Halloween is soon! I promise you it will sneak up like it does every year and the day before you will think about all the times when you should have planned your costume. Plan it now and avoid that sinking feeling. The best costumes are the ones that you make from things you already own, it shows your creativity and sets you apart from the rest of the costumed masses. Here are some ideas of costumes made up of things that you or your friends probably already own.
Cat
This one is simple yet effective. Find some black clothes, makes some ears, and draw on some whiskers. If you want to go a bit further throw on a fur coat and look for a cat mask. The coat will keep you warm, and the mask means that you don’t have to worry about your whiskers rubbing off!
Difficulty level: Easy.
Animal
I’m being less specific here because it depends on what you have. First think, ‘Do I bear a passing resemblance to any animal?’ If you have hair like mine the answer is ‘yes, a lion.’ If your answer is no, think about your favourite animals and about what you have in your closet. My friend was a polar bear last year. It is honestly one of the best costumes I’ve ever seen, and it was devised around the fact that she had a polar bear hat. Keep to your chosen animal’s color scheme and use some animal print if you have it. Commit to the costume by posing as your animal in all pictures taken all night. Ideas off the top of my head to get you started: frog, panda, zebra, dalmatian, or flamingo.
Difficulty level: Medium to Easy depending on what you already own.
Literary Character
Do you own a really random item of clothing that looks as if it belongs in another era? Think of a literary character that would wear it and there you go, instant Halloween costume. Alternatively, if you have a favourite character in mind you can use your wardrobe to create an approximation of what they would have worn. For instance I just bought an amazing pink tweed pencil skirt from Oxfam, if I wanted to be professor Umbridge for halloween all I have to do is add a bunch of other pink items and find a wand. This one takes a bit more thought and forward planning than the others but it is worth it for the appreciative looks you will get.
Difficulty level: Hard to Medium.
Sports Star
Use your cutest sports gear and choose a sporting hero. Tell everyone that’s who you are. Revel in the comfort of wearing trainers on a night out.
Difficulty level: Easy.
Princess/Fairy/Ballerina
Sparkly, fun, and cute. Or you could make it dark and be a zombie Fairy/Princess/Ballerina. Use those fairy wings you brought before you realized that people in St Andrews don’t dress up as much as your friends at other unis. Add a bit of scary makeup and you’re done!
Difficulty level: Medium
I hope these suggestions have been helpful and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with this year! Remember on Halloween everything goes and you definitely get points for originality!