Halloween is literally around the corner! If you weren’t able to plan ahead of time, here are some uniquely Chinoy costumes that you can still create at this eleventh hour!
1. Literal Chinoy
Show off both of your cultures with a literal Chinese-Filipino cultural outfit! All you need are elements of a Chinese traditional outfit and a Filipino traditional outfit. For example, a barong Tagalog on top with your Chinese New Year school performance pants on the bottom.
Or a baro’t saya but your hair is tied into a bun with chopsticks with a Chinese-patterned fan in hand!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Traditional Chinese outfit
- Traditional Filipino outfit
2. Taoke
Taoke from So Asian Comics has become a beloved symbol of Chinoys, rolling our thriftiness, tiam lai (store) culture, love for food, and stereotypes into one stock character.
Embody Taoke this Halloween with his iconic outfit!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A white polo shirt
- Green/gray shorts
- Dad sandals
- Square-shaped glasses
Don’t forget to draw on his signature mustache! If you want to walk the walk as well as look the part, don’t forget the “dad pose” (hands clasped behind back) while telling people to go look after the store!
3. Chinese school student
This one is the easiest. Just pull out your High School uniform or borrow one from a friend! For a unique twist, throw on a splash of obak!
You can then innovate even further, such as a student who turned into a vampire or a zombie.
WHAT YOU NEED::
- White polo shirt
- ID and lanyard
- Brown slacks and belt for boys or a red/blue pleated skirt for girls
- Black shoes
- Optional: obak and horror accessories
Speaking of zombies…
4. Jiangshi (Chinese zombie)
To recreate the iconic look of the Chinese zombie, pull out your old Chinese speech class or Chinese New Year outfit then put on red makeup.
After that, draw your own talisman and stick it onto your forehead. Voila, you’re a jiangshi! All that’s left to do is adopt the signature pose with your hands forward and then hop like a jiangshi!
WHAT YOU NEED::
- Any traditional Chinese outfit
- A piece of paper and marker
- Red makeup
5. Chinese Food
Why not bring your favorite Chinese dish to life through your Halloween costume? Try wrapping yourself in a brown blanket to transform into a lumpia shanghai.
You can even buy a mascot suit, such as the cute dumpling costume pictured above! A circular hopia costume would be fun too!
Another good idea is to dress as tikoy. After all, your Filipino friends always ask for tikoy during Chinese New Year. This Halloween, be the tikoy.
6. White Flower
Show up to your next Halloween party as the ultimate cure-all and answer to all problems: White Flower!
All you have to do is attach two illustration boards via rope or string then secure them over your shoulders. After that, glue or tape the white flower logo to the front board and finish off your look with a blue cap.
WHAT YOU NEED::
- Two illustration boards and rope
- Printed logo of White Flower
- Blue cap
7. Tiger Mom/Scary Aunt
Arguably the scariest costume on this list! Try dressing up as a tiger mom, or perhaps Aunt Eleanor from Crazy Rich Asians to amp up the fear factor in your Halloween get-up.
Send visceral fear through the hearts of your friends as you pull up through the driveway and the rice has not yet been cooked! Don’t forget to rant that no one ever helps you around the house.
But deep down, despite your exterior of toughness, you love them very much.
WHAT YOU NEED::
- Hair tie or claw clip
- Mom or aunt clothing
- Optional: accessories such as sun visor or apron
8. The True Chinoy Halloween Costume
Halloween but without the costumes!
As a child, when I asked my parents if I could have a Halloween costume, they said no because costumes are expensive and only worn for one day: Halloween. Therefore, the true Halloween costume for Chinoys is no costume at all!
We hope you enjoyed this list!
