Halloween is rapidly approaching which means it's time to dress up!!
I personally find dressing up to be the best part of Halloween. It's one day where you get to be anything you want to be.
Well, I mean you could do that any day that you want you to... it's just the one day of the year where people won't look at you like a total weirdo.
Finding, making, and creating my costume in an ethical way is the most appealing part of the whole thing.
I don't like buying cheaply made costumes that are meant to break after one wear.
A. I don't think they look good and B. I don't like paying for trash.
We talked about eco-friendly halloween tips in the last blog post and when I touched on costumes I just talked about buying costumes meant to last.
But, sometimes you really just want to be different things and there ways of achieving this in a totally cost efficient and eco-friendly way.
Last year, I went as a fighter pilot for Halloween. Fighter pilots wear flight suits which are drab green.
So, when I saw a drab green romper at a consignment shop for $12 I knew that was the first piece to my costume!
I have relatives in the air force and asked them to send some of their flight suit patches which I stitched onto the romper.
For $12 I had the perfect costume, that didn't require any new resources!
So, here's my tip for costuming yourself in an ethical way this year:
1. Head to the Thrift Store:
Got an idea for what you want to be? Then head to the thrift store with a list in hand, but be willing to let your vision ebb and flow.
See, if there are clever ways you can embellish pieces. Maybe you want to go as a librarian and need the perfect houndstooth skirt or a witch and looking for black flowy clothing.
Try to find the majority of your costume secondhand. This year I'm going as a detective so I'm picking up a secondhand vest to go with my khaki pants, trench, and white button down shirt already in my closet.
From there I just need to find a hat! However, the likely chance of me finding a Sherlock Holmes style cap secondhand is pretty low which is where these next tips come in handy.
2. Borrow and Swap:
Borrow it!! Ask a friend if you can borrow their X,Y, or Z. Most of the time they'll be more than happy to lend you something.
I also think it'd be a great idea to host a costume swap especially for kids! Get together a group to bring costumes worn the previous years and let your kid pick out their new awesome costume this year without spending a cent.
3. Rent:
Of course, if you're super committed to having the BEST costume, you should just rent a costume. There are online stores for renting costumes or check with your local theatre or theatre department to see if you can pay to rent a costume.
You typically pay a pretty hefty deposit, but you get it back when you return the costume in good working order, and your costume will definitely be the envy of the whole party.
