Halloween is one of the biggest celebrations at any school, but Mizzou takes it to a whole other level. One day is not enough to contain the excitement of students. It takes an entire weekend of fun before the holiday is over.
As exciting as this time of year is, the planet suffers in more ways than one. A large part of the waste from Halloween is the costumes. Many costumes are bought from brands like Walmart or Target, sometimes Spirit Halloween, and are thrown out within a month. SHEIN and other fast fashion brands are also targeted for individual items like skirts, shirts, dresses and accessories.
Not only is this extremely wasteful, but it can also be expensive for college students. The best way to cut back on the waste and to save money every October is to think and buy sustainably. Thrifting pieces or buying from a sustainable brand is a way to spark creativity and save the planet from excessive amounts of damage that transpires during Halloween.
#1 Pick your costume out early
Waiting until the last minute to pick your costume is a recipe for disaster. It is stressful to scramble for an outfit, and it can be easy to go to an unsustainable store to save time and energy. It also limits the creativity of a costume. Thrifting pieces and spending time planning what a costume can include will make it more original. Having the time is important, so picking out your costume early is crucial.
If you are struggling to decide what you want to dress up as, look for inspiration! Pinterest and other social media platforms have many costume ideas to choose from. If someone has never done an idea you are thinking of, don’t be afraid to experiment! Be the first one to do something unique. Your new costume might inspire others in the future.
Window shopping is another way to get inspiration. If you like going to Spirit Halloween to see all the scary decorations, it doesn’t mean you have to buy something! Sometimes it’s fun to look around with friends, and it makes you feel like the spooky season is truly here. The costumes at Spirit Halloween may be easy, but they are also expensive and wasteful. Thrifting is a great alternative to save money and protect the environment.
#2 go thrifting instead
The best way to save money and prevent waste is to shop in your own closet! Before going out, looking in your closet for parts of your costume is the most sustainable thing you can do. You know you will wear it after Halloween, and it saves you a trip to the store. You can build your costume around the parts of it you already own.
There are many good places to buy your secondhand costumes, especially in Columbia. Goodwill is a hot spot, and it may be overwhelming at first because of the crowd. But fear not! If you plan a day to go thrifting — and don’t focus on the time — it can be less stressful to look through the racks. If you are looking for plain shirts, pants, skirts, etc. Goodwill is likely to have what you need; you just have to know how to look.
Another option is Plato’s Closet. It is similar to Goodwill, but one could say it is more organized. Plato’s Closet might be a place you visit after Goodwill, if you didn’t find what you were looking for. It is pickier about what it accepts, which makes the clothes more expensive. You can do whatever works for you! Thinking about your budget is important before thrifting, like it is on any shopping trip. A great thing about buying secondhand is how it saves the strain on the environment and your wallet.
If you cannot find a specific piece of your costume secondhand, your first thought may be to order online, possibly from a fast fashion brand. There are many resources to find online sustainable clothing brands instead. Oftentimes, a brand that values the environment will have a page dedicated to its sustainability goals on its website. It might seem inconvenient to search for an eco-friendly brand, rather than ordering from Amazon, but it is worthwhile.
A helpful source to find online sustainable brands is the Commons app. It is used to search for specific items or brands, and it can explain or show the brand’s sustainability. If you are looking for something specific, like boots, it will show you a list of eco-friendly brands that sell boots, or the specific item you’re looking for. It can be very helpful if you are struggling to find sustainable sites on your own.
#3 Plan ahead (what to look for)
Having a specific item in mind helps when searching through the depths of a thrift store. Now that you have your costume picked out and maybe some pieces from your closet, you can plan out what you need to complete the outfit. If you are going dressed as a character, you may need a certain colored shirt or pants. If you are going as something simple, like a fairy, you might want to pick a certain color or theme (water fairy, forest fairy, etc.) If you plan out the pieces you are looking for in advance, they will be easier to find.
It is important to think about what happens to the costume pieces you purchase after the holiday passes. The point of thrifting is to help prevent waste — buying a piece that ends up in the trash after one use is not a sustainable practice. When you are looking for pieces to thrift, try to buy something you will rewear. A cute dress, shirt, skirt, etc. can be loved again in a different outfit. This way, you are getting your money’s worth and protecting the planet from excess waste.
It’s also helpful to think about your accessories in advance. Do you want a belt, headband or specific hair piece to go with your costume? You might have them already, but if not, you can try to find some at the thrift store. Costumes with unique pieces can be tricky to find secondhand or from a sustainable source. Instead of looking at a fast fashion brand, try activating your crafty side.
#4 DIY is more fun
It can be hard to find specific or unique parts of a costume secondhand, but creating DIY pieces is a great alternative. Making custom headbands, drawing or crafting props and even mending or tailoring certain outfit pieces are all ways to sustainably add to your costume without breaking the bank.
An example would be using pipe cleaners, felt or even construction paper to create cat ears, a halo for an angel or horns for a devil. You can glue, tape or sew those to a headband, and you will have created your own accessory! Not only is it sustainable, but the subtle brag of telling people you made your costume makes the night that much better.
If you are not a big artist, don’t be afraid to ask a friend!
Remember to have fun
Buying your Halloween costume should not be a hassle, even when you do it sustainably. Dressing up, going out — or staying in — and hanging out with your friends are all parts of Halloween that make the holiday worth celebrating. It should be fun and protecting the environment is a small way that can make it even better.