As spooky season descends upon us, the thought of curating a costume can fill some of us with dread.
Shelling out money on items that will inevitably end up in landfill is enough to scare anyone into shopping their own wardrobe for the holiday.
If you can't find anything suitable at home, be sure to check in with friends, browse your local charity shop or have a look on re-sale sites like Depop. Ideally, you'll find items that you can wear multiple times throughout the year, not just for spooky season.
Here are experts’ top tips and tricks on what to wear this Halloween without buying anything – whether you’re going out or staying in.
The mime
One of the simplest costumes – but rarely executed – is the mime artist. "Simply wear a striped shirt (preferably black and white) with black trousers or a skirt," says style and trends expert Karine Laudort. "Add white gloves for authenticity (if possible) and apply a white face paint as a base."
To go the extra mile, emphasise your eyes with bold black eyeliner and finish with a vibrant red lip.
The meme
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Not to be confused with its French counterpart, the meme is a simple, easy and creative costume to sport this season. CEO of pre-loved platform Faircado, Evolena de Wilde d‘Estmael, says, "More than ever now, Halloween is dominated by the viral memes of the year leading up to it.
"Luckily this year, many of those memes boil down to loose concepts like ‘brat’ – think neon green, if you’ve got any in your wardrobe already – or ‘very demure’ which you can interpret however you want."
Look to the (movie) stars
As ‘Barbenheimer’ snapped up the costume monopoly last year with Barbie and Oppenheimer taking over cinemas nationwide, dressing up as a famed film characters is an easy bid when you’re stumped for ideas.
"Good, easy options would be Wednesday Addams’ (think pinstripe blazer, white shirt, pleated skirt and knee socks) or Barbie which just requires anything pink or neon!" says pre-loved boutique One Scoop Store’s founder, Holly Watkins.
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If Barbie is too last year, fashion influencer and podcaster Ami Charlize suggests paring it back to a plain princess costume: "I think the idea of dressing up as a princess is perfect for Halloween because you can wear a gorgeous dress and simply accessorise with maybe an old tiara from a previous costume."
Channel the Princess Diaries like Camilla Cabello and pair it with a pair of sunglasses and some headphones.
Reaching from your existing wardrobe isn’t the only option. "Buying second-hand or borrowing from a friend is a great way to source costumes," says de Wilde d‘Estmael.
"The good news is that with the preponderance of sequels and reboots in cinemas, somebody’s pre-loved Beetlejuice, Joker, Deadpool, or Wolverine costumes will still feel on the cutting-edge of the cultural zeitgeist!"
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If you want something less spooky, dig out your old athleisure wear and dress as Zendaya in Challengers.
The cat and the witch
Ever heard the phrase don’t fix what ain’t broke? It may be a cliché – but the costumes that always pay off when you’re strapped for time are the cat and the witch.
"For Halloween, I believe that wearing dark colours with a touch of dressiness works well," says style influencer Elys Hutchinson. "After all, it’s the one day of the year when anything goes in terms of outfits!"
Donning a black dress no matter the style and pairing it with a wide-brimmed hat or black cardboard point creates an easy, five-minute witchy ensemble. "Complete the outfit with a dark lipstick, adding the perfectly mysterious finishing touch," says Laudort.
For the cat, it’s not too dissimilar, simply "slip into an all-black attire – leggings or jeans paired with a sleek top," says Laudort. "You can create cat ears using a headband and black construction paper, or opt for store-bought ones.
"You can also use eyeliner to draw whiskers and a cute nose." For extra brownie points, you can fashion a tail from stuffed black tights or long socks pinned to your outfit.
Watch: Halloween cat make-up tutorial
What if you’re staying in?
Whilst many of us will be taking to costume parties or parading down residential roads trick or treating, a host of us will be staying in for a nice meal and a scary movie – but this doesn’t mean you can’t channel a spooky style.
Sporting the Halloween colour palette of burgundies, blacks, plums and crimsons is a great way to hint at the holiday without going all out.
"You can go gothic chic with some rich velvet, lace or leather," says Laudort. "Accessories also play a major part, adding a bold choker, chunky boots or a wide-brimmed hat can cultivate a mysterious look without needing to go full costume."
Alternatively, you could get an old sheet and transform yourself into a ghost whenever the trick or treaters come knocking.
If you’re required to dress up but really don’t want to – you’re certainly not alone. But don’t fret, there are no rules when it comes to Halloween, says Charlize, "There’s so many ways you can be creative on Halloween!
"If you don’t want to dress up, you could always wear elements of an outfit that hint at a costume – like pairing a plaid shirt with shorts and cowboy boots. You can also play around with smaller aspects like handbags, hair ties, and makeup."
Easiest of all, you could wear anything at all and add some scary make-up for a simple but effective costume.
Read more: 5 makeup bag staples to create a last-minute Halloween look
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