Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. Despite the temperature in Boulder being in the 30s throughout Halloweekend, there was no shortage of creativity. All over social media and campus, people displayed their interests and originality through their costumes. Although there were many costumes I didn’t see repeats of, there were many people who did share the same ideas for their outfits. Personally, I don’t think repetition detracts from a costume. I may be biased– I went as a deer, something I saw many people do– but just because a costume is common doesn’t mean that it can’t be individualized by the person wearing it. Whether it’s a repeat or something I had never seen before, here are my favorite costumes from social media and Boulder students.
Charlie Brown and Snoopy
Charlie Brown and Snoopy were a common pair I saw both in person and online. I love Snoopy, and I think that the costume is a great concept for both couples and for individuals. With a wide range of outfits to choose from, I think it provides a place for creativity. Especially considering the varying weather across the country, it’s super modifiable for any climate.
The Circus
As a group costume or standalone costume, the circus is a great way to get all your friends involved. This costume not only allows for a cohesive theme, but also makes sense even if you get separated from your group. The clown costumes were some of my favorites that I saw this year, and it was neat to see all the makeup variations that people came up with.
Lord Business and LEGO Batman
The LEGO movies inspire costumes that challenge creative people who want to build part or all of their costume. It’s super simple to get clothing and print a logo or notable element, but LEGOs being buildable presents an opportunity for people to construct a physical aspect. I saw people who chose to hold their hands like a lego but wear an outfit that was easy to move around in. On the other hand, I saw a boy online who built Lord Business’s Hat out of cardboard. Either way, the costumes were recognizable and fun.
Lana Del Rey and Her Alligator Man
Celebrities are easy, recognizable figures to dress up as for Halloween. As a massive Lana Del Rey fan, I love seeing people every year dressed as her for Halloween. With all the buzz surrounding her new album and relationship, many people went as her. Beyond just going as Del Rey, dressed in attire from either album covers or paparazzi photos, people formed it into a couples costume. Garnering attention following her marriage to an alligator tour guide, the couple quickly became a popular costume. Including another person dressed up in camo and holding an inflatable alligator, Del Rey was one half of a popular couples costume this year. As another costume set that makes sense whether seen together or apart, it taps into a recent pop culture reference that I don’t see going away next year.
Ke$ha
I know people have doppelgangers, but there are some serious Ke$ha look-alikes. Despite being another costume that can be varied in many ways, many people recreated her look with blue tinsel. A costume that can be created using mini shorts, fishnets, a band tee, and some glitter, it offers an opportunity to use what might already be in your closet or to purchase clothes you can wear beyond just Halloween.
Alix Earl’s Cheshire Cat
I love Alix Earl’s outfits and as an older sister, I’ve enjoyed watching the dynamic unfold between her and her sisters. This year, she threw a Halloween party that was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, calling it The Mad Forest. Although less dramatic than most of Heidi Klum’s costumes, she similarly embraced a physical alteration. Applying prosthetics to her face and painting her entire body, she transformed into the Cheshire Cat. She’s shown her costumes from college on TikTok and although still displaying her toned physique, she further embraced the holiday in a way she hasn’t before. I really appreciated this costume because I love that she let her creativity transform her and that she embraced the theme of her party. I feel like she could have gone as Alice, making her “Alix in Wonderland,” but I enjoyed that she diverged from my expectations and decided to go as another character.
All of Zoi Fish’s Costumes
Every time I see Zoi Lerma, (AKA Zoi Fish) and her outfits, especially during Coachella season, I have to just stare at them. She embraces so many aspects of fashion and creates complex and interesting outfits. The first costume of hers I saw this year was Lady Gaga from the “Die with a Smile” cover art. In addition to loving this song, I really appreciated how accurate her outfit was. She brought in her friend to be Bruno Mars and they nailed the look. For her second costume she and her friends went as “the plastics” and a plastic surgeon. Making a dramatic transformation, using prosthetics, wigs, and makeup, she and her friends completely transformed their appearances. Their costumes were an incredible and scary dramatization of botched plastic surgery which perfectly fit with the scariness of the holiday.
Kaki Kirk’s Britney Spears
For the last few months I have watched Kaki Kirk on TikTok. When I first started watching her she was a communications student at the University of Tennessee. I enjoyed her photography and her college content, but I really love watching her live in New York pursuing her career. One of her costumes this year was the iconic Britney Spears outfit from the MTV Music Awards. In addition to the girl who put together her outfit, Caitlin Fracasso, absolutely nailing it, her personality and excitement really embodied the performance it was inspired by. Her dancing videos were so cute and she looked so beautiful.
This year I felt that TikTok offered a platform for people to show off their costumes, allowing for many to have sounds to connect to their chosen costume. Although there are many costumes that were worn this year, these were some of my favorites because of the creativity, relevance, and effort put in. I love going to a big school and seeing what everyone wears. Walking around The Hill, whether I saw costumes I recognized or not, was so much fun. I’m already beginning to look at potential costumes for next year, and whether influenced by new or old pop-culture, I look forward to seeing what I, and everyone else, dresses up as.