Between the decorations, parties, and (of course) the costumes, Halloween can be an expensive time of year for a college student. With the spooky holiday right around the corner, here are some costumes that use clothes that you can find in your closet or at your local thrift store!
Blue Overalls
With blue overalls being back in style, you are sure to have one in your closet. Find a plain yellow shirt and become a Minion, or swap it out for a blue one, put on a white beanie, and become a Smurf. For a cute duo costume, find a red and green shirt to be the iconic Italian plumbers, Mario and Luigi! You can even grab a red or green baseball cap and print out their respective logos so no one can mistake who you are (a mustache would be a fun touch too).
Plaid Shirts
Everyone needs a basic plaid shirt, especially when the weather begins to get chilly. Pair it with a pair of cowboy boots, blue jeans, cowboy hat, and cute pigtail braids for a simple cowgirl costume! The shirt can even be tied up for a more fitted look. Swap the cowboy boots for some Doc Martens, replace the cowboy hat with a beanie, and add a pair of suspenders to be a lumberjack.Or, have a straw hat and makeup skills? A scarecrow is the perfect costume for fall!
Solid Colored T-Shirts
Solid colored t-shirts are an easy item to find at a thrift store, and definitely come in handy for costumes. However, these may require you to get a little crafty. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a “punny” costume. Take a sharpie and write “Go ceilings!” on a t-shirt and grab some pom-poms or a foam finger; now you’re a ceiling fan. Or, hot glue an empty bag of chips to the shoulder of one of your shirts–looks like you’ve got a chip on your shoulder. Maybe you’re the kind of person who’s known for having a different celebrity crush every week. If you have a rain jacket, umbrella, a printer, and some string, then this costume is for you. Cut out pictures of the faces of some of your favorite male celebrities, attach them to the string, and have them dangle down from the umbrella. It’s raining men, hallelujah!
White Collared Shirt
Believe it or not, there are a multitude of costume options for a white collared shirt. Tucked into a plaid skirt with some suspenders, knee high socks, and of course taped glasses, you can bring back the classic nerd costume! In her iconic …Baby One More Time music video, Britney Spears pulls off what has now become a classic white collared shirt outfit. Tie it up and pair it with some pigtail braids, gray cardigan, black skirt, and knee high socks to be the pop icon. For a Risky Business look with an oversized white collared shirt, grab some short bicycle shorts, pull on some knee high socks, fish out your old Ray-Bans, and be prepared to do a lot of sliding across the floor. Have a black tie and some black colored paper? Embrace your inner prankster and become 3-hole-punch Jim from The Office!
Dresses
If dresses are more your speed, Disney princesses are always a great option. For these costumes, you can use your hair color to your advantage. For all of you gorgeous curly-haired redheads, for example, all you need is a dark green dress to look like the Scottish princess Merida. If princesses aren’t your thing, food is a costume that everyone can appreciate. These also may require you to use your arts and crafts skills. Boba is a drink loved by many. Glue some black pom poms to the bottom of the skirt of a white or light brown dress. For the straw, you can either roll up a colored piece of paper and hold it, or fix it to a headband and wear it on your head. Other food ideas include a gumball machine, any kind of fruit, or ice cream. While these costumes do not have to be done with dresses, they are ideal so you don’t have to worry about finding a matching top and bottom, since food is usually one or two colors. Food costumes are always great to do with a friend or group!