We’ve all have been running around in masks for almost the last two years, yet the time has come once again to suit up in full costume, eat lots of candy and have some horror-filled Halloween fun.
But before you click checkout on your Amazon cart, consider this advice to make sure your costume stands out from the rest.
What Makes a Good Costume?
“Something original, creative; something homemade versus something store bought,” said a local Spirit Halloween store manager who declined to be identified.
The manager said that he hasn’t seen one specific costume that has outsold the rest, however, there are several popular costume ideas this year that can easily be made on a budget.
Squid Game
Ah, yes. The Korean Netflix series about money and power and games you play at recess. It’s certainly no joke but the series likely strikes a chord with many college students that struggle with their own, albeit less serious, financial woes.
Fortunately, paying off student loans doesn’t require fighting to the death and dressing like a character from the show can easily be done at home with things that you might already have in your closet.
Players:
Closely recreating the iconic player uniforms really only requires two things: a green track suit and a good pair of white sneakers.
Total cost: around $50
Staff Member:
Trade in that green tracksuit for a red one and you’re already halfway to looking like one of the shadowy, gun-toting soldiers from the show. Grab a black mask and something to draw either a circle, triangle, or square on it and you’re ready to go. Just don’t go rounding up your friends or take them to a mysterious island.
Total cost: around $70
Among Us
If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t watched Squid Game or haven’t had time and are desperately trying to avoid spoilers but still want a similar vibe, then this next costume is for you.
Among Us is the popular mobile game that came out in 2018 but has recently stolen the hearts of iPhone and Android users everywhere.
To dress like one of the deceivingly adorable characters from the game, pick yourself out a good solid colored Morph Suit and fish out those old scuba goggles you’ve got lying around (just me?).
Total cost: $50
Other Ideas
And if those ideas didn’t cut it for you, take some inspiration from these two UofM students on designing your own costume.
Grunge-y Harley Quinn:
If you’re like me and love all things Batman, you’ll love how one student crafted this look.
Dressed in red and black plaid, fingerless black and red leather gloves and pair of steampunk-esque goggles, the student, who declined to be identified, answered the question: “What if Harley Quinn was the front man for Nirvana?” for anyone that was wondering.
Asked why he chose Harley Quinn, he said, “She’s a really good character and she means a lot to me.”
Runa Yomozuki:
Going back to popular Asian tv shows about gambling, Taylor Edwards, a performance major at the U of M, said that she plans to dress as Runa Yomozuki, a character from the anime, Kakegurui.
Yomozuki’s look is characterized by a large, orange coat with long, black dog ears hanging off the side.
“Everyone [in the show] has on the red uniform, but she makes it her own with the coat on top,” Edwards said.
No matter what you dress as this year, just remember to stay safe while you’re out having fun.
Unrecognizable kid dressed up as ghost wearing white fabric holding jack o' lantern basket for sweets standing against brick wall
