By: Advika Anand
Graphics Editor
Once upon a time, Halloween was about the thrill of the night, filled with carving eerie jack-o’-lanterns, hanging plastic skeletons, and racing to get more candy than your sibling. Now, all people care about is creating the cutest costumes, hoping no one else shows up in the same thing.
Let’s face it, Halloween costumes have become boring and repetitive. Every year, social media decides our dress code. Whether it’s girls dressing up as the Lorax, a founding father, or impersonating Adam Sandler, Halloween has transformed from a night of fright into more of a fashion show.
Gone are the days when people actually tried to be scary. Instead of fake blood, rubber masks, or face paint, costumes consist of denim skirts, corset tops, and high-heeled boots. Although these items of clothing are appealing, Halloween should be about the innocence of dressing up, spending time with friends, and creatively expressing yourself one night of the year. Somewhere along the way, Halloween stopped being a night filled with costumes and candy and became a competition for who can best match their friend group’s themed outfits and secure the perfect photo to post on Instagram.
As a high schooler, I understand running out of time or ideas for a costume, especially with the stress of Halloween approaching. I myself have definitely fallen victim to the occasional recycled costume, but just because it’s last-minute doesn’t mean it needs to come in last place. Throwing on casual clothes, like a tutu with leggings and a random accessory, isn’t a costume. That’s not a ballerina, it’s someone who forgot it was Halloween until their first-period teacher reminded them.
Here’s what you can do to restore Halloween back to its original roots. Although it’s difficult for us procrastinators, consider planning out your costume early. If that doesn’t work (because, let’s be honest, it probably won’t), try embellishing your last-minute outfit with accessories that elevate your look. You’d be surprised by the things you can find in Affordable Treasures, or from your grandma’s slightly creepy basement. Mix and match, experiment, and see what bizarre combinations you can pull together to complete your look. No matter what you find, have fun with it, because Halloween is all about creativity, not convenience.
It’s not that dressing up for fun is gone; it’s just been replaced by the desperate need to be “aesthetic.” The real monsters now are the ones who judge your costume’s style or ask, “Wait…what are you supposed to be?” with genuine concern. So this year, maybe someone will bring back the classic scares. Let’s trade in the cowboy hats for cobwebs, the glitter for gore, and the Pinterest boards for pure imagination. Because the true horror of Halloween 2025 is seeing 12 other people wearing the same thing as you.