Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
Written by Elisa Diaz. Graphic by Elisa Diaz.
The reality for most SCAD students at this point in October is that Halloween is soon, and you most likely have nothing planned. Which is fair; a costume is the last thing on our minds when surviving midterms and the Film Fest ticket line.
Lucky for you, I have years of experience curating last-minute and affordable costumes. Below, I have included a list of outfits that are easy to create using items you already have or can easily thrift!
1. Superheroes
Superhero shirt with a white button-up, bottoms, and some glasses —the Clark Kent look. You know what’s great about it? You can do this with any hero! Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc. If you order a pack of hero shirts, you could match with your friends and do the easiest group costumes ever.
Another tip: Urban Outfitters has good, affordable blue light glasses on the first floor. Good purchase to make as a college student anyway, as we have to stare at computer screens for the majority of the day.
2. Men in Black
While wearing an actual black suit would be great, you just need black pants, a white button-up, and a pair of sunglasses. This makes a great group costume as well! Also, a cool place to purchase sunglasses cheaply: Avalon Exchange. It’s a thrift store right here in Savannah, with low prices on cute clothes.
3. Cartoon Characters
SpongeBob, Shaggy, Max Goof- all easy costumes you can do with clothes from your wardrobe. Each of these universes has plenty of characters you could do instead, too. The majority of these you can do easily just with the right colored shirt and jeans. If you don’t really have the clothes you need but don’t have the time to go thrifting, look for the clothes on ThredUp! It’s a super fast way to thrift clothes online, as the filter settings can include the item you’re looking for, color, size, price, and much more to make your costume search easier.
4. Video Game Characters
Mario, Luigi, Subway Surfers, Plants v. Zombies- there are plenty of video game characters you can easily replicate with basic clothes. Mario can be done with a red shirt and overalls. Also, you could easily find curated outfits based on characters (and some curated costumes too!) on WhatNot, a live shopping platform app with some of the most affordable pricing.
It takes some time to find the right people to follow, but when you do, you can trust the product to be thrifted, high-quality, and cheap. I personally got a Puss in Boots costume (corset, belt, and skirt) for eight dollars. All I had left to do was find boots and a hat, which I found on an app I mentioned later in this article.
5. Animals
There are so many makeup tutorials online for basic, cute animal looks. Cheetahs, lions (please do this one if you have curls), deer, cows, etc. All are easily done with just some makeup and clothes that match the animal’s colors. And if you want to add more to your costume, like ears or wings, check out Depop. It’s an online marketplace solely for second-hand items, and you can often find parts of costumes that the owner no longer needs.
6. Jeans/Overalls
Technically not a costume, but it can be one. There are so many good costumes you could do with a pair of overalls. Scarecrow, Mario Brothers, Chucky, Minions, or my personal favorite, Audrey Ramirez from Atlantis. Jeans are incredibly versatile. You can also easily be so many different characters with a pair of jeans and a top. For example: a pair of jeans, a white tank, and a red beanie- now you’re Tricky from Subway Surfers. That same red beanie can be used to make a Hungry Caterpillar costume, which can easily be made with a striped green shirt and gluing cut-out felt to the beanie.
7. DIYing your Costume
Spending some time making an accessory can absolutely make a costume. Thrift a three-dollar pack of playing cards and follow a crown tutorial online; now you’re the Queen of Hearts. Paper-mache some horns for your deer costume, maybe even a dragon costume! If there is anything you can’t find in a store or purchase at a high price, try to make it yourself; I promise it will be your favorite part of the costume.
A good place to get materials is Starlandia! An used arts supplies store located in Starland, it has such an amazing collection of jewelry, fabrics, fabric paint, and so much more.
Honestly, my biggest piece of advice would be to wander around Savannah. Go in and out of stores; try places you doubt even have what you’re looking for. This will make your shopping trip so much more memorable and, shockingly enough, you’re more likely to find everything you need for your costume.
Now go curate your costume!
