Zombies, pirates and witches ready to haunt
Local thrift stores can help you find that last-minute Halloween costume
Halloween is swiftly approaching, and whether you’re be going to a party, handing out candy or trick-or-treating, you’ll likely want a costume.
But with the night so close, you might find yourself worrying about what you’re going as - or what’s in or out right now.
Speaking to Talize costume consultant Sonia Desnoyers and Value Village costume consultant Carrie Clifton earlier this week, I learned there aren’t many standout trends this year.
Most people this year are going out as something original and pieced together, whether it’s a monster or their favourite comic book character.
Of course, there are still popular items: Pre-packaged costumes, for example.
Michael Myers in particular, with the release of Halloween (2018), has been popular. But other old slasher killers have been in, too, so Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Jason Voorhees can be expected.
The advantage to store-bought costumes is that they are mostly are easy and quick. College kids and trick-or-treating groups this year seem to like that are easy to pull over everyday clothes.
For example, food costumes have been quick and easy buys: Hot dogs, mustard, ketchup, pickle, donut, bacon, egg, and coffee will all be seen.
Additionally, political masks – such as those depicting the face of U.S. President Donald Trump have been picked up by many as well.
If you’re still at a loss for costume ideas, don’t want to wear
something pre-packaged, and need something quick, easy, and affordable, you’re in luck.
Here are some costume ideas, and how you can build them with little time and a small budget. Remember: your candy haul doesn’t have to be thin just because your resources are.
A recommendation for any costume, before we get into this, is fake blood, available for $7 dollars per 250mL bottle. Costs are estimations gathered from Talize and Value Village.
Vampire
Another good choice is a vampire. To make yourself look pale and ghostly, pick up some white cream makeup for $2.
Grab some vampire fangs, available for $0.49, and pop them into place.
To complete the look, you could either purchase a cloak for $5, or get some of your own darker clothes. To add an extra spooky look, you can run some of your fake blood down the corners of your mouth, to give the appearance of a just-fed monster.
Zombies
An iconic staple of any scary event is zombies, and you can join in. Grab some of your old clothes and tatter them up. Next, you can pick up some green face paint for $2 and apply that.
Talize carries cleavers on a headband ($3) that give the impression of being stuck in your head, but you could also make your own.
It’s simple: just get a headband and some foam. Cut it out in a knife shape, paint it grey and smear some more of that fake blood over it. Cut that in half, and affix one half to the right side of the headband, and the other to the left. By smearing a bit more fake blood over your face, you’ll look just like one of the undead.
Witch
An easily recognizable and easy to put together costume is a witch. If you have a dress, you can use that, and if not, you can head over to either Talize or Value Village to purchase one.
A pointy witch’s hat can be purchased for $2. You can either use your own broom from home or buy a decorative broomstick at Talize for $4.
If you’re going out trick or treating, a fun idea might be to make your basket or bag look like a cauldron. Handing out candy, you can do the same thing.
Pirate
If something scary isn’t your style, you could be a pirate this year. Grab a bandana for 49 cents, an eyepatch for $2, and a sword for $4 (all available at Talize).
A nice addition might be a parrot stuffed animal if you can find one. To sell this more, use a pirate voice wherever you go, and be sure to say ‘arr’ and call people ‘matey’.
All and all, Halloween is a time mainly for fun and good-natured scares. Be sure to be safe, to dress warmly, and to enjoy yourself. Have fun creating your costume, and wearing it, whether you spent all year making it or throw it together 20 minutes before you leave.