•Ethnic and Period Costumes
Period and ethnic costumes are popular and whether you are dressing as a Gengis Khan, or a pasha from the East, your helmet can make the basis for your headgear. A helmet can easily be hidden beneath a turban or veil. Attach the outer trappings of your costume headgear to a tightly fitting helmet cover.
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•Knights and Soldiers
Dressing as a medieval knight, a Roman soldier or a Norse viking (although the Hollywood version is a myth) makes it very easy to wear your helmet as part of your costume. Just cover it with thick foil, or make a furry cover. ?Fasten your costume hat to the chin strap of your helmet so you don't have to glue or tape anything to your helmet. You want to take good care of your helmet, even as part of a costume, and most helmet manufacturers recommend that you don't stick anything to your helmet because it may damage the shell.
•Clowns, Witches, Princesses and Fairies
Clowns, witches and fairies can all wear imaginative hats and wigs that can disguise a riding helmet. Billowing or fluffy wigs can be adapted to fit over a helmet, as can silly hats. Add lots of color to your costume and no one will even notice the helmet beneath. Brides and princesses can drape their helmets with a veil and top it off with a tiara or crown. Just be sure your scarves or kerchiefs come loose easily as you don't want to get entangled if you take a spill.
•Ghouls, Ghosts and Monsters
Monster of all types can incorporate a helmet as it makes your head look bigger and scarier under fake fur, scales or feathers. The headless horseman is a popular costume idea. Your helmet can be easily hidden beneath a jacket pulled up over your head. (Just make sure you can see!)
•Ladies Aside and Astride
Ladies who followed the hunt riding sidesaddle often wore smart top hats wrapped in a flowing scarf. Simply wrap a long gauzy scarf around your helmet and let the tails of the scarf drape down your back. If your helmet isn't the traditional black velvet type, you can buy a stretch black velvet helmet cover at a tack store. The conical shaped headgear or hood worn by the ladies of medieval times is very easy to build over a helmet. Again, be sure that you won't become tangled in your scarves should you fall off.
•First Nations/Native American
First Nations people often wore headgear covered in fur or feathers. Look up various traditional headdresses and adapt to fit over your helmet. While the Hollywood version of the feathered headdress is most familiar, buffalo or other animal fur and hide was used as headgear also.