Some basic ideas for a not-so-basic Halloween

How to make shopping for Halloween costumes fun, not stressful

MEI FLORY / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

With Halloween coming up, so too does the panic for the perfect costume. Everyone has already talked about the “Squid Games” jumpsuits, and there’s always someone who will dress up as Eleven from “Stranger Things.” But no one wants to have a “basic” costume if they can help it, and no one wants to be caught wearing the same costume as anyone else. Not only is it important to have a unique Halloween look, but students would prefer to DIY or save money if they can. 

With that said, here are some fun and simple Halloween costume ideas for this year’s spooky season.

Childhood Nostalgia

Fairly Odd Parents

A pink t-shirt and baseball cap with a pair of jeans is all it takes to be Timmy Turner from “Fairly Odd Parents.” Friends can dye their hair pink and green to be Cosmo and Wanda, respectively. For Wanda, wear black pants with a yellow tee to complete the look. For Cosmo, black pants with a white long sleeve and tie will suffice. To jazz up the costume, add a golden mini crown for Cosmo and Wanda. 

American Dragon

Jake Long rocks a red zip-up jacket, a pair of blue jean or cargo shorts, and green hair tips. Carry a skateboard around to top off this costume. Or, dress up as his sister, Haley, with a purple dress, a purple long sleeve underneath and some high pigtails in your hair. 

Gravity Falls

Dipper’s blue and white baseball cap may be a little tricky, but an orange shirt with a vest and shorts will work. Be sure to wear white socks that show above a pair of black sneakers. For Mabel, any oversized, colorful sweater with a matching headband will work. To tie the costume together, wear a cute skirt or shorts with white socks and black flats. 

Top Spotify Artists 

Olivia Rodrigo

As Olivia Rodrigo once said, “God, it’s brutal out here.” Black gloves and a blue and white cheerleader outfit is all anyone needs to look like they came straight out of the “good 4 u” music video. Or, one can plaster a bunch of holographic stickers all over their face to look like Olivia Rodrigo from her “Sour” album cover. 

Ariana Grande

Anyone can emulate Ariana Grande if they put on some thigh-high black boots, an oversized hoodie, and a classic high ponytail. Her “Positions” album cover requires a green two-piece (a skirt and long sleeve shirt), a headband paired with a ponytail, and some chunky earrings.

Harry Styles

Harry’s style is quite unique and unconventional, but putting pieces together for some of his iconic looks is definitely doable. 

For the cover of his “Fine Line” album, wear a pink button down with some high-waisted jeans. His iconic Vogue cover requires a black blazer and floor-length dress. Harry also loves a good boa feather scarf with some mismatched clothes. 

BTS

“Dynamite” features two outfit changes for the group. To emulate Jungkook, wear some dark denim on denim with a white shirt. Or, for one of the outfits from the latter half of the music video, pair some pink or purple pastel-colored clothes together for a monochrome look. 

Y2K Girls and Guys

Suki from 2 Fast 2 Furious

The hottest girl from the “Fast and Furious” franchise raced with a pink car while wearing bright pink pants and a purple tank top over another pink tank top.

Beyonce

The “Single Ladies” music video proves just how cool a black bodysuit, heels, and a ring can look on anyone, especially Beyonce. 

NSYNC/Backstreet Boys

For some reason, white was all the rage for these legendary boy bands. That, and frosted hair tips.  

Hopefully these ideas helped for those who like to plan last-minute. 

And luckily for USD students, thrift stores are never too far away. There’s a Goodwill and Salvation Army store off of Rosecrans street, and there’s a Buffalo Exchange in Hillcrest. Fashion Valley also has a Forever 21 store and an H&M in case thrifting doesn’t work out. 

Enjoy the holiday, and happy Halloween.