When I was a kid, Halloween meant business. I’d eagerly await the annual Spirit Halloween catalogue and drag my parents to the nearest abandoned warehouse to pick out my costume.
From months of careful consideration, to late-night trips to the craft store and glitter in my hair until Thanksgiving, the holiday used to be an excess of effort.
Fast-forward to today, some costumes take the opposite approach with solid colors and basic pieces that subtly hint at the idea of a costume. A plain orange tee becomes a pumpkin, a white tank means you’re an angel. There’s no glitter or glue gun, just a simple suggestion.
Vedika Sharma, a freshman computer science and math major, noted the prevalence of this trend in the current Halloween scene.
“People just kind of got lazy. Either that or it’s a thing of trying to blend in with other people and people aren’t doing as creative costumes,” Sharma said.
There’s almost something Impressionist about this trend. Much like Claude Monet’s blurred landscapes or Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s hazy portraits, the “costumes” rely on implication. A single color or accessory gives just enough information to recognize the inspiration.
These costumes are not about transformation— they’re a visual shortcut. They evoke a concept, and the viewer fills in the rest.
“Those are cute, but they’re not really costumes,” Trinity Rosario, a freshman public policy major, said of the simple outfits.
[Embrace your inner theater kid with these Halloween musicals]
Part of the change may be cultural. In an age of fast fashion, social media and busy college schedules, it’s easy to pick convenience over craftsmanship. Many students are undoubtedly drawn to a low-effort look that still allows them to participate in the holiday, something photogenic but uncomplicated.
Michele Petrosino, a freshman hearing and speech sciences major, finds the easier costumes to be refreshing.
“I like them,” she said. “If it’s simple, then, you know, you’re saving money while also celebrating the holiday and having fun.”
Petrosino echoed how limited time and budgets prevent students from being able to hand-make or purchase an outfit they won’t wear often. Simpler costumes can take pressure off celebrating, allowing people to participate without a huge commitment.
For students balancing academic life and social plans, it’s a practical compromise.
Others believe that easy costumes detract from the spirit of the holiday.
“I think if you want to go out and really be part of the Halloween costume festivities, I don’t quite think that counts personally,” Rosario said.
[Lorde stuns with powerful visuals, energy at the ‘Ultrasound’ tour]
To students such as Rosario and Sharma, effort and individuality are part of the fun. Brainstorming a costume, curating a look and committing to a character all make Halloween feel like something bigger, and perhaps something close to the Halloween of our childhoods.
Today, social media plays a major role in shaping how people approach the holiday. The platforms showcase both extremes: viral hyper-detailed outfits and their minimalist counterparts.
It’s a reminder that platforms such as TikTok and Instagram dictate many elements of fashion for any and all occasions. For Halloween costumes, what was once driven by imagination and dedication is now shaped by algorithms.
Sharma said many students view social media as a mood board for outfit ideas.
“People go on social media to get inspiration for what they’re gonna wear, and different clothing trends on social media also influences what people wear for costumes,” she said.
Both sides of the debate still share the same goal: to enjoy the night, have fun and express themselves. Whether that means a last-minute combination of whatever is in your closet or the culmination of months of careful planning, the idea of “dressing up” for Halloween looks different for everyone.
With holiday traditions evolving into simple trends, it seems as if Halloween is losing its spirit and the excitement that came with the uniqueness of traditional costumes.
The answer, as Sharma puts it, may be more straightforward than it seems.
“Put a little creativity into it, you know?”
