Halloween was once the holiday of creativity. Kids and adults alike would spend weeks planning costumes, gluing, sewing and painting until they came up with something unique. But in recent years, there’s been a noticeable shift: costumes are getting simpler, lazier and some could argue, less fun.
Part of this change comes with convenience. With the rise of online shopping, anyone can buy a ready-made costume in seconds. Retail stores such as Spirit Halloween and Amazon offer endless options, but most of them fall back on the same tired categories. Instead of one-of-a-kind ideas, parties and trick-or-treat routes are filled with duplicates. Although a quick fix, it doesn’t inspire creativity.
Pop culture has also shaped how people approach Halloween. Instead of crafting elaborate characters, many lean on last-minute jokes or simple corset outfits. While still looking cute, it’s just a slightly elevated outfit. The goal isn’t to transform into something imaginative, but to instantly be recognizable or funny enough for Instagram. Social media itself plays a huge role in this decline. Platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have made costumes less about the experience of dressing up and more about choosing the best aesthetic for their Instagram story. Examples of this are a black outfit and a pair of cat ears, or a cowboy hat with a simple dress. These gain likes online, even if it wouldn’t stand out in a costume contest. These costumes are designed for the camera, not the holiday.
Not everybody sees this trend as negative. Some argue that lazy costumes are the part of the fun that not taking it too seriously keeps the holiday light-hearted. And it’s true that laughter is just as much a part of Halloween as the traditional aesthetic. When creativity takes a backseat to convenience, something about the holiday feels watered down.
Halloween has always thrived on imaginations from haunted house props to trick-or- treating routes lit with jack-o’-lanterns. Costumes are an essential part of that magic. While lazy, store-bought, or Instagram worthy outfits aren’t going away anytime soon, it’s time to bring back a little more originality. Halloween is supposed to be experimental, it allows a person to explore outfits that they never would have thought of in the first place, not to throw a witch hat with a matching top to call it a day. Let’s make a conscious effort to restore the spirit of Halloween.
