Dear Devil’s Advocate,

I’ve loved dressing up for Halloween since my parents put me in a little red M&M’s suit, but as I’ve gotten older and had to pick costumes myself, the time leading up to Halloween has become more stressful. I can’t decide on a costume, and I just end up joining two friends in a costume based on a show I’ve never even seen. How am I supposed to decide what to be for Halloween?

Sincerely, 

Your Costume-Confused Classmate

Dear Costume-Confused Classmate,

Although the season may be spooky, no need to fear, The Devil’s Advocate is here! 

Everyone participating in Halloween has been in your position before, if not every year. From elementary school into the teen years, there is pressure to have a funny, simple, original yet well-known costume. So, instead of staring at your closet, wondering if you should rewear an old costume or reluctantly join a group, read along to find out how you can figure out the right costume for you.

First of all, when picking a costume, you need to focus on what works best for you––not only in terms of what shows, movies, books, singers or celebrities you like, but also how comfortable you want to be, whether you want to get crafty and whether you want to go solo, as a duo or with a group. 

According to NPR’s article “Can’t decide on a Halloween costume? These 5 questions can help,” additional questions to ask yourself should include, “Do you want to get inspired by pop-culture…or spooky season?” and “Can you…find something at the thrift store?” After asking yourself these initial questions, you should be able to narrow down at least your costume preferences.

Next, you need to think about what genre of costume you want. Are you hoping to be someone in pop culture or an object, like Diet Coke or an apple? A fun idea for these more abstract costumes is to do something based on wordplay. Some clever examples might be a cereal killer (a cereal box with fake blood), a bed bug (pajamas and antennas) or a social butterfly (butterfly wings with social media icons taped to your chest). These word play costumes can often be a great route because everyone knows the common wordplay, but they aren’t used often for costumes (especially among teenagers) and you can pick any that you like best.

Another way I like to spark some ideas is by thinking about who you or your friends are often compared to. Is there a celebrity that everyone says you’re the doppelgänger of? Is there a character that you look or act like? Do you and your friends get told you remind people of characters? Recreate one of these options, and you may even enjoy embracing your twin flame character or celebrity!

However, if none of these costume routes spark your interest, I’ve found that TikTok and Pinterest can be go-to spots for inspiration. Search for the vibe you want, the concept you want to tweak, and plenty of ideas will appear in a way that accommodates your interests based on your app feed.

If you’re still stuck, Seventeen, a teen magazine, offers a quiz titled, “This Quiz Will Help You Pick Out the Ultimate Halloween Costume.” The quiz comprises similar questions to those mentioned earlier along with a mix of personality questions. The question mixture of this quiz should be helpful for those who are indecisive and need someone to tell them what they seem to be looking for.

Once you’ve come to a decision, you may still be lost on where to find the pieces if you can’t find them in your wardrobe or a thrift store. But this step is easy since you now have an idea in your head. So from here, I suggest referring to magazines like Teen Vogue, where you can get specific links and the best prices for the popular costumes. One specific article that has a lot of resources is Teen Vogue’s “25 Best Halloween Costumes for Teens That Are Easy, Clever, and Fun.” This article includes some great ideas including, Carrie (from the movie, Carrie), a flapper girl, and even a Labubu.

In the end, Halloween should be a fun experience, so don’t stress about what will be ‘the best’, have fun crafting your costume and dressing up with your friends. Whatever you pick, have a good time and eat your favorite candy!!

Sincerely,

The Devil’s Advocate