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20 Shades of Halloween

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

It’s finally that time of the year better than Christmas, and for some, even better than summer: Halloween.

Every “Mean Girls” fanatic is probably preparing their ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ outfit as we speak, and every store with a bunny costume is being sold out. For some of us, the famously dubbed “Halloweekend” at Penn State may prove to be as stressful as a week filled with midterms. Who knew picking out a slightly creative, slightly skimpy, yet cute costume could be such a brain drain? Just ask Regina George; her disapproval of sweatpants, pink on certain days, and scary costumes on Halloween (go figure —Halloween is supposed to be scary, right?) proves just how critical the world can be come Oct. 31. But don’t stress! Whether you’re grabbing your fishnets or going all out with your Gaga leotards, Her Campus has got your all-access guide to the ultimate Halloween costumes of the season. 

1. Playboy Bunny – Does anyone ever wonder if Hugh Heffner knew 60 years ago how many stores he would be helping sell out by replicating his famous vintage outfit? Every year, the classic bunny never seems to disappoint, for girls or guys. If you’re looking for something classic, you can never go wrong with this one. The best part about this costume? You can dress it up, dress it down, keep it classy, or even get a little creative. Trust me; I’ve seen my fair share of bedazzled bunnies throughout the years. Most importantly, this is an outfit Regina George would most definitely approve of.

2. M&Ms

3. Salt and Pepper

4. Witch

5. Natural Light – Oh “natty light,” one of the crowd’s favorites. Usually when thinking the words natty and light, most people tend to cringe at the thought of how cheap it is, but Halloween is the one time of the year where girls prove to show they can make natty look good (besides football season of course). As creative as the idea is, it’s also super easy to do. A few empty cardboard boxes later and you’ve got yourself a dress and party favors. Just pair it with pumps or flats if you please, it’ll look great either way.

6. Nittany Lion – you can never go wrong with a little PSU pride.

7. Cereal box characters – Got a lot of roommates? Bingo.

8. Toddlers & Tiaras star

9. Nikki Minaj or Lady Gaga

10. School girl – Who doesn’t love a teacher’s pet? Need a tutor? Do now what you wish you did in high school. The cute school girl is the easiest way to be a little scandalous and a little studious at the same time. It’s also the easiest way to earn extra credit in that class you’re slacking in.

11. Twilight Saga cast – Vampires never go out of style… and the premiere is only a month away.


12. SWAT team member
 – Because being in control never felt so fun. 

13. Disney Princess

14. Nurse/Doctor

15. Dirty Martini – James Bond drinks one before every mission, but he prefers them shaken not stirred.

16. Firefighter

17. Trophy Wife – There will be plenty of guys looking for their misses, just remember which ones deserve such a fabulous gal as yourself.

18. Loofa

19. Race car driver – For all of you Bachelorette fans out there… this one’s for you Arie.

20. The “PSU Squirrel Whisperer” – She’s the most talked about person in State College, why wouldn’t you want to be her? And let’s face it, every 4 feet you walk, it’s impossible not to run into a squirrel. The best way to have people talking about you is proving to them that you can talk to the Penn State squirrels. This has got to be one of the most creative, wackiest, and lovable ideas I’ve heard so far.

So, go ahead and get in the massive line at Spirit early, because we all know it will be past Rita’s come Halloween week.

Born and raised by two Nittany Lions, Rachel continued the tradition by attending Penn State University in the fall of 2009. Currently a senior journalism major, Rachel also spends her time minoring in both psychology and Spanish. During her sophomore year she wrote for the Greek newspaper at Penn State as a member of Alpha Xi Delta, followed by joining the Her Campus team as a writer and the Public Relations/Social Media Manager in the fall of her junior year. In search of mastering the Spanish language, Rachel indulged herself in the country of Spain for five months while she studied abroad in the city of Alicante during the spring of 2012. In order to keep her English up to par, Rachel blogged about her experiences for both her personal account and Her Campus at Penn State. With a love for shoes, smiles, and a good bowl of mac and cheese, this social media fiend never leaves her twitter by its lonesome. Follow Rachel @hayhayitsrayray as she pursues her dream as an aspiring magazine editor and world traveler.