Halloween. It’s a magical time of free candy, crazy parties and costumes. Around Halloween there are an incredible amount of costume contests, whether it be at a school, work or a house party. Some might ask if college kids are a little too old to play dress up. I say no, and here’s why.
Why not?:
It’s a fair question, I think. Why shouldn’t college students dress up? Assuming your costume stays away from any offensive or culturally appropriating content, there’s no harm in dressing up for a night! Dressing up for Halloween, if done right, is some easy fun that doesn’t hurt anyone.
DIY Creativity:
Not all of us can afford ready made costumes, so DIY costumes let you use your creativity to make something awesome. If you’re crafty, it’s a chance to show your stuff. And when people ask “Where’d you get your costume?” you get to tell them the story of its creation, rather than just saying “Amazon.” Which brings me to point three. which is…
Conversation Starter:
Being social can be hard, especially if you don’t know everyone at the Halloween party you’re attending. Costumes open up a whole new realm of easy conversation starters, whether you’re talking about the costumes creation or why you decided to dress up how you did. Maybe you dressed up as someone from your favorite TV show, and it just happens that someone else at the party also loves that TV show. Congratulations, you have something in common and an easy conversation.
BYOPT: Bring Your Own Party Theme:
Who needs to bother with a party theme when everyone dressing up IS the theme! It takes some heat off of the party host to have everyone talking about the amazing decorations, because, likely, everyone is just going to want to talk about the best and the worst costumes. It makes for an easy party theme that fits the holiday celebration.
Caveat:
Of course, when discussing Halloween costumes, it’s impossible not to mention that we do have to be careful. There are a ton of amazing, cute, funny, sexy, whatever costumes out there that aren’t offensive. Use your creativity and have fun with it, just not at anyone’s expense.
Alright everyone, I hope you have your costumes planned! I do! If you don’t, start shopping on Amazon if you must, or start crawling Goodwill if you can. Personally, I’m making my DIY costume out of things me and my roommate already own. Costumes don’t have to cost money to be fun, and dressing up doesn’t have to just be for kids. Happy Halloween, Hamline!