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Cute, Creative, and Inexpensive Halloween Costumes

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.

It’s that time of year again when the question on everyone’s mind is what am I going to be for Halloween?? While it can be quite the struggle to answer this question without blowing your savings at a party store, here are some costume ideas that might be able to spark some do-it-yourself creativity!

1) The Spice Girls. A group of five is probably ideal for this costume to mimic the actual group, but any number can suffice. This costume consists of some kind of (cheap) white tank top, any type of bottom desired, and a print out of a type of spice. This picture can be ironed onto the shirt for a classier costume, or taped if pressed for time. (Note: it’s not too difficult to dress up as the actual spice girls if you want to be less punny and more legitimate!)

2) Rosie the Riveter. This costume is a classic that can be made from basic clothing that a lot of people may already have sitting in their closet! It consists of a denim button down shirt with sleeves rolled up, jeans with a belt, a red bandana used in your hair (the curl within the bangs is an added bonus), and some red lipstick.

3) Minions. “Minions” has been a very popular choice over the past few years, and since the Minions movie came out earlier this year, this costume could be a great option! It’s relatively simple and only requires a few staples. This costume warrants a yellow shirt, some kind of overalls (if they are shorts then yellow tights are always a good idea!), black gloves, and any kind of goggles.

4) Mean Girls. Sure, this movie came out ages ago, but it’s still a favorite! This theme lends itself to two possible costume routes: dressing up like the actual plastics or using their animal ear costume creations. Dressing up as the plastics requires four people and is super easy because all you really need is a lot of pink and short pleated skirts. The animal route simply requires your choice of clothing to fit with whichever animal you choose and the corresponding ears!

5) Cowgirl. If you want to play it safe and simple, being a cowgirl is always a great choice! This costume is super customizable, but usually consists of a straw hat or bandana, jeans (with or without a belt), a flannel, and some kind of boots. 

6) Risky Business. You really can’t go wrong with this easy and classic costume! You can put your own spin on it, but everyone will still know what you are. The essentials for this one are a pair of boxers (design of choice!), a white button down shirt, sunglasses, and a pair of mid-calf socks. 

7) Tourists. This is a great costume that can be done with one person alone or with a large group of people! This costume is usually a tacky Hawaiian print shirt, khaki pants or shorts, socks and sandals, a fanny pack if you have one, and some kind of sun shielding hat. 8) Superheroes. This costume can be personalized within a group of people so that each person has a superpower that corresponds to their personality, or the group can go with classic superheroes such as Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, etc. This really only requires a cape! What is worn underneath is completely up to each person.

Any costume can be crafted with the right creativity! Pick a favorite movie, TV show, song, or anything else and roll with the theme because you might be surprised with what you can come up with (especially if you only want to use things already in your closet!).

 

Francesca is a senior at Connecticut College double majoring in Biology and Italian. She is from Bethany, CT and is a huge Friends and Greys Anatomy enthusiast!
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