By Savannah Hess
Hey everyone, I hope you’ve been having a wonderful and spooky October so far. I haven’t written for this column in a while..give or take a century. Only kidding- but it has been a while, hasn’t it? Anyway, today I wanted to discuss Halloween costumes. I’ve created a lot of them over the years, and on top of that, I do cosplay from time to time. And dressing up in costume has always been my favorite part of Halloween. So, I figured I’d share some tips for getting your costume just right. Alright, let’s jump into it! My first tip is make sure you frequent your local thrift stores. Maybe it’s the old soul in me, but I find thrift stores to be absolutely amazing. Prices are inexpensive, and it is, in a lot of ways, a modern treasure trove. A lot of times these stores can be busy, but they are well worth it. And if you’re seeking a cheap costume and have been too caught up with work from your classes, you can almost always find what you’re looking for. For example, several years ago, when I was a sophomore in high school, I was going out trick or treating with a few friends. I was a bit indecisive that year about my costume, but in the end I chose it to be my favorite painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. A quirky choice, but my inner art history nerd agreed straight away. I needed only a few items, and, in searching, I found a brown head wrap that worked well with my costume. I still have it in my closet to this day, when I want to be a little bit dramatic. Or when the weather isn’t scorching out.
My second tip is to go to places like Micheal’s or Joann Fabrics. Last year, I decided to be San Mononoke, the title character of the Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. To make sure I got the costume right, I went in and found some faux fur for her cape. It was just what I needed, and in the words of my cousin, made me look “elegant”. What’s also fantastic about these two retailers is Joann Fabrics has a separate cosplay section, with different patterns and molds just for cosplayers. Even better, Joann has patterns on sale around this time for both children’s and adults’ costumes. Such as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Sometimes making these costumes costs less in the end than just buying a costume online or at Spirit Halloween. And it will definitely make you stand out! In the end, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. And costumes are a big reason why. You can become anything or anyone you want to be. In my case, this year I’m going as Daria from MTV’s classic 90s cartoon of the same name. This Halloween will be one to remember. And I hope you love celebrating it as much as I do.
