Costume Ideas for Letter Y

There are a number of overhead masks and photo-style cardboard masks which may enable you to impersonate celebrities. However at the moment there are few Y celebrities!

Yankee Doodle Dandy -Derived from the 1942 musical film biography of the multi-talented American George M Cohen. The film starred James Cagney and the Yankee Doodle Dandy song involved him in a patriotic Uncle Sam-style outfit. On the other hand, Yankee Doodle Pigeon was the carrier bird chased by Dastardly and Mutley in their Flying Machines cartoon series.

Yankees Supporter - For someone not wanting to dress up or try too hard, get any of the widely available NY logo leisure-wear and go as a New York Yankees baseball team supporter.

Yashmak dancer - A yashmak is a type of veil, usually made of muslin or chiffon worn by women of the Middle East, especially Turkey. One or several such veils may be part of a belly-dancer outfit.

Yellow -A ‘Yellow’ person intimates cowardice, but if you ignore that, there are opportunities for use of yellow wigs, clothes, tights etc for a head-to-toe portrayal of this colour. Also, of course, The Simpsons are yellow-skinned! For simplicity, a banana costume may also work. You could also use a yellow Morphsuit to create an all over yellow look.

Yellow Rose of Texas – Subject of a much-loved American tune of the 1950s. Cowgirl in shades of yellow & white.

Yeoman of the Guard- The traditional scarlet and gold uniform of the Yeoman of the Guard, who protect the Tower of London was devised by Henry VII but has been embellished over the centuries. (The ruff originated in the Elizabethan era, the be-ribboned bonnet in James IIs reign).

Yeti- Also known as the Abominable Snowman. A legendary creature of shaggy appearance sighted in the Himalayan mountain range.

Yin Yang Person (or a couple as Yin and Yang) – The contrasting elements of Chinese symbolism combine to create a novel concept for a party theme of opposites. As a couple, one person can dress all black, the other all white, or for the more ambitious one person can do a half-and-half costume – Black/white; Male/female.

YMCA -Iconic song from the 1980s. An opportunity for a group to get together as the group The Village People.

Young Ones (The)-BBC television series first broadcast in 1982. Main characters are: Neil – Hippy Costume, Rik – would-be anarchist, Vyvyan – punk and ‘normal’ Mike.

Yoda -Jedi Master in the Star Wars Universe. This might be an interesting costume idea for someone of small stature who has access to a suitable mask and robes.

Yo Gabba Gabba- Childrens TV series of the late 2000s which has something of a cult following with teenagers (and some adults) because of its colourful costumes, unusual characters and music content. Because of a limited following inBritain, costumes are available mostly through American sites and are mostly for children, although the orange/white jumpsuit of DJ Lance Rock can be found for adults.

Yogi Bear Major Hanna-Barbera cartoon character (Smarter than the average bear) who, with his side-kick Boo-boo Bear and girlfriend Cindy lived in Jellystone Park. Noted for his green flat hat and white collar with green tie.

Yoko Ono – Wife of the late John Lennon. Wear a hippy costume, long black hair and dark round glasses. Alternatively, she was famous for appearing in white mini dress or white suit.

Yosemite Sam - Prospector-style cartoon character from the Warner Bros Looney Tunes series. Noted for his voluminous red moustache and small stature, he was another character in constant battle against Bugs Bunny.

Youth Worker- May also work for YMCA. Wear a track-suit, carry a clipboard and look enthusiastic!

Yuppie – A term from the 1980s, denoting the young upwardly mobile set. Designer suit, coloured braces. Old-style (large) mobile phone.

Yul Brynner- Actor who died in October 1985. Most famous for playing the King of Siam in the King & I. Wear a sultan style costume plus bald cap wig. He also portrayed Rameses II, so an Egyptian pharaoh costume would also be suitable.