By India Madsen
🎵It’s the most wonderful time of the year🎵
That’s right, Halloween is here! So maybe Halloween doesn’t come with an envelope stuffed with cash from your grandma and there’s no grand feast for dinner (apart from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Swedish Fish). But even so, I believe that Halloween is one of the best holidays because, unlike almost every other holiday, it is virtually stress-free. There is no obligation to give up your vices, find gifts for the friends who seem to have everything, or respond to relatives’ inquiries into your love life at the dinner table. Halloween is all about getting back to your youthful side, having fun, and expressing your creativity.
Since Halloween doesn’t provide an actual day off from work, it’s easy to pinpoint the best part of this holiday: the costumes! If your Tik Tok For You page looks anything like mine, you’ve probably received a mass of Tik Tok videos about creating costumes with pieces from Amazon. While the costumes are admittedly cheap, cute, and convenient (as advertised), I feel a twinge of sadness for the slow decline of the homemade Halloween costume. When I think back to my favourite childhood memories of Halloween, they involve experiences like laughing at mishaps with bottles of spray paint and triumphantly finding the perfect addition to my costume at Value Village. So, this Halloween, I challenge you to make your own costume.
Let me make the case for homemade costumes:
(If you doubt my expertise, I can assure you that I am qualified by the Halloween Costume Creativity Award that I won in 6th grade.)
- They’re cheaper. Although the price of a set of fairy wings or a scary mask on Amazon is inexpensive, the shipping cost of pulling together an entire costume can add up quickly!
- They’re more ethical. Halloween is the mother of all fast fashion days and I’d bet money that this is Shien’s busiest week of the year. When you primarily use what you already own, borrow from friends, or buy secondhand, you know that your costume is helping to preserve our beautiful environment and support ethical labour standards.
- They’re more creative. Putting your Halloween costume together shouldn’t be a chore like buying groceries. A homemade costume is a fun way to exercise your creativity that’s guaranteed to produce something unique.
If you’re having any trouble coming up with a costume, I have included a few ideas that I created without spending a dime!
Supergirl/Superman
If you don’t want to wear a full-on caped ensemble, a Superman T-shirt underneath a half-buttoned white dress shirt is the key to this easy costume.
Star Trek Officer
A Star Trek uniform is probably one of the easiest costumes ever. All you need is a red, yellow, or blue sweater and black dress pants. A shift dress also works well, with Lieutenant Uhura’s red dress being the most recognizable choice. The star trek pin (I cut mine out of paper) is the most important piece of this look.
Jim Stark (James Dean), Rebel Without a Cause
I’ll admit that a bomber jacket would have been preferable to a leather jacket, but this still holds up. This costume conveniently doubles as Fry from Futurama (whose costume was apparently inspired by Jim Stark’s). Replace the leather jacket with a puffer vest and you’ve got Marty McFly, whose outfit was supposedly based on Rebel Without a Cause as well.
Snow White
The only non-negotiables of a modern Snow White costume are an apple and a combination of red, yellow, and blue.
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
This is a great option for comic book fans looking for an easy costume! All you need is an eye patch and a long black leather jacket to emulate the Director of SHIELD in the Marvel Universe.
Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), Breakfast at Tiffany’s
In lieu of a sheath dress, your favourite little black dress will work for this costume. I added these costume gloves, a glittery bow-shaped hair pin, and costume jewelry.
One final note: please be mindful that while movie characters make great costumes, other people’s cultures do not. Please be respectful of different cultures and choose your costume wisely. As long as you avoid being appropriative or mean-spirited, get as creative as you’d like!
I hope that you all have fun with your costumes. Have a happy Halloween, Lions!