Can't decide on a Halloween costume? These 5 questions can help

This story was originally published on Oct. 17, 2023, and has been updated.

October is hands down my favorite month. It's a time for mischief and make-believe. And not just for kids. We adults also get the chance to dress up in character as anyone or anything.

That said, it's totally normal to get to this part of October and not have a costume idea. The options are limitless — and that's kind of overwhelming. If you can be anything, how do you narrow it down?

Well, today is your chance, ghouls. Los Angeles-based stylist Sophie Strauss offers guidance on how to put together a clever, low-cost and sustainably sourced costume. And it starts with some questions to ask yourself.

1. How big do you *really* want to go?

When choosing a Halloween costume, think about what kind of "Halloween person" you are and be honest with yourself. Are you really going to go all-out with your costume, or do you just want to wear a pair of cat ears and call it a day? "There's no right or wrong," says Strauss. If you're one kind of Halloween person but trying to be the other, "you're going to be sad. So that's where I would start."

2. Do you want a getup inspired by pop culture ...

TV shows, movies, memes and trending topics can all be Halloween costume inspiration. Last year, Strauss was Tim Riggins from the TV series Friday Night Lights. She says she has been watching "classic TV shows that I somehow missed" and felt inspired by the high school football player's character. He's a "bad boy with a heart of gold. I'm excited to be able to embody that," she says.

Instagram culture has popularized the concept of posting a photo of yourself dressed up in a "really niche outfit from a really niche episode of a television show that this one character wore one time," says Strauss.

3. ... or spooky szn?

"There's a sort of delicious wickedness that the spooky season gives us the right to tap into without actually needing to be a bad person," says Strauss. So think of someone kind of dangerous, someone whose energy you'd like to embrace for the evening — like Cruella de Vil. "It doesn't take very much effort to nail that costume," she adds. "Get a little bit of black and white hairspray and a fake fur jacket and you're more than halfway there."

If neither of these ideas are for you, try going in the opposite direction. Dress up as an object that's fun and unexpected, like an apple, a baked potato or heck, even "a bottle of Windex," she adds.

4. Can you turn something in your closet into a costume ...

Do you have any items of clothing that might lend themselves to a costume? One year, I wore my denim jumpsuit with a red bandana and red lipstick and I was Rosie the Riveter.

Don't forget to dig through your friends' closets too — especially those "who have a slightly different style" than you, says Strauss. If you're trying to put together a costume with a disco cowboy theme, you might source a cowboy hat from one friend and a sparkly top and a bolo tie from another, she adds.

5. ... or find something at the thrift store?

Before you buy one of those pre-packaged costumes that you can find at stores like Spirit Halloween, which you will likely only use once, try to find the components of your costume elsewhere, says Strauss. Search the thrift store. Or if you have to, buy "new real clothes" for your costume that you will wear again and again, she says.

You can also look for secondhand versions of the pre-made costumes online. "The absolute last thing you should do is buy a new costume," she adds.

This episode of Life Kit was produced by Sylvie Douglis. The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib and Clare Marie Schneider. The visual producer is Beck Harlan.

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