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Finding the perfect halloween costume

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

It’s that time of the year again: pumpkin patches, cute and cozy clothes, everything pumpkin spice and finding the perfect Halloween costume to wear out! But, with shopping for said costume comes the fear of not wanting to look like every other person wherever you decide to go this Halloween—so don’t worry, Her Campus WVU has got your back.

When you first start looking for the perfect costume, a million things begin running through your head.

“Do I want to look cute or be warm?”

“Wait, how cold is Halloween even going to be this year?” *checks weather app*

Do I want a costume that’s going to slay or do I want one I can still post on my Facebook that my Aunt Cindy follows?”

The answer is easy, you can have everything you want in one costume as long as you start looking early enough and have a basic idea of what you want to embody.

There are several costumes that are pretty basic that you could put a hundred different spins on such as the classic cat, a sports player, a cop, or a devil and angel duo with your friend. However, if you want to really stand out on October 31st, you need to get more creative.

One option that is often times overlooked is Pinterest. Pinterest can be an amazing resource for practically anything you could ever imagine, but have you ever thought of looking there for costume inspiration?

Say that you decide that you want to be Cleopatra for Halloween this year, but want to put your own twist on it to make it your own; if you search ‘Cleopatra Halloween costume’ on Pinterest, you will get thousands of search results within seconds, each different from the last. You can easily combine aspects from these individual costumes to make your own Cleopatra costume that will slay every other Egyptian queen you see on your spooky night out.

Another great option is looking for costumes on Etsy. This can get a little pricey so you definitely have to be careful if you are rocking a tight budget, but you should still be able to manage finding something spectacular. There’s endless talented artists across the Etsy platform, and there are even good costumes that people are selling that they have already worn and maybe just want to get rid of.

For this reason it would also be smart to check out Amazon or Ebay: both of these websites have very cool options for costumes and can 110 percent fit your budget. Both of these websites also have settings to lock-in your price budget for you to see what is available and won’t break your bank.

Whether you are able to use any of this information to help find yourself a costume, or you ignore it altogether, try to add DIY accessories if you are able to. These are very inexpensive and easy ways to give your costume its own sense of identity as well as individuality, and it will truly set you apart from the crowd. Have a safe and happy Halloween boo’s– we hope come November 1st you won’t think your night was too frightening!

Christina is a junior at West Virginia University studying journalism and fashion business. Christina is a media intern at WVUToday, where she reports and edits stories daily. She has held editing and directing roles in HC at WVU, and is currently a co-president of the organization. She has been published three times in Mirage Magazine, a branch off of Ed on Campus. Christina is also in charge of the activism teams newly implemented in HC at WVU: VOICES— a student-run podcast exploring current social issues. Woman-Up—bringing awareness to the underrepresentation of women in the media field. The Pad Project—an international non-profit partnership to raise awareness surrounding the lack of education and stigmas around menstruation in developing countries. Upon graduation, Christina would like to work in the PR/Marketing fields of the fashion industry.
Maura is a senior at West Virginia University, studying honors journalism and leadership. She was the president of Her Campus at WVU from 2018-2019, interns with ESPN College GameDay and works as a marketing/communication assistant for the Reed College of Media. On campus, she has written opinion for WVU's Daily Athenaeum, served as the PR chair for WVU Society of Professional Journalists and was a reporter for WVUToday. She teaches leadership classes for the Honors College and is an active member of both the Honors Student Association and Helvetia Honorary. Maura is an avid fan of The New Yorker, (most) cities and the first half of late-night talk shows.