Think before you dress: my guide to the mayhem that is Halloween costume shopping

When October 1st rolls around, does a silent alarm go off in anybody else’s head? I suddenly have the urge to go into full panic, where my Halloween costume shopping must begin. Even though the holiday is still 30 days away, I always feel like I’m already behind on my costume curation. The stress, chaos, and angst are certainly some factors, but here are my most effective do’s and don’ts in order to create a panic-free month of October. 

Do:

The first important step is to realize that there is no need to hunt for the most original costume idea. Whether you like it or not, any costume idea you think of will already have been done by many people, so there is no point in racking your brain for weeks trying to think of the perfect costume. Recently, I have found that the simpler the costume, the more creative license you have with it. It doesn’t matter what you choose to dress up as, it matters how you choose to execute the costume. The chances are that the more obscure a costume is, the harder it will be to find what to wear for it. 

Once you figure out what you want to be, the next step is actually hunting for the costume. While everyone wants to race to Amazon for the convenience and array of items, let me stop you there. Shopping for a costume on Amazon will strip you of any originality or uniqueness. The one website I rely on for all my costume shopping is the holy grail: Depop. Depop is the best costume site because you can find clothing from different time periods. It is essentially digital thrifting, which can allow you to find various patterns or styles. Not to mention the cheaper prices and flexibility with sellers that come along with thrifting. Because of the tag feature on the app, you can narrow your search to exactly what you’re looking for, and I can guarantee you will find great options.

Now, when it comes to accessories like fake blood or socks, I recommend using Amazon as your outlet to do so. I will give credit to the surplus of Halloween items Amazon has, so I think it is wise to accessorize with the assistance of Amazon. If you are interested in doing some in-person costume shopping, I ask one thing: steer clear of Spirit Halloween. That is the ultimate recipe for a cheesy costume, and I can assure you that no one wants that. 

Don’t:

While Halloween permits a time for you to dress up as whatever or whoever you want, let’s not take that too literally. While as a child it was adorable to dress up as a fireman or doctor, we are not wearing the same costumes we used to as children. It is important to distinguish the difference between a costume and a job. Dressing up provocatively as a maid or policeman only sexualizes blue-collar jobs. Videos have been circulating around Tiktok of women in the military dueting videos of girls dressed up in sexy military costumes looking disturbed and upset, which clearly shows the disrespect of the costume. 

The last piece of advice I will leave you with is to remember what you are actually dressing for. It is Halloween, do not let it take over your mind! It seems that the fun of the holiday often gets clouded by the pressure and anxiety of the weeks leading up to it. Don’t stress if you don’t find your costume right away, last minute costumes usually turn out to be the best ones. But, if you like to plan ahead as I do, this should help lead you in the right direction.