Abigail Lyu and Sophia Kibler

   Finding the right Halloween costume can be a dreary, daunting task for many. Trying to find the right balance of elements of a costume that’s recognizable yet unique, many students procrastinate shopping because the final decision can be tricky to make. With the clock ticking down, options for a good costume seem constrained. Even if an online delivery might not come in time for Halloween, there are plenty of simple costumes that are both available and accessible.

   “If somebody wants a basic and quick costume, Spirit Halloween has those inflatable costumes that are really cool and easy to do… But, they might not have a lot of stuff last minute,” senior Karis Barnett suggested.

   Every year when the air gets a little more crisp, Spirit Halloween stores begin to pop up. The store holds ready-to-wear costumes, ranging from classic zombies and vampires, to timely pop culture characters. Spirit Halloween, though very accessible in terms of price, can run out of items in large amounts when approaching October 31st. For many, convenient and easy premade costumes are exactly what they’re looking for, but for others, a more creative and unique approach is what they choose to do. For those who want a more specific or DIY costume, looking for inspiration before shopping is necessary. 

   “My strategy to get inspiration is to look up easy Halloween costumes on Tiktok. I like using Tiktok because they put a full collage of everything you need for a costume,” senior Afsar Basha shared. 

   With today’s social media culture, many people look for inspiration for unique costumes online. Tiktok, a platform that gained popularity as a lip-syncing and dancing app, is now a space for people to share creative concepts. Not only that, but Tiktok’s recommendation algorithm makes it easy for individuals to find costume ideas that are curated to their own personal style and interests. While Tiktok is an easily accessible resource for those who want to create their own unique costumes, some find it difficult to make time for costume creation or planning. Finding Halloween costumes are a last priority for many, especially for students who are still acclimating to the beginning of the school season. 

   “People procrastinate getting a costume because it’s not a major holiday in the way that Christmas is. We don’t get a day off and it’s just in the middle of the fall,” Basha explained. 

   From acclimating to school, to simply not caring, a lot of students resort to finding a costume last minute for a multitude of reasons. Since Halloween is not a holiday that gets time off, it almost flies under the radar for many people. A lot of Mustangs are more concerned about the quarter ending at the end of October than they are about their Halloween costumes. Those who are occupied with school but still want to participate in the spooky season still have options though. 

   “Any animal costume that you just paint on your face is really easy and simple for last-minute costumes,” senior Jenna Ho stated. 

   The classic black cat or cheetah outfits are an incredibly popular choice for teens. All that’s truly needed for the costume is face paint and makeup. For a last-minute choice, an animal is very convenient.

   Students are busy, especially during fall. Trying to find a good Halloween costume during the beginning of the school year can be difficult, so looking for inspiration on social media, and going to ready-to-wear costume stores are a convenient and accessible option for those who still want to get into the Halloween spirit.