One Halloween costume is more than enough

Halloween has come a long way from its origins of celebrating the harvest and warding off spirits — but at some point, the holiday got lost in the capitalist machine. 

Consumerism seems to dominate university life, specifically during October, as students spend the entire month stressing over plans for their many, many costumes. 

Whether people “need” multiple costumes for their mandatory Instagram post, or just because the rest of their friends are doing it, having numerous costumes each year is not the move you think it is. 

One is fun!

Supporting fast fashion can be difficult to avoid entirely, but Halloween doesn’t give you a free pass. 

Buying things you’ll never use again is problematic and contributes to fast fashion — we’re trying to spook each other on Halloween, not the environment. 

There is nothing wrong with wearing the same costume on multiple days. You’re not impressing anyone by wearing five different costumes you bought from Shein that will all end up in the trash by November. 

Going all out with one costume is much better than having multiple cheaply-made ones. Think of it like method acting: the more you wear it, the more into character you can get, and the better it will be with each wear. 

No one will care if they see you at a party one day and the club the next in the same costume — no one is going to remember this in 10 years, and likely, neither will you. 

Don’t say boo

Dressing up can be super fun, and there’s a plethora of ways to do it each Halloween without buying cheap, poorly-made costumes or burning your money. 

When deciding on your costume, you could either borrow costumes from others or make your own from reused items. 

A fabulous example of how my family keeps Halloween sustainable is my mom’s Halloween bin. 

Over the years, she kept our Halloween costumes and collected others that friends and family no longer wanted. This way, we always had options to reuse or create something new out of the masks, crowns and coats from this bin. 

Friend groups should consider doing something similar so pieces can be reused, allowing you to try out different costumes without breaking the bank.

Another great option is to get the majority of your costume pieces from the thrift store. 

There’s no need to buy new pieces when plenty already exist. Plus, you can also enjoy the process of upcycling with friends — thrifting is a great fall activity. 

Trust me, I practice what I preach. I’ve been making and re-wearing costumes for years. 

In eighth grade, I wanted to dress up as a wizard from Harry Potter, but the robe I liked was pricey, and my parents said they’d only buy it for me if I promised to re-wear it. 

So, I’ve donned that robe on numerous occasions since I was a kid.

The world did not end.

This year for Halloween, I’m going as a forest fairy, re-using my roommate’s top, a free skirt I found and a homemade flower crown.

I’ll have less stress and more money to show for it — free to spend my savings in other ridiculous ways. Pumpkin-flavoured shot, anyone?