DIY: Halloween Costumes from Your Closet

mean_girls

Q- Halloween is coming up and I feel bad spending $50 on a costume that I can only wear once. Do you have any suggestions on putting together a costume with regular clothes? I mostly have jeans and blazers.

A-Unless you want to dress up like Ellen DeGeneres, I think you should keep the jeans and blazers in your closet. On Halloween I usually hold strong to the good old “slut rule” — Mean Girls … lingerie plus some form on animal ears. Trampy, I know, but it’s easy. I just dig through the old lingerie drawer and put on my trusty old cat ears. Every year I vow that I won’t dress up like a slutty cat again but I always ending up doing it anyways because spending money on a real Halloween costumes feels foolish to me.

If you needed any proof (although I managed to scale back on the slutty last year):

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Man, I looked like $hit in 07 …

Some other options are the classic school girl. For that, just put on a plaid skirt and tie up a button down shirt (you know, to slut it up a bit).

That’s really all I’ve got. I’m not a big Halloween person. I don’t even think I am going to dress up this year. Readers, do you have any ideas?

11 thoughts on “DIY: Halloween Costumes from Your Closet”

  1. This year i didn’t want to spend too much money either. I had a “formal” off white gown that i’ve never worn (had bought it on clearance years ago and just had to have it). It’s very goddess like, so i decided to be a “greek goddess”. I’m pairing it with my gold thong sandels, a extra large silk scarf that blue, i found some cute gold dangle earring on clearance, and a silver/gold necklace on clearance. i think over all i might have spent $5 this month on the jewelry. The only other thing i want to buy t pair with it is the gold leaf crown that i’ve found ata costume shop for $6 or 7 i think.
    I also have a dance to attend, so i have to have another costume since my goddess dress is too long to dance in. I borrowed a 1920’s Flapper dress from my sister. Maybe you can find a friend that has something they’ve worn and now won’t wear again. Good Luck!!

  2. Last year, I ripped the white sheet off my bed and paired it with a pair of gladiator sandals, heavy eyeliner, a gold bangle, and a $3 plastic crown of leaves from a costume shop. Ta-da, Cleopatra!

    Year before that, I put on every piece of trash lingerie, torn pantyhose, a pound of makeup, and two litres of hairspray, and was classic “Like A Virgin” Madonna.

    This year, I discovered a red silk Erin Featherstone/Target jumper at Sally Ann, stole a basket from my Mom’s house and will be going as Red Riding Hood.

    I looove Halloween!

  3. you guys are awesome! i love those ideas. I have a white dress but i don’t think its greek enough, although my sister had a greek goddess costume so i might ask if she still has it. if not i’m definitely into the bed sheet idea. if those two plans fall, the i got a black corset, a black tennis skirt and i’ll just buy a pair of kitty ears from the dollar store.

  4. You know what’s really cliche, but super easy? The 80s. Now, I’m not big into Halloween, but everyone has got some leggings or something colorful somewhere, right?! Last year I was an 80s girl, just for school (I didn’t actually go Trick or Treating, it was just an excuse to look ridiculous for fun) I love the whole American Apparel look, even just for everyday. I had a big blue tee shirt that passed as a dress (I also wore it on the first day of school, go figure), leg warmers, bright fuchsia tights, big chunky yellow necklace…the sight of me! It was a costume that was fun, colorful, and just all around happy. I even had an impromptu photo shoot with two other girls that ended up being 80s girls. Granted, I wasn’t wearing something all that original, but I think I did it better than most, if I do say so myself.

    Also, if you’re not diggin’ that idea, raid your mom’s closet. Now, I don’t know how fashion forward your mother is, but she might have some totally awesome things in there. (I can’t say that for my mom. Even though she dresses well there’s nothing too thrilling, no vintage designer duds to steal. And she didn’t keep her 80s stuff…not even her Ray Bans! Darn.)

    Good luck! Have fun!

  5. Or something I love? Ballerina. It sounds cheesy but who doesn’t love a tutu?! And since they’re hard to find when you’re older get a cheap one from the little girl’s section at Old Navy or something. That way, it’ll look really short, but could pass for a mini skirt. A sexier, older ballerina. 🙂

  6. Ugh, okay. I promise I’m done after this! I just got so many ideas all at once, I want you to have some good options.

    But a take off the whole school girl costume: Hermione from Harry Potter! She’s super easy to do with a grey wool sweater, red and gold tie, plaid skirt.

  7. Well, I love any occasion to dress up, so Halloween is right up my alley. Halloween is nothing special in Europe thopugh, so in past years I’ve been dressing up in rather classic costumes, like witch (granny’s black gown, lots of stage make-up and a hat), goth-lolita-doll (all from my cupboard) and as a dead geisha (also from my own clothes). Yes, there’s a theme there, I’ll admit. This year though, I simply was out of ideas that were cheap, not too slutty (not everyone should wear a tight black leotard…) and still definitely Halloween. So I decided to don a lab-coat with “blood-stains”, nerd glasses, a super tight sheet-dress underneath and go as a wacky doctor. Still not really supercreative, but cheap and more interesting than the possibilities the costume shops have to offer…

  8. well i was gonna try the bed sheet thing but i just need to buy a white bed sheet and i have some gold shoes that will definitely work for the greek goddess idea. Also I have a black corset and a black tennis skirt i figured with my new black booties and some kitty cat ears that i could be a cat. or i could check around for my kilt if i still have it, wear it with the corset and throw on a white button down skirt with the front tied.

  9. Thrift stores have lots of ‘profesional’ costumes this time of year. But with a bit of emagination you can go through the regular clothes and find all kinds of interesting dresses especialy in the formal section. I’ve picked up gorgeous amathyst colored satin brides maid’s gown for $8 at a thrift store and it fits me like a glove, they also usualy will have some neat costume jewlery.

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