Last Hurrah: Kooky Costumes at the Art Car Parade

The Art Car parade is one of my very favorite things to do in Houston, and this year I went with an eye toward what the parade participants would be wearing, as well as the cool cars. The art cars were fun and the costumes were funky: weird, wacky, and wild were represented, and everyone moving down the street had a smile on their face. Check out some of my favorite costumes after the jump, and if you had a favorite car or costume, let me know in the comments!

When I saw Jen Jen walking down the street the first thing I noticed wasn't her balloon hat, but the smiles that broke out on the faces of the people she was chatting with. I literally chased her down the road because I had to get a snap of the Rainbow Brite knee socks and the multi-pocketed apron. That balloon hat was just icing on the cake!

Cowboy hats and sunglasses were de rigueur for many on Sunday, and Mayor Annise Parker said "yes" to sun protection in a wide-brimmed hat and shades.

I love the red hippo car that tools around town year-round, but this Mad Hatter on the orange car charmed me with her bubbly smile - and her soap bubbles.

Part-saloon gal, part-roller derby. I love the stockings here, and the minimalist accessorizing--too much bling would have been a lot of look.

I thought this was a faithful interpretation of the iconic I Dream of Jeanie costume.

A well-placed pucker can do wonders for a girl!

This juxtaposition of hippie tie-dye with an Army helmet caught my eye.

Insert mandatory "moooo-ving" joke here. How this woman made a cow motif look sexy is beyond me, but she nailed it.

In yards of pink tulle and decorated bras worn on the outside of their clothing, these breast cancer survivors gave a big middle finger to the Big C.

Now that's a breastplate.

Plastic water bottle hats also made an appearance. This one seems royal-wedding worthy to me.