When preparing this costume, first try to get into the mindset of a beatnik. The year is 1950 and you have grown up in a middle class white family, to parents who have tried to provide you with as many privileges as possible. Private schools, worldly vacations, and guidance towards a path of becoming a "professional". Throughout High School you did as you were told: made honor roll, became captain of the football team, and was crowned queen and king of prom. With a life planned to avoid trouble you have had little resistance to getting your needs met.

As you got older and attended ivy league college, you met all sorts of new people who strayed you away from your sheltered path. Hanging out at poetry slams and coffee shops with friends like Alan Ginsberg, Jack Karouac, and Neal Cassidy new horizons began to open up. You decided to quit school and hit the road- traveling along from coast to coast to see what life had in store. From Atlantic to Pacific you learned who and what America was doing and how you could use art, drugs, and an alternative lifestyle to do something more.

As a clown you want to make jokes which poke fun at the lifestyle you used to lead. Your sense of humor will allow you to communicate your message to the public without overly offending them or saying something that will have your mother hollering.

So now that your head is thinking right, its time to get dressed. Tight pants and a no frills leather jacket are the staples for your outfit. Simple is best, but as a clown, you are always in the mood to mix things up. If you want to add some color in your life try sticking to darker towns- burgundy, purple, or Navy Blue- since the beatniks often stuck to black clothing. Hide a watering flower or a noise maker in the jacket of your leather pocket- to give a surprise people wouldn't expect. You will also want to find a good pair of dark glasses.

You wont need too much make up for this outfit, but you should for sure consider finding a good wig at to wear underneath your 1950s berets. The right wig will show what kind of beatnik clown you are and stand you apart from the rest of imitators.

Any Store That Has Costume Wigs will also have great clown wigs. You can also find them by doing an internet search. Any store with an Afro Wig will also have clown wigs.