kind of the quality of the clothing,” she explained. “Like, for me,
costuming is made to look like the real thing, but not as good. You
know, unless it’s like an actual theater performance where they’re
like constructing the things, but like, we have a little costuming
section over there . . . I guess it just depends on your personality.”
Leyland sat across the front desk from me, clad in an olive-
green military jumpsuit and long ’70s-style hair. “So it really
just depends on like the personality of the shopper and how
adventurous they kind of are, with their wardrobe. Like this is
a neutral color. But some people don’t feel comfortable in, like,
jumpsuits,” she gestured to her own getup, laughing. Leyland is
almost a personification of her and co-owner Kaylan Mitchell’s
technicolor store, a great example of what Ann Arbor brings to
the realm of adventurous dressing.
Surrounded by the racks and decorations of the store, I couldn’t
help but notice all the beautiful garments from years past.
Sure, some of them could be used for a costume, an ’80s
cruise, ripped apart and remade into modern styles, but
they are also surprisingly wearable in a contemporary
wardrobe.
“I always say, you don’t have to replace your whole
entire modern closet with vintage things. But like, find a
sweater cut you really like or (like) a little. I feel like the
’70s clothing fits me best,” Leyland continued. “And then
try a piece here and there with the stuff you already have.
Like most of those ’70s dresses, you throw like a modern
sweater over top of it. I mean, they’re remaking all of those
styles anyway.” The place of The Getup is not to cater to
Halloweeners only, who would be better suited to stores
like Ragstock, which sits farther down Liberty St. The
Getup is more about fostering a culture of appreciation for
the clothes we wear and seeing the value in things once
worn.
“Some people know what (vintage clothing) is, some
people still don’t, some people are still confused by a
secondhand store,” Leyland explained. “That’s why I
really really try to educate about like, yes this clothing
has been worn before but I wash it, repair it. Pick only the
coolest stuff out of Nancy’s basement,” she said. Wearing
secondhand clothing from The Getup, whether it’s for a
costume or not, also gives Ann Arbor the chance to see
itself from the future.
“I think it’s great when people care about (the past of
their clothing), you know, not everybody cares about the
history of where you’re from, or where you live and who
occupied it before you and that’s kind of what we do is, you
know, meet those people go through their barns, attics,
basements, closets, and see what type of stuff they have . . .
I love hearing people talk about, like, why they got this or
why they got that.”
Seeing the letterman jackets and vintage Michigan gear
dotting the walls of the store drives this sentiment home
as well. It’s a beautiful thing to imagine the original owner
of a garment screaming in the same Big House stands as you are,
50 years later. This also goes for any black dress you might buy at
the store, which according to Leyland, comes with a free witch
hat during the month of October. “Yeah, like maybe you could
work this into your costume, but also, like, wear again . . . Really
you just put a black dress on, a little witch makeup. And then you
would hopefully wear that black dress again and it wouldn’t be
like something that sits in your closet forever,” she laughed.
Between The Getup and Ann Arbor’s various theaters, those
in search of costume need not look far to get their fix, especially
during this time of year. The climate of a campus filled with the
excitement of students and the warmth of townies is perfect for
businesses like Wan’s and Leyland’s to flourish. You don’t have to
dress up to be a part of the magic, but it always helps.
“It’s a place where they are embraced, you know, that they can
feel very comfortable, very safe, and they’re among other people
who are as excited, if not more,” Wan said. Our town is one of
the only places where not wearing shoes or shirts every day is
completely permissible. Despite the chill of waiting in line for
“Rocky Horror” or the brash statement of walking around in a
shimmering ’70s jumpsuit, the people of Ann Arbor will always
make you feel warm.
All dressed up and ready to go: Costumes in Ann Arbor
CLARA SCOTT
Senior Arts Editor
B-SIDE: LEAD
COURTESY OF CLARA SCOTT
COURTESY OF CLARA SCOTT
It’s a beautiful thing to imagine
the original owner of a garment
screaming in the same Big House
stands as you are, 50 years later.
This also goes for any black dress
you might buy at the store, which
according to Leyland, comes
with a free witch hat during the
month of October.
Between The Getup and Ann Arbor’s
various theaters, those in search of
costume need not look far to get their
fix, especially during this time of
year. The climate of a campus filled
with the excitement of students and
the warmth of townies is perfect for
businesses like Wan’s and Leyland’s
to flourish.