Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Halloween Costume Do’s and Don’ts

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

Walking through the Halloween store, searching for a costume this weekend, I grew increasingly depressed and exhausted. Why did it seem my only choices were a sexy nurse, cop, or schoolteacher? My shopping excursion got me thinking about DO’s and DONT’S for Halloween costumes this year.  

How many times have you seen girls prancing around as bunnies or a bumblebee? Sexy bumblebee? Really? I will never understand how this costume is still increasingly popular each year! Boys are no exception either. I’d like to see them put a little more effort into their costumes, instead of coming up with something the night before. Girls spend weeks trying to think of a creative costume, and for guys, it’s not even on their minds. A boy who lives down the hall from me asked if putting a “For Rent” sign on his shirt was a good costume…. it isn’t.

This Halloween, here are my costume DO’s and DONT’s

DON’T print out a piece of paper and stick it on your shirt, dress, etc.  As mentioned above, a “For Rent” sign is not much of a costume, nor is a Coors Light label stuck on a random dress. Costumes that consist of a random piece of paper on everyday clothing are a lame and lazy costume.

DON’T dress up as the cliché, expected store bought costumes. Everyone has seen and is bored of the sexy French maid, nurse, etc. Be creative! You can still look sexy without wearing a bikini or lingerie. Boys, please stay away from dressing up as a big baby, I can’t tell you how cringe worthy it is.

DON’T wear something that takes longer than a sentence to explain. Trust me, this could create for an awkward situation, and if the person you’re talking to hasn’t seen the very obscure movie character you are, it’s even worse.

DO dress up as a group. Dressing up with your friends is always fun and its hard to go wrong if you’re all dressing up together!

DO make your own costume. Using your own clothes and accessories is a sure way of knowing your costume will be unique. If your closet doesn’t look promising, Salvation Army and Good Will are great places to find the odd, hard to find pieces that will really add to your costume.

DO be funny! I always think that the best costumes are those that make me laugh. Political figures, like Sarah Palin, or, in light of the ever-growing Jersey Shore trend, a Guido or guidette are always good choices. Just remember not to go overboard. For example, an “outhouse” costume. Don’t be a port-a-potty for Halloween, because I mean, who wants to dance with a toilet?

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Kim Giordano

U Mass Amherst

Kim Giordano is a senior majoring in Communication at The University of Massachusetts Amherst. Kim has been writing for UMass' widely known student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, since her freshman year and was recently named Blog Editor. She is also involved with community service programs Best Buddies and Relay For Life, as well as a member of the National Society of Leadership. Hailing from her hometown of Montvale, New Jersey, Kim loves reading (preferably with a cup of coffee in hand), live music, and a good clothing sale. Kim would love to end up writing, but whatever she does, she'll be in New York while doing it.