With fall comes ideas of pumpkins, apple orchards and changing leaves. But, as Oct. 31 quickly approaches, Halloween becomes the centerpiece of the fall season. You begin to scroll on social media and see more and more Halloween costume ideas, but you don’t know where to begin. How could you not dress to impress during this year’s halloween? The Journal won’t leave you hanging, so follow along to find a guide on how-to pick the perfect Halloween costume.

Narrow down the plans

Who are you going with? What will the weather be like? Where are you going? Who, what, when and where are essential questions when costume planning. Weather could have an impact on layering, costume makeup and so much more. If you are going with more than one person, your searching for inspiration will be geared towards group costume ideas and make the planning process that much more effective. 

Get creative

The first step to finding an iconic costume is having a stable idea to build off of. If you and your friends already have something in mind, that is a great place to start. If you want to take your time and think of something creative over time, that is another option too. But if you feel overwhelmed and no creative spark 

has entered your mind, apps like Pinterest, Tiktok and VSCO are great platforms to find inspiration. 

STOP AND THINK

Before going further in planning with your chosen idea, ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Am I offending anyone by dressing this way?
• Does this somehow resemble a race, culture, religion or orientation that I am not a part of?
• Is there a history behind my costume that might make people uncomfortable? 
• Am I using face paint that could represent another race? Am I using my costume as a weapon to hurt others?

Some common costume items that have shown to not pass this question test are tribal markings, Native American costumes, turbans and more.

What’s in your closet?

After you have a plan as to what you are going as and who you are (or aren’t) going with, look for things you already have before going shopping. If you have shoes, accessories, old costume pieces or items lying around that could make up most of your costume, you will ultimately be saving money. If you happen to stumble upon items that would be helpful to a friend, offer up whatever you can and help them save money. On top of that, you are being more sustainable by using things you already have instead of buying large amounts of items you will use on one day, and then never use again. 

Shopping and details

The minor details are what can truly build a costume. Think about hair, shoes, accessories, bags, costume makeup, props or anything your costume may require. Once you have all of the missing pieces of things that will complete your look, and you have thought about the little details, make a list. Then, go to places like Goodwill, second hand stores or garage sales to find items for less and that you might not mind giving back to the second hand stores after using them in your costume.