There are wolves in the forest, they said. Watch out for them, they said, as often wolves are hidden in plain sight, buried deep inside people, lurking, waiting. I know, I said.

For I am the wolf.

I clearly take Halloween very seriously. None of this typical prepackaged costume-in-a-bag nonsense; I typically DIY my costumes, making masks and headpieces, taking pieces I already own and transforming them…anything to make it seem unique and different. My Halloween snobbery has never been hidden; I’ve always turned my nose up at buying my costume from any retailer, but as the days ticked closer to October 31st I realized I was in a rare predicament.

See, I typically start brainstorming my All Hallows look weeks, if not months, in advance. But this year time got away from me, and before I knew it, Halloween was looming on the horizon, with nary an idea in mind. Although I still couldn’t bring myself to just grab a bagged costume and call it a day (not to mention that there are practically no plus options anyway), I turned to the internet to help with my costume concerns. There I found Hips & Curves, one of my favorite lingerie sites, filled with pieces that could fulfill my Halloween fantasy.

I knew I wanted to put together something that I could have fun with, something I could play with and make my own. And when I found this red velvet cape, I knew exactly what I was going to be.

I always found the story of Little Red Riding Hood to be a bit suspect. She’s a child, sent out into the woods, by herself, to visit her Grandmother….likely story.

In my mind, she was a grown-ass woman, making her way through the forest of life, trying to combat the “wolves” i.e. “problems” in her life. Her “Grandmother” is her “goal” and she’s all alone, with only her wits and her strength to get her through the trees.