As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge in New York City, regulations for social distancing and smaller gatherings suggest that Halloween and trick-or-treating will look different this year. People of all ages will have to adjust to a new form of Halloween that shies away from the traditional holiday everyone knows and loves, but costumes are here to stay.
“I’m not sure how COVID-19 will affect our traditions because we don’t even know if we’ll be going out this year,” said senior Zoe Tylipakis. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 has prohibited us from doing group costumes in school which is kind of sad.”
On the other hand, English teacher Ryan Dunbar said, “COVID-19 won’t impact our costumes as much as it will impact our trick-or-treating experience. We’re still trying to figure out how to give the kids the excitement of Halloween while remaining safe.”
Despite the social restrictions this year, there are still many affordable and easy Halloween costumes that can be put together at home.
Currently Trending
There are so many trends that have taken over the internet during these past few months. You can find any look being recreated on TikTok, as well as new twists on old looks, such as dressing up as someone from the 2000s by wearing low-rise flare jeans. Vines and memes are also big Halloween costume categories. You can’t go wrong with Arthur by wearing a collared t-shirt under a yellow sweater and a pair of round glasses, or Dwayne Johnson with his black turtleneck, blue jeans, chain, and fanny pack. If you want to bring the magic of Disney into your costume but still use clothes in your closet, you could go for a “Disney Princesses in 2020” look by color coordinating with more modern pieces of clothing and cute accessories. In light of the pandemic, dressing up as a healthcare worker is definitely a good option to shed light on this year’s situation and honor the workers at the frontline. With this year’s Presidential Election and our own THHS Election Simulation, dressing as one of the political candidates could be a fitting costume as well.
Movies & TV Shows
Diving into the cinematic world, there are many options for costumes from popular shows or timeless movies. Whether it be dressing up as the siblings from the Umbrella Academy or the iconic characters from Avatar the Last Airbender, most of the materials you need can be found right at home! You and a friend can dress up as Sokka and Katara with simple loose blue and white clothing, or Aang with an orange top and yellow bottoms. The key is to color coordinate.
TikTok has also reignited the craze over The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, both of which would provide great options for costumes. Throw on a leather jacket and some fangs and you’ve become Damon Salvatore! You can also dress up as the characters from Euphoria, especially if you’re into the makeup looks inspired by the show.
You could also go for a modern spin on a classic option—try out a Harry Potter-inspired costume using the colors of each Hogwarts House to put together a creative yet identifiable look.
Throwbacks
What’s better than the current trendy movies and shows? The cinematic treasures we grew up with, of course! From Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants and Peppa Pig to the thrilling adventures of Scooby-Doo, the options are endless.
If you’re planning a group costume with your friends, the cast of Scooby-Doo could be a perfect fit. The characters have quite basic outfits (such as a green shirt for Shaggy). As for Scooby, you could just dress in all brown. An even simpler costume could be Alvin and The Chipmunks themed—all you really need is a red, blue, and green hoodie for each chipmunk.
A Peppa Pig theme is great for a large group as well. You would need a specific colored top (ex: blue for George) and maybe some animal-makeup if you choose. While these childhood costumes may seem quite silly, in times of uncertainty and stress, rewinding and enjoying trends from simpler times is always fun.
Games, Old and New
The past seven months of being cooped up at home have also led many Harrisites to turn to gaming for entertainment. A gaming app called Among Us has been especially popular and doubles as a creative Halloween costume idea. Sophomore Sean Zhou said, “It’s perfect for large groups since there are twelve colors to pick from…it’s easy to be silly by sticking a toilet paper roll on your head or something.”
Another game that was popular during quarantine was Subway Surfers. Dressing like a subway surfer is extremely easy! The avatars from the game wear casual clothing that you probably already own. Some examples of “casual clothing” would be a pair of jeans, a jean jacket, and a beanie hat, all of which would pull together the classic train skater look.
If you’re going for a more nostalgic feel, the Mario brothers are the perfect Nintendo duo, and only require a red and green shirt coupled with the iconic mustaches.
Classics
If you’re looking for a more typical Halloween costume, animal costumes are simple and easy to pull off, especially with the help of makeup and whatever clothes are already in your closet. Cow print has especially been trending all over social media because of its aesthetic, and can be achieved with a black shirt and white felt. Bee and cat costumes are also great last-minute choices; all that’s needed are black and yellow clothing and face paint/makeup from palettes like the Take Me Back to Brazil palette from BH Cosmetics, which has a wide variety of colors.
What do THHS students think will be popular for spooky season? Junior Lisa Felson answers, “I think that we’re going to be seeing a lot of ghosts this year because of the TikTok trend.” In this trend, people dress up as ghosts with a big white sheet and some funny accessories. If that isn’t spooky enough, you could even opt to be a clown-like Pennywise or a zombie-like Frankenstein. Both looks come together with simple makeup tutorials, and with creators like James Charles and Abby Roberts on YouTube, there are countless options to choose from. There are tons of other spooky costumes as well, from vampires to skeletons to even a germ (probably the scariest option given our situation).
Even during a pandemic, everyone can enjoy Halloween from home by dressing up in creative costumes and taking some photos. Spending time with family, buying candy, and watching horror movies through a Netflix Party with friends are all part of a new, reimagined Halloween that is sure to be a blast. Remember to stay safe and eat lots of chocolate!
Image from Pixabay
