This Halloween, Embrace Costume Creativity

Everybody recalls fond memories made when they dressed up and went trick-or-treating. Costumes are a great tool for coworkers, friends and partners to get together and celebrate the beloved Halloween. However, it seems party goers have abandoned original, unique costumes.

Halloween costumes have created a repetitive tango of awkward social interactions and questions about who those in costume are meant to be. This lack of clarity is only enhanced by an increase in low-quality costumes. 

There’s a clear lack of initiative coming from Halloween celebrators and a need for costumes with more thought than fangs and fake blood. In recent years, costumes have become increasingly more repetitive and mundane. 

Not only have Halloween costumes shed excitement, but they also neglect the holiday’s traditions. Historically, Halloween rituals began with a person completely transforming for the night, according to the World History Encyclopedia. This is a direct contrast to how simple the average costume has become. 

Suddenly everyone’s an angel with wings, while devils with horns, pitchforks and spiky tails are nowhere to be found. Costumes have become cheap, easy and unstainable, according to The Washington Post. Party attendees have forgotten why costumes were worn originally and in the process have turned to low-effort outfits making Halloween unenjoyable. 

More than this, many adults are declining to dress up for the holiday, as 63% of those surveyed in a 2023 study said they weren’t planning on wearing a costume, according to Yahoo News. But there’s a plethora of big-box stores selling Halloween costumes for adults, meaning there’s no excuse for simply throwing on some cat ears.  

While there are still plenty of Halloween celebrators dressing up as their favorite pet, some people who are dressing up for Halloween this year are ditching their fake whiskers for a comedic costume. 

This year adults and children alike will be putting on their sun visors and tennis outfits, break dancing in the streets as the Australian olympic athlete Raygun, according to CNN. Her ensemble is perfect for the average adult wanting to celebrate Halloween in Olympic-grade style. 

With a little creativity, any costume can fit a Halloween party. The bedsheet turned ghost is out. It’s time for a revamp on casual costumes that barely make the cut. 

Despite lots of snoozy attempts at curating a Halloween costume, there has been a call from several groups to dedicate time and interest to the holiday’s dress up culture. This revamp on casual costumes has been steadily adopted by internet culture, as online memes become the perfect real estate for a cute and clever costume.  

Costumes have been revamped by internet communities taking their virtual online interests — such as Charli xcx’s iconic “brat” or pygmy hippopotamus and internet sweetheart Moo Deng — and turning them into costumes.

Niche appeal is also contributing to the overhaul of idle costumes. Many individuals have taken to social media to show off their costumes, often embodying an obscure pop-culture moment.  

Halloween is no longer about scaring the most people, but inviting people to laugh about pop icons and dramatic queens. Internet users have taken their inspirations to new levels — some communities have even dubbed their costumes as being a part of “gay halloween” when a costume is particularly inventive.  This is just one example of a community pulling together and overtaking the careless casual costume. 

Costumes shouldn’t be repetitive and uneventful. Some of the most extraordinary Halloween memories are made when guests are able to connect with the other costumes in the room. Whether leaning into the holiday’s spooky traditions or the camp of contemporary online culture, there are a number of ways to create thoughtful and engaging Halloween costumes — there’s no way for any aspiring Halloween fanatic to choose the simple way out of a great and memorable costume.