Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary, but nothing frightens me more than knowing I’m about to see 50 identical cowboys, a dozen angel-and-devil duos and enough cat ears to make someone with an actual cat allergy sneeze.
With endless possibilities to choose from, why does everyone keep choosing the same five costumes?
It’s time to retire the costumes we’ve seen a million times and start thinking more outside the box. A costume does not have to be expensive or elaborate to stand out, but it should have a little more thought behind it than just replicating whatever TikToker you saw wearing it last year.
The easiest place to start is with the costumes that seem to make a comeback every Halloween. Vampires, pirates, black cats, witches, cowboys and cowgirls have all had their moment. There is nothing inherently wrong with these ideas, but it gets to a point when half of the residential floor is wearing the same “uniform” that it might be time to switch it up.
Social media is not helping this cause. While Pinterest boards and TikTok videos are supposed to provide inspiration, they have also made it incredibly easy for everyone to recreate the same looks. When one costume goes viral, thousands of people save it to their Halloween boards — and then suddenly everyone has the same “niche” idea.
Of course, not everyone has countless hours of free time to spend planning an out-of-the-ordinary costume. Sometimes a basic costume is the easiest option, and that’s completely fair. Between classes, exams and everything else college students have going on, Halloween prep is not always at the top of the priority list.
But, there is a difference between keeping it simple and wearing the exact same thing as everyone else. A favorite childhood movie character, beloved cartoon character or even a throwback celebrity look could make for a much more memorable outfit.
“For one of my costumes this year, I am being Zara Larsson,” said sophomore Chelsea Yessner. “I am still thinking about what my other costumes will be, but I normally have one really creative one and then my others are pretty basic.”
There are also a lot of costumes that should be avoided for reasons other than being “basic.” Tragedies, racial stereotypes and other sensitive subjects are not Halloween punchlines. If your costume requires a five-minute explanation about what it is and why it’s not offensive, take that as your sign to pick something else.
Between Key West and Halloweekend, some students at UM often end up having six to seven different costumes. If you are like me and not wanting to drop a band every Halloween, places like Goodwill, Plato’s Closet and various other thrift stores in the Miami-Dade area have so many unique pieces and accessories. Thrifted clothes allow for more creativity and are often far more interesting than expensive, premade costumes.
“Miami has so many great thrift stores so close to campus like Goodwill or Dragonfly Thrift [Boutique]” said Tallulah Staeger, a sophomore studying psychology. “Specifically in September and October you can find so many good pieces for Halloween or even people’s old custom made costumes or accessories.”
Halloween only comes around once a year, so why waste it wearing something everyone has already seen? The best costumes are the ones that make people stop, laugh or ask how you even thought of the idea in the first place.
The goal this Halloween should be to stand out, not become identical cowboy number 51.