Some people plan their Halloween costume a year in advance. Others throw on cat ears and call it a day. But whether you’re a DIY superhero or a last-minute ghost-in-a-sheet, one thing’s for sure: Halloween is the only night where it’s socially acceptable to knock on strangers’ doors dressed like a taco and demand candy.
Halloween costumes are really important to many people. Some people come up with their own ideas for their costume, others use resources available online to find inspiration. Freshman, Aurora Clough says that the best websites for her inspiration were Pinterest, Tik Tok, Instagram, or YouTube; many other students agreed with her. When it comes to the social media aspect, many creators and content ideas have gone viral this year inspiring costumes.
Some people would say that costumes over the years have gotten boring, but others say that they have gotten more interesting. Freshman, Clara Sanderson says, “[Costumes are] definitely more interesting because I feel like people in general have more interesting ideas.”
In contrast, freshman Savannah Kirk argues the opposite. She says, “ I think they have gotten more boring throughout the years because everyone’s kind of just doing the same costumes, like last year it was Soulja Boy”.
When it comes to the money aspect of it, you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to have a mind blowing costume. Some people spend 100 to 400 dollars on costumes, while others just make theirs by hand. Both freshmen Savannah and Clara said that they spend around 50 to 150 max. While making costumes by hand isn’t as popular as it used to be, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make them by hand.
Some people think that doing a costume with other people is more unique and you’ll have more fun when you’re matching or sharing the same ideas with friends. Over the years duo, trio, and group costumes have definitely been becoming more popular. Some people do duo costumes with parents or siblings because it’s a tradition of theirs, others match with the same friend every year. Whether it’s because it’s more convenient for the person or you’d rather match with someone else’s than be your own.
Celebrities also have a huge impact on the costume algorithm. People look up to celebrities and take inspiration and admire things that they do and act. Many people say that the best era of costumes from celebrities were the 2000’s and 2010’s. Costumes during those times were creative in many different ways. For example, Lupita Nyong’o as Dionne from Clueless, Harry Styles as Elton John, Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit, Beyoncé as Barbie, and Cardi B as Morticia Addams.
Halloween trends also often reflect what’s popular in movies, music, and online trends that year. Like when Tik Tok trends take over or new movies become really popular, you can almost guarantee you’ll see those characters on Halloween night. This cycle evolves every year and every generation.
Overall, Halloween costumes are more than just outfits-they’re a reflection of creativity, culture, and the times we live in. Whether people choose to make their own or buy something straight off the rack, each costume tells a small story about what inspired us that year. No matter how trends change, Halloween will always be a night where everyone gets to be someone – or something – else for a little while.
