Halloween: An Evolution of Costume Culture
Halloween costumes–they started with classic characters: scarecrows, black cats or witches. Then, as television and its content became popular, people began basing their costumes on movie or book characters.
Image courtesy/Children's Theatre Co.
In the early 2000s, celebrities started dressing up as each other, and the rest of the population carried it on.
Image courtesy/Michael Kovac Image courtesy/Kevin Hart
Next, people started dressing up as their favorite celebrities or pop culture moments. From 2017 to 2020, due to the popularity of social media, memes became another common theme to choose inspiration from. A couple of my favorites are the paint grandpa meme and the Debby Ryan smirk meme.
In recent years, the corset takeover has occurred. This strapless corset top is sometimes seen with or without a ruffled hem and often with a lack of traditional corset boning. The lace-back product has seen many variations and sellers as it has become a new Halloween staple since 2023.
Now, this year, people are often gaining inspiration from their favorite niches with distinct characters or references for their costumes. These can be as trivial as a mini TV show production on TikTok to a mainstream movie from a decade ago. Some of my personal favorites are Lisa Frank animals and family members from Meet the Robinsons. Other examples include the Die with a Smile music video and Charlie’s Angels.
Image courtesy/Daniel Kimmel Image courtesy/LaMaisonGaga
As the fashion industry is gaining more popularity in everyday life, consumers are more willing to put in effort with layers, colors and styles.
What will you be for Halloween?
Editor: Sydney Annis
Graphic: Sanjana Karanth