With Halloween approaching, I can’t help but daydream about all the spooky Halloween activities October will offer. Collecting bucketfuls of candy and watching scary movies with friends are special Halloween traditions, but my favorite aspect of the holiday is the creativity one can express through costume.
As a kid, I’d race home from school in September to pore through the various costume catalogues that came in the mail, circling my favorites in pen and begging my mom for them. Wearing a costume on Halloween was a way for me to embody the things I loved and show them off to the world: superheroes, princesses, sea creatures… the list went on and on.
I am proud to say I didn’t lose that enthusiasm once I got to college. My friends and I had a blast planning out our Disney-themed costumes, which also brought our group closer together. If you’re a student looking to embrace your inner child and creative side this Halloween season, here are some costume ideas for your friend group.
Childhood Book Characters
Dressing like your favorite childhood book character is a trend that has absolutely dominated my Pinterest feed so far this year. Characters in picture books are often portrayed as children or on the same level as the reader, making them a guide through their fictional world. The story is forever woven into childhood memories through whimsical illustrations and meaningful life lessons. I love the concept of a group of friends dressing up as characters from their favorite books; it adds a cozy and personal touch to a costume. Some of my favorite childhood reads included Fancy Nancy, Corduroy, Paddington, Olivia, and Pete the Cat. Another perk of a costume like this, besides being adorable, is that it allows you to incorporate more layers when it gets chilly outside, and provides a more modest costume option if that’s what you prefer.
Final Girls
One of the most essential pieces to any horror movie cast is the “Final Girl.” Originally portrayed as the “morally pure” figure among the cast, final girls have since evolved beyond this stereotype, embodying complexity, resourcefulness, and sheer determination as they survive unimaginable horrors, emerging bloodied, battered, and irrevocably changed. A lineup of horror’s most iconic final girls would be a perfect group costume if you’re considering a more frightening vibe. Potential characters to portray include Sidney Prescott from Scream, Ellen Ripley from Alien, Naru from Prey, Maxine from X, Amanda Young from the Saw franchise, and Grace LeDomas from Ready or Not. I chose these characters because they all have clear identifying characteristics in their respective films, making each costume recognizable and unique.
Clue
If your ideal get-together involves taking on different aliases and solving the murder of the host, the cast of Clue would be perfect costumes for your friend group. Clue is a timeless whodunit storyline I adore in every form, be it board game, film, or stage play. “Casting” each of your friends as a potential suspect makes costume shopping or creating easier due to the natural color-coding assigned to each character, and can make for some hilarious photoshoots. If you really want to commit to the bit, you can all incorporate a full in-character play-through of the game into your Halloween festivities. Shoutout to my parents, who actually did this with their friends a couple of years ago and were fantastic as Ms. Peacock and Professor Plum.
American Girl
Dressing up as American Girl dolls with friends for Halloween provides a vast array of fu opportunities, as there’s a diverse range of characters to choose from. Because this costume involves finding clothes that are as historically accurate to each character as possible, it would also be a great opportunity to go out with your friends and support your local Goodwill or thrift store. American Girl works well as a group costume, as it offers many different forms of representation that young women can see themselves in. For example, if I were part of an American Girl group, I would definitely want to be Rebecca. It was so exciting to me when I was younger to have a Jewish doll that came with accessories like a Menorah, since I didn’t know anyone else growing up who also celebrated those holidays. I even had matching pajamas with her!
Studio Ghibli
Discovering Studio Ghibli when I was in middle school was life-changing. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio and has created some of my favorite comfort movies of all time. These movies inspire me creatively, too, as both a writer and a hobby artist. Each character design is simple yet fun, making for a unique and nostalgic costume. A navy blue dress, bright red bow, and broomstick for Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service) has been a costume contender for me for a while now.
Winx CLub
Though I love the Disney fairies and have noticed the popularity of this costume in recent years, I can’t help but notice the absence of another popular piece of childhood fairy media. I loved Winx growing up, and I think it could be a great costume choice if you like the idea of being something fairy-related, but with a bit more edge to it. A fantastic example of a Winx group costume is definitely the global-girl-group Katseye’s rendition of it, done several years ago. I was obsessed with the idea the second it popped up on my Pinterest feed!