Don’t stress over your costume this Halloween
With Oct. 31 fast approaching, try out these costume suggestions
Halloween is the one time of year where you can dress up as anything you'd like to be, get creative, and have fun with your costume. (Austin Kelly)
The air is getting cooler, the sun is setting earlier, and the trees are almost completely bare. With the cold air comes a chilling holiday, Halloween. Whether you celebrate or not, you cannot escape Halloween celebrations, almost as much as you can’t escape Mariah Carey’s hit, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” during the holiday season.
Some like to go all out with decorations from putting up fake spider webs and creepy themed animatronics to planting gravestones in their yard, often weeks before Oct. 31 is even here. These same people plan out their costumes months in advance, surprising their friends and family with outrageous, creative ideas and unknowingly intimidating those that did not put the same amount of energy into their costumes.
October is one of the busiest months for students, filled with midterms, projects, and large assignments. It’s easy for Halloween to get overlooked and be seen as stressful. It’s rather difficult for the average student to create a costume from scratch or brainstorm an idea when they have so much on their plate.
If you’re making plans to go to a house party or club on Halloween weekend, try to think of a costume that might not be on everyone’s radar this year. Let’s be honest, we will see plenty of Barbie and Ken couples costumes this year. There will also be lots of people dressed up as Wednesday Addams, Taylor Swift, Ted Lasso, and Oppenheimer, so if you thought your costume would be original, think again and try to go for something less cliché.
I find it fun to try out DIY costumes, which even the uncraftiest person can achieve. Building your costume from pieces at the thrift store or items you already have at home will not only save money, but help the environment by preventing you from buying a fast fashion outfit you will never wear again.
I also like when people dress up as characters from movies, like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde or Tom Cruise in Top Gun. For Elle you can wear a pleated skirt, a simple blouse, and a tie, which you can easily find online or at a dollar store. For Top Gun, you can wear a plain white t-shirt, leather jacket, and of course those vintage aviator shades. There are also the classic DIY costumes like characters from The Office. If you don’t have a whole group to dress up with, go as “Three-Hole Punch” Jim.
Of course, if you want to go all out this year, check out Spirit Halloween and Party City for costumes, props, and accessories. It is great to check out stores like these for inspiration if you cannot think of a costume. If you’re looking for a throwback costume, this year Spirit Halloween has a whole section for the witches from Hocus Pocus and the Scooby Doo gang.
Additionally, it is super cool to dress up as an iconic movie character or celebrity. Maybe you want to dress as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or as Elvis Presley with those bedazzled bell bottoms. While there is nothing wrong with going as a classic witch or vampire, try to bring your own twist to it. Maybe you can add a quirky touch to your costume to make it memorable and more personal.
Remember, whatever you do this Halloween, try to have fun. It is the only time of year where you can be anything you want to be!
