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In years past, Halloween was one of Hollywood’s biggest runways. Celebrities, including Heidi Klum, Ariana Grande, and the Kardashians, transformed the holiday into a spectacle of luxury, donning six-figure costumes, hosting exclusive parties, and posting eccentric photoshoots that blurred the line between film production and fun.
This year, however, the extravagance has started to look less glamorous and more out of touch. As Americans grapple with rising living costs, food insecurity, and the rollback of pandemic-era benefits, many are voicing frustration over what they see as excessive displays of wealth disguised as holiday spirit.
Over the past two years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported significant reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which helped millions of low-income families during the pandemic. With inflation continuing to push food prices higher, an estimated 42 million Americans are struggling to afford enough to eat, according to the Economic Research Service. In that context, a $15,000 hand-sewn Halloween costume can feel like a slap in the face.
Even social media, once a haven for celebrity spectacle, is showing signs of fatigue. While past years saw viral praise for elaborate celebrity getups like Klum’s prosthetic worm costume in 2022 or Grande’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon” look, this Halloween’s most shared posts weren’t about extravagance. Instead, they centered on simpler, nostalgic costumes or no costumes at all.
This cultural shift might explain why even Halloween’s biggest icons have toned things down. Kendall and Kylie Jenner, who once dominated social media with their hyper-stylized, movie-quality costumes, did not post anything on Halloween this year. Other celebrities, like Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, have opted for simpler looks or low-key gatherings, choosing to be subtle. Hailey Bieber, for example, just posted a relatively simple family costume.
In part, this reflects a larger reckoning in pop culture. After years of luxury fashion dominating red carpets and timelines, audiences seem to be seeking authenticity — or at least relatability. Economic anxiety, coupled with rising awareness of income inequality, has reshaped the public’s tolerance for excess.
As a result, many celebrities are quietly opting out of Halloween’s high-priced theatrics altogether. The trend may signal a broader cultural reset, one that redefines what it means to be aspirational.
As Americans continue to navigate economic uncertainty, that shift in sentiment may mark the end of an era: a move from extravagance to empathy, and from spectacle to substance.
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