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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal State Chico chapter.

It’s about that time for us last minute procrastinators to start choosing Halloween Costumes! Not to worry, there are plenty of last-minute costumes you can put together with some items you may already have in your closet! In this last-minute costume guide, you will be left with ideas that will allow you to participate in spooky holiday fun without the stress of splurging on a costume.

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@yellownintendo_ and @gonnaflatline on Twitter
  1. Pirate 

Dressing up a pirate is an easy idea that includes items you may already have. You will need to start off with a white flowy top and a black skirt. Bonus: If you have a white flowy dress you can level it up by including a black corset over it! Tights and black boots will also help you elevate your outfit and make it extra festive. Next, you will want to dig into your accessories and layer some chunky jewelry over your outfit. Gold hoops, waist chains, and chunky necklaces will definitely add to the pirate look. Lastly, find a red or black bandana/head scarf and tie it around your head for the final touch.

  1. Jigsaw

The next costume is Jigsaw from the movie Saw. It’s super easy to turn this scary character into a unique and cute costume for Halloween. A black corset, black skirt, and black boots are really all you need for the clothing aspect. To really make it into a jigsaw costume, you can add a cute red bow choker and red spirals on your cheek. This costume is so versatile with any hairstyle, whether it be a classy slick back or some loose curls.

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Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

3. Top Gun

Cargo skirts have been in recently, especially for the fall season. For this next costume, a black, tan, or green cargo skirt is perfect for dressing up as a pilot from Top Gun. Bonus points if you have a green bomber jacket! This costume is both stylish and simple- no matter what combination of neutrals you choose, you’ll be sure to stand out. A dog tag necklace, Aviator sunglasses, and tall boots will also help you fly into the spooky season with no problem. 

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Pixabay / Pexels

4. Mean Girls

Nothing would be more iconic for Halloween than choosing a classic movie to base your costume off of. If neutral colors aren’t the look you want for this Halloween, dressing up as a character from Mean Girls is a great idea. The movie has so many characters and you’ll have no problem pulling some pink items from your closet to make a costume out of. Wearing all pink isn’t the only way you can have a Mean Girls-inspired costume either. In the movie, there is also a Halloween party and Karen is dressed up as a mouse. This is a simple and cute costume as well!

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Paramount Pictures

5. Scarecrow 

This last idea is a classic and fits the Halloween vibes perfectly. If you choose to dress up as a scarecrow, you can decide between making it scary or cute which is perfect for a last-minute costume. The colors for this costume include orange, yellow, earthy tones, and denim. This idea is great for all ages and will allow you to add your own spin to this classic costume. Face paint or makeup can also be added to make this costume more unique as well!

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Photo by Eric Deeran on Unsplash
Daniela Mendoza

Cal State Chico '25

Daniela Mendoza is a junior majoring in Communications with a minor in Marketing at California State University, Chico. For the past three years, she has developed an interest in writing and pop culture which is why she decided to become part of the Her Campus writing team! Some of her interests include food, fashion, and music, and she would love to create content about those topics throughout this experience. Outside of being a part of the Her Campus team, she is also an active member of the Alpha Phi Sorority Chapter at Chico State. Through Alpha Phi, she has participated in community service events as well as philanthropy fundraisers. She recently also had the opportunity to become a collegiate brand ambassador for PRIME, through which she promotes PRIME products through social media marketing on Instagram. The reason why she decided to become a writer for Her Campus is because of the emphasis on woman empowerment. She values the importance of having content tailored towards college women written by college women. The message of creating a website that feels like a community is important and Her Campus does a good job representing that. She is so excited about this new marketing and writing opportunity through Her Campus and can’t wait to learn, improve, and create throughout this experience!