Saturday, 02 November 2002 | Disguise

Thursday morning on my way to work, I was quite sure that some of the people I passed didn't realize I was in costume, or at least weren't sure. A few seemed curious, and I could tell I was being studied. It was liberating, pretending I was someone else, though, as the day progressed, other creatures began to emerge, and I was no longer a mystery.

The parade downtown was like a debutante ball for the creative. There were infinite costumes to see, each labored over for hours to weeks, each carefully applied in bathroom mirrors across the city. I chose to walk in the parade, because I was told that is the best way to actually see it, free to weave in and out of the forward-moving force of hulks and batmen and prostitutes and storm troopers. (I unexpectedly ran into Choire, who dressed as a form of one of the above.)

I didn't particularly feel part of the parade—no one knew who I was supposed to be, and there were so many costumes to focus on that the crowd didn't dwell on any one person. Liberating, as well, to go unnoticed, while wearing the same outfit on the same street, just a few hours later. I'll try to post pictures soon.