About Costumes - Costumes and Society
 Costumes have been worn literally for thousands of years, and dates back to at least the Roman Empire. It is clear from the sculpture left behind by the Romans, men and women of the Roman period usually wore a form of a short tunic. Women of this period generally wore a "stola" or long dress over the tunic with a belt at the waist.
It is widely known that throughout the Medieval period (about 1,000 years) many different forms of costumes were worn throughout Europe by both men and women. Many costumes of the period were designed to display the rank or occupation of the wearer. Knights, for example would wear their armor ceremonially to display their allegiance or stature. During this time, many members of society regularly wore costumes - from Kings and Queens to Princesses and Lords, Court Jesters to Knights and Warriors - costumes sent a clear message about one's role in society.
 Throughout these times, costumes were also developed and used symbolically by the Church. As the Catholic faith gained an ever greater following, costumes were used in all manner of ceremonies carried out by the Church. Priests, Bishops, Cardinals and even the Pope each have their own ceremonial costumes to indicate their status or role within the Church.
Costumes have also long been used in theatrical productions, instantly transforming actors into characters. It is hard to imagine a play or movie without costume.
The modern day tradition of Halloween - or All Hallow's Eve - ushered in a new era for the use of costume. There are many stories of how Halloween came to be a time for dressing in costume, but in any case, it is obvious that Halloween has fundamentally changed the way our culture thinks about costumes. Costumes worn on Halloween are often frightening or related to the deceased. This most likely grew from an Irish tradition - and the scary costumes were intended to scare off evil spirits after extinguishing the fires in their homes on October 31.
 Throughout history and all over the world, costumes have been used in so many ways. Costumes are used to transform one's character, project one's status. Costumes are an integral part of many cultures and rituals handed down through the ages. A costume can entertain, delight, frighten or inspire awe. Any day can be a great opportunity to step "out" of the everyday routine, put on a costume and "pretend". Costumes are a simple, safe, fun and exciting way to escape the ordinary. Costumes and role-playing can rekindle passion between lovers or transform any ordinary gathering into something truly memorable.
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