As Halloween is approaching, people are racing to Party City and, if you’re like me, Dollar Tree, for costumes. Year after year, there are still people dress up in the most inappropriate and offensive costumes. A rule of thumb while shopping this year: If it could be someone’s culture, it’s not your costume. If you are still having trouble coming up with a costume, I have gathered some ideas to help you decide for this upcoming Halloweekend. The costumes I have compiled are ones you can make from home spending the minimum amount of money, so you can spend more on candy and morning after brunch.
Something spooky:
You can get an oversized white t-shirt put some rips in it and add some fake blood and go as a zombie. This is an easy, CHEAP, and unoffending costume anyone and everyone can go as. This is my favorite costume that I will be going as, easy and in the spirit of Halloween.
Something to get creative with:
Being a pirate is a great way to load your body with various accessories. You can do something with clothes you probably already have. A white shirt, scarves, jewelry, black pants, a whole stick of eyeliner, and whatever else you want, again, another cheap and easy costume.
Something to wear with a group of friends:
A whole slew of people, well, up to 52, can go as a deck of cards. Each person wears a red or white or black shirt, and you can print off a suit and number and glue or staple it on the shirt or use puffy paint and make a costume making pregame with your friend group. I like this one, especially because it can get so many people involved and you can do it last-minute, also just imagine 52 people showing up to a party dressed as a deck of cards.
Something for a couple:
A cute Dalmatian costume and firefighter. Whether the pair are best friends, romantic partners, dog and owner, or parent and child, this costume would be so adorable. The Dalmatian part would be relatively simple to do at home, but the firefighter costume would take a little more money or creativity. There are probably cheap firefighter sets or even just a hat out there.
Something for the movie buff:
A go-to perfect costume is Marty McFly from Back To The Future. Every movie buff will know who you are and it’s so easy. A puffer vest, jeans, and long sleeve shirt and bonus points for bringing a skateboard too! Marty is classic cult character.
These are just some personal ideas that I will be wearing during my extended weekend of partying. Thursday through Tuesday night I will be living it up in a fun, appropriate costume that do not exploit women or other cultures. There are so many other great ideas on the internet, or you can ask friends for some ideas. I’m just here out here proving that a person does NOT have to be disrespectful in order to dress up and celebrate for Halloween.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
I wish everyone would read this before halloween!! It’s so common nowadays to appropriate cultures into a costume, and a culture isn’t a costume.
LikeLike
There has been a lot of discussion over the Moana (the Disney blockbuster featuring Hawaiian characters and cultur) costume for kids this year. I’ve read some places that if you are being a specific character that may be a from a culture different from your own then there is more leeway. I’m not sure I agree, but I’m curious about your take on this?
LikeLike
I understand little girls want to be princesses for Halloween, but I don’t agree with allowing children to dress up as another culture. This can teach them that it’s okay to reduce a culture down to a costume, when it really isn’t. Disney is now representing princesses from all over the world in order to teach children about diversity and inclusivity, and unfortunately it looks like now offering those traditions and artifacts as a costumes for people to buy is being normalized.
LikeLike