I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween. Growing up, I absolutely loved the holiday because it was a great excuse to dress up and be someone else for a change. It was also fun deciding on a costume because there are endless options to choose from. However, as I grew older I found myself leaning towards the DIY costumes rather than spending $50+ on an actual costume that you normally wear only a few hours or 1-2 days at most. Sure, you can trade it with your friends or save it for another year, but chances are you won’t be wearing it as much as you should for the price tag.
I love putting together my own outfits because there is creativity involved and I know that I most likely won’t see anybody else wearing the same exact costume I am. Last year I was a school girl (so basic, I know), but it was really easy because I wore a sleeveless button down and a plaid skirt. I also had knee high socks from my high school years when I wore uniform and a nice cardigan to cover up since it gets chilly outside. The year before, I was Minnie Mouse and I had a red skirt, black top and ears. These are outfits that were easy to put together and costumes that I am proud of. This year I am so excited because I am going to be an Indian and to be honest, I think the costume found me.
I was browsing through soho and I saw a suede brown dress from Necessary Clothing Boutique (yes, for some reason, I always get something from this store). It reminded me of a Native American outfit and from there, my lightbulb went off and I decided that was going to be my Halloween costume. Coincidentally, I found a brown suede belt in my apartment along with a braided black headband. When I tried it at home, I couldn’t be more thrilled because everything went together perfectly. I also had these tan booties that I decided that matched my costume. All I had to do was add some feathers to my headband, put some lipstick as war paint on my face and I was good to go. I thought maybe I could even pass for Pocahontas’s cousin.
So I encourage people to go with the more creative route and put costumes together because you’d be surprised how much fun and easy it is. The best part is that most of the time, the items you use can either be found in your closet or an addition to your closet because I know I can wear this dress again on a normal day. But if you are lazy and you do have the money, then there’s nothing wrong with spending that money on a costume either. Like I always say, it’s whatever floats your boat 🙂
