Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
I love Halloween. It is my favorite time of the year; everything is flavored or pumpkin spice scented. Spirit Halloweens are popping up in empty stores. People have all sorts of decorations spread across the sides of houses and sprinkled across lawns. Movies my friends will only watch with me in October begin playing on loop. And the costumes — oh the costumes.
Ad
Every fall, ideas for Halloween costumes flood the internet. I sort through Pinterest and Instagram looking for any inspiration for what to wear. On that joyous day when anyone can be anything and people can dress up without fear of social rejection, it’s the one day a year you can wear anything you want. And yet, there are still people who choose to wear a subtle Halloween costume.
“The whole point of Halloween is to watch scary movies, eat gross amounts of candy and dress up — to wear things society typically deems unprofessional or weird.”
A subtle Halloween costume is exactly what it sounds like: a costume that isn’t obviously a costume. Typically, these are also closet costumes, meaning they are made from what someone already has in their closet. Now, I don’t have anything against closet costumes. This year, most of my costume is made of things I already owned and wear on a regular basis.
Closet costumes are fine and typically a good way to make a recognizable costume without breaking the bank. Though, subtle costumes are often not recognizable. Sometimes, a subtle costume just happens because of the character someone picked. However, the people who go out of their way to wear a subtle costume are simply boring.
An example of a subtle costume could be someone wearing a colorful t-shirt and white pants, claiming to be an M&M. Another might be a green dress and red cardigan to be a martini. Those are not costumes. Those are outfits.
There’s a difference between asking someone what their costume is and if they’re wearing a costume. If I have to ask you if you’re wearing a costume, then you’re not wearing a costume.
Oct. 31 is the one day a year people can dress up and wear whatever they want. It’s a chance for people to pull out an old prom dress or wedding dress and wear it again. So why — out of all the things you could do — would you wear something you could wear any other day? To appear more grown up? To be taken seriously? If those are your concerns, just don’t wear a costume. Or go as a well-known character who wears regular clothes, such as Velma from “Scooby-Doo” or Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation.”
The whole point of Halloween is to watch scary movies, eat gross amounts of candy and dress up — to wear things society typically deems unprofessional or weird.
This Halloween, go all out. Wear the most over-the-top costume. Showcase your creativity by transforming your regular closet into something magical. But whatever you do, don’t be boring. Don’t wear a subtle costume.
Reach Audrey Weishaar at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
Ad