Photo Courtesy of Mike Jones- Pexels
We all have our favorite Halloween costumes! What’s your favorite Halloween costume?
With Halloween fast approaching, The Lamron staff decided to reminisce on some of our favorite Halloween costumes. Everyone has the memory of a costume they really loved—one that let them embrace the tricky, candy-filled spirit of Halloween through costume contests and trick or treating in elementary school, to partying and eating as much candy as you want in college. With the many shapes that a perfect Halloween costume can take, every costume has a different story.
Much of the staff recalled classic staples of baby Halloween fashion: bees, kittens—really anything as round and cute as a baby. Aren’t chubby babies dressed as prize winning pumpkins one of the main joys of the season? Overall, many of us at The Lamron took a look back at our childhoods. One staff member sported a bright blue dinosaur costume, handmade by their mom and passed down through siblings. Another staff member’s mom made a felt-and-stuffing ladybug costume, along with wings attached by backpack straps. You might remember the childhood struggle of your mom making you wear your coat over your Halloween costume—easily removable parts became necessary for fitting costumes over jackets and hats.
Less conventional, but still mom-made, costumes were the man from the board game Operation and a red gumball machine. In the face of the clown panic of the time, one staff member as a child was very committed to the idea of being a charming clown, complete with a red nose and rainbow wig.
Some costumes are too good to not have multiples. One staff member’s family created a whole baseball team, complete with cheerleaders, a player, manager, and coach. Another was the Scarlet Witch three years in a row, with a different variation each time: once, the classic version from Age of Ultron (2015), complete with the iconic red leather jacket; once the version from “Wandavision”; and once the most recent iteration from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
One staff member fondly remembers a more last minute costume, created from the scarcity of a Walmart in late October, where one of the last items left were big brown wings. These wings eventually turned into a Mothman costume, with the staff member stating, “I saw the moth wings and I had my crazy lightbulb moment as a Certified Mothman Lover.”
Group costumes are also to be considered. Having a partner or a team can turn a simple costume into an entire atmosphere or story. A staff member fondly remembers her participation in a Twilight (2008-2012) inspired get up, where she was the glittery Edward Cullen. Another looks forward to being a Sanderson sister, from the Halloween favorite Hocus Pocus (1993). Two staff members are planning to be Pinkie Pie and Rarity from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2019), while their other roommates fill in the roles of Twilight Sparkles and Applejack.
Overall, the Halloween season holds not only tricks, treats, and candy, but fond memories. Just as we recall these great costumes, we remember the people we love who made them for us and wore them with us. Besides the spooky spirit, dressing up and going out for Halloween embodies a beloved American tradition. From costumes handmade by mom, to ensemble costumes with a group of friends, getting in the spirit of Halloween by getting into costume brings communities together.