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Easy Halloween Costumes You Can Recreate At Home

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

As the fall quarter continues and we near the end of October, the days as a college student start to pick up and we tend to forget about celebrating Halloween. By now, most of us are busy studying hard for the upcoming midterm exam season. If you are running out of ideas or simply don’t have the time to go buy materials, here are some easy and trendy Halloween costumes that you can put together from items you may already have in your closet! 

Dressing up as an iconic doll for Halloween is the easiest look you can put together, especially if your personal style is girly and feminine. If you’re blonde, this is the perfect year to dress up as Barbie since you already have the signature hair. If you wish to reference the traditional Barbie logo silhouette, putting your hair up in a slick-high pony would elevate the look. Barbie has had hundreds of different outfits over the decades, but you can just opt to wear anything pink. If you want to spice up your Barbie outfit you can follow a theme by adding accessories, such as including a hat to become a cowgirl Barbie! 

margot robbie in a barbie movie
Warner Bros

On the other hand, if you don’t vibe with the pink Barbie aesthetic you can dress up as a Bratz doll. The stylish look can be achieved through any pieces that give off the early 2000’s aesthetic. For example, a crop top, low waisted mini skirt, big jacket, platforms, sunglasses, and chunky jewelry. 

It’s easy to recreate the look of a popular tv show or movie character, especially if they wear regular clothes. To dress up as Wednesday Adams, all you really need is a black dress, collared top, and black leather shoes such as Doc Martens or Mary Janes. Simply putting your hair into two braids would complete your transformation into the edgy character.  If your personal style is less edgy and more preppy: Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl would be a great option. All you need to nail her classic New York “it-girl” look is to put on a plaid skirt,  white button down, necktie, and heels.

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Paramount Pictures / The CW / Vogue/YouTube

Let’s say you’re in a big rush and need to throw on a costume super fast; this is the perfect case for a black mini dress in which you can style universally. Your casual black dress can be worn to dress up as a vampire, by just adding some fake blood and teeth. Not only that, but you can turn it into the creepy Jigsaw killer costume-which has been super trendy this fall- by simply adding a red bow tie and drawing red spiral circles on the center of your cheeks. On the other hand, if a spooky costume is not what you are looking for this year there are still plenty of options. For instance, wearing that same basic mini black dress and transforming yourself into the iconic Audrey Hepburn with the inclusion of a pearl necklace, gloves, and putting your hair up in a tight bun.

Regardless of what you decide to dress up as for Halloween, the most important aspect is to not stress so much about it. You can still continue to focus on schoolwork and other social responsibilities without having to make the holiday a burden. Dress up in spirit with any of these quick costumes and allow yourself to enjoy a fun night amidst the busy season. 

Elisa Chavez

UC Riverside '27

Hello, my name is Elisa and I am a first year English major beyond thrilled to be a part of the writing committee. My favorite hobby in the world revolves around reading romance and fantasy novels, in fact I love spending time at bookstores. It is also worth mentioning that I adore cats, indie music, Harry Styles, and watching "Gilmore Girls" all year round.