An Ace Frehley Halloween costume will let you live the life of a rock star, if only for one night.
Ace Frehley Halloween Costume Design
As the lead guitarist of KISS in the original line up of the band, Ace Frehley was "The Spaceman", along with Paul Stanley "The Starchild", Gene Simmons "The Demon" and Peter Criss "The Catman". These nicknames refer to each man's overall costuming style within the black, white, and silver color scheme of the band KISS.
Base
The base of Ace Frehley's costume is a black unitard. To recreate his look, you can leave the unitard plain or decorate it with rhinestones. Both of these variations were used for the stage costume throughout the band's career.
Accents
It's in the accents that the Spaceman look begins to come together. Depending on the era, Frehley's additional costume pieces were either solid silver or black, star studded panels bordered by silver. You will need arm cuffs and a chest piece. The arm cuffs should go from the wrist to slightly above the elbow. If you would like to wear the all silver chest piece, it is made of a wide belt with attached straps criss crossing the chest to create prominent shoulder covers. The black and silver version consists of a similar wide belt, but for this costume, the attachment is v-shaped. Viewing images of the silver and black and silver designs will help you recreate them. Creating the accents from fabric will result in the best appearance, but you could also make them from cardboard painted silver and/or black.
Boots
Finish the costume with silver knee height platform boots. You can purchase platform boots or create boot covers to simulate their look. If you want a truly authentic look, MotorCowboy, a company dedicated to creating replica boots, sells Ace Frehley Dynasty boots, but this custom made accessory will set you back nearly $700.
Manufactured Costumes
Although copyright concerns probably prevent the company from calling it an Ace Frehley costume, Costumes Galore offers a "70s Band Costume" that is obviously patterned on the guitarist. It is available for rental, and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. You may also be able to find similar costumes to rent locally.
Makeup and Hair
After you've assembled your costume, follow these steps to complete the look:
- Find a reference image to help you apply the makeup accurately. For instance, the Wikipedia article on Kiss features outlines of each band member's makeup pattern.
- Begin with a white base covering the entire face.
- Cover your lips with black lipstick. The look calls for thick, full lips, especially the upper lip, so you may need to go outside of your natural lip line to mimic Frehley's makeup.
- Draw the outline of the star shape around your eyes. The points should ideally stretch from hairline to lower cheek. You want a line that is thick enough to be noticeable.
- Fill in the outline with silver makeup. Use care in applying makeup around the eyes, and heed all product warnings. It's better to have a bit of bare skin around your eyes than to injure yourself in the name of authenticity.
- Accentuate your eyebrows with a black eyebrow pencil to make sure they stand out against the makeup.
Frehley has slightly shaggy, shoulder length black hair. Temporary hair dye will give your natural locks the right hue. If you have short hair, a black wig, such as this rock star wig, will fit the bill.
If you would like to skip the makeup and hair routine, there is a collectible Ace Frehley mask. However, it is out of stock in many stores, so it may be difficult to acquire. Check costume rental shops and online auctions if you can't find it from retailers.
With your Ace Frehley Halloween costume constructed, you'll be ready for the spotlight.
