Column: Halloween costume advice from a senior who spent no money this year

There are two things we should keep going after elementary school: nap time and art class.

Yes, I know in college you can just take a nap. Or take an art class. But I’m not talking about art major-level classes. I want to spend one hour a week for three months making a self-portrait that looks terrible but I get an A for effort on.

But since I can’t, the closest I can get to elementary school art class in college is Halloweekend.

I should be able to talk about Halloweekend at job interviews – that’s how many soft skills it taught me. Adaptability. Time management. Finding a costume that was free, easy to understand, and wouldn’t require me to straighten my hair. This is the kind of problem-solving ability a college education promises you.

This year, I spent no money specifically on my Halloween costumes, and this column is a bit different from my usual ones. Instead of commenting on trends, I’m going to use my experience as a senior to tell you how to look good and be cheap for Halloween.

Is this column a little late? Yes. But Halloween will come back around next year, and you’ll be ready for it.

1. Use Your Friends

Stalk their Instagrams. Raid their closets. What are friends if not free malls that can talk to you? 

This year, I had two costumes, and my second one included my friends’ belt, dress and knee-high socks. In exchange, I provided one headband to said friend. (I never said these trades had to be fair).

“The O’Hare Air, I literally had everything, and my friend actually bought me the wig,” senior Landon Jobe said when recounting how much he spent on O’Hare from the Lorax movie. “And I did not pay him back, so it was free.”

For the record, I don’t encourage that specifically. 

2. On Halloween, Mediocre Becomes Creative

Last year, I was Thanos — I owned one purple dress and my friend was already going as Daphne. I made the gauntlet with a latex cleaning glove that I stuck five circles of paper on, each one a different color, to make the gems. 

If you’re thinking, “Wow, that probably looked stupid,” you’re right! It totally did! 

But this is Chapel Hill. You’re not going to Heidi Klum’s Halloween party, and neither was I. People are more impressed that you’ve come up with something than judgy over the execution.

3. Find a Reference Niche Enough That Your Costume Doesn’t Matter

I’m not here to recommend gaslighting, but maybe the people who don’t understand your costume just don’t know enough about the extremely niche piece of media you’re referencing. 

Maybe they don’t watch enough TV. 

Maybe they should be more online. 

(Maybe you don’t have a costume and you’re convincing everyone else that they just don’t get it.)

Even if your costume isn’t known by everybody, the one person who gets it will make you feel incredibly validated – and if you’re looking to meet someone on Halloween, remember that your soulmate would understand your references. 

4. Let Your Clothes Make The Costume

To find a Halloween costume this year, senior Maggi Mugi went rummaging around the Forever 21 sale section, sending pictures to her roommates and asking them what costume the items of clothing could make. She ended up spending $30 total, but she said it was worth it.

“The way I planned out my costumes, I only bought stuff that I could wear after Halloween,” Mugi said. 

This advice should be combined with my advice about friends. There are millions of books and movies out there. Every piece of clothing can be made into something. 

5. Think About Practicality 

Senior Nirmal Rajendran spent $80 on his costumes, which he thought was money well spent because he wanted to enjoy Halloween. He had only one regret.

“Think about the weather,” Rajendran said. “I was really hot, I expected to be colder and my costume required a jacket, and I was burning up.”

Your costume needs to be ready for any type of weather, any type of Halloween event and any long walk in between parties. Everything’s great for pictures – very few elaborate costumes can make it through the night.

Now that I just told you everything that you should or shouldn’t do, remember that everyone in this article is a senior, and if you break the rules I just set, I will not be here to comment on it. Do whatever you want! Happy (incredibly late) Halloween.