We’ve arrived at the end of a week of high spirits!
I had to pull together a variety of costumes in the past few days, and I compiled a few pieces of advice amidst the process of dressing up. Since I love DIY and putting things together on my own, costumes are fun to come up with-no matter how busy or broke I might be! I see it as a chance to buy new things for my closet, not as a command to spend money on a prepackaged costume that I’ll only wear for the dress-up occasion.
If you don’t have the cash this season to spend on an amazing costume–that unfortunately you’ll wear only once or twice, here are some of my tried and true suggestions…
1. Figure out what you want to be.
Then figure out the defining elements of the costume. Most characters and costumes have a few trademark components. The easiest way to figure these defining elements out is to close your eyes and see what comes to mind first when you think of the costume. If that doesn’t work or doesn’t give you enough to work off of, Google images is always a lifesaver! Once you’ve figured out defining elements of a costume (for example, red and white striped shirt for Waldo, white and pink clothing for unicorns, emerald dress for mermaid)…the fun begins!
2. Instead of going to a costume store, go to a clothing store that carries a range of different styles and begin hunting for clothing that resembles the defining elements of the thing that you’re dressing up as!
I always go to actual clothing or thrift stores to find separate elements of a costume instead of buying a prepackaged one. This way, you can actually still wear the clothing even after your night of dress up!
3. If you’re going to spend money on a pre-made costume piece, I would recommend spending it on an accessory.
Something like a cop hat or wings usually won’t cost you much and can really pull a whole outfit together. They also can’t be easily made/it can be hard to find wearable fashion pieces that really represent those accessories successfully.
4. Don’t underestimate the hair and makeup!
This can often really pull together your costume and won’t cost you much. There are so many tutorials online, and it is also a great time to explore your own creativity! I would definitely recommend using makeup instead of buying face paint. An important thing to keep in mind while doing costume makeup is the importance of layering the makeup you use. Prime your face, prime your eyelids, prime your lips! Eyeliners and chubby eyeshadow sticks are the best for drawing fun designs! Once you’ve traced the shapes or patterns you want, fill them in with eyeshadow. Go crazy and have fun with it!
I put together all of these outfits, and I only spent seven dollars overall on the cop hat! Everything else were things in my closet that I saw would work as defining costume elements. Even if I hadn’t had all these pieces in my closet (suspender skirt, plaid button down, vintage black purse), and I had to go out and buy them for the sake of my costume, they would still be things I would wear again in the future in my day-to-day outfits.
Happy happy Halloween!
Hope you guys enjoyed this post and find it helpful for whenever your next dress-up occasion summons you!
Stay tuned and stay lovely!
