From overdone trends to clever ideas, Seton Hall students share their unfiltered thoughts on what makes a Halloween costume a “trick” or a “treat.”
As Halloween quickly approaches, SHU students are gearing up for a weekend filled with candy, costumes, and creativity, but not every outfit gets a treat. Some costumes, students say, deserve to be retired for good.
Repetitive & Overdone
Repeat costumes are out, according to students.
Mia Barile, a senior finance and marketing major, said she’s hoping for something fresh this year.
“I think the cowgirl and angel costumes are definitely overdone,” Barile said. “Every year, it’s the same few ideas recycled.”
Juliana Vitolo, a senior nursing major, mirrors these same feelings, but for a different costume. She said she’s seen the same one too many times.
“Dressing up as a black cat is definitely overdone,” Vitolo said. “Every year I see the same thing.”
Women are not the only culprits of wearing overdone costumes; men are, too.
Joseph Salvador, a senior finance and sports management major, also pointed out familiar themes.
“Wearing sports jerseys,” Salvador said, naming it as one of the most excessively done costumes at SHU.
Some students believe even the nostalgic costumes have been worn out.
Brielle Roche, a sophomore secondary education English major, said the yellow dress from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” should be retired, and that Disney princesses are everywhere on Halloween.
“Literally any Disney princess costume with those weird Amazon corsets [are everywhere],” Roche said.
Daniela Calle, a senior criminal justice and sociology double major, shares a similar distaste for princess corset costumes with Roche.
“Corsets on a costume have been overdone,” Calle said. “People dressing up as princesses with a corset on…I expect to see a lot of that again this year.”
Basic or Boring?
When it comes to “basic” costumes, Barile expects to see a lot of angel wings and sparkly accessories, while Vitolo said “party animals” have overstayed their welcome.
“People just wear animal ears and a tail with regular clothes,” Vitolo said. “It’s not creative.”
Barile predicted that the release of “Inside Out 2” will inspire a new wave of themed costumes.
“I think we’ll see a lot of ‘Inside Out' characters this year,” Barile said.
Salvador expects people to dress up as characters from pop culture again, adding that Jason from “Halloween” and Kim Kardashian are among those that should finally be retired.
Not every costume earns a treat.
“I’ve seen someone cut up a white bed sheet to be a ghost,” Calle said. “The cutouts were not done properly, and the bedsheet was way too small,”.
Roche said the worst last-minute costumes she’s seen were “any kind of frat bro or white lie costumes.” Calle added “Playboy Bunny” costumes to that list.
Costumes aren’t just bad because they look poorly put together or are overdone; they can also be inconvenient for others.
Calle finds the“over-the-top inflatable costumes” frustrating.
“I enjoy these costumes, but not while I am trying to peek over them in class,” Calle said.
While there are many “tricks” this year when it comes to Halloween costumes, students predict what costume “treats” there will be this Halloween season.
Couple & Group Costumes
Students often wear couple or group costumes for Halloween. Barile said that couples’ costumes can be enjoyable when done right.
“I think they’re cute and can be creative when people actually put effort into them,” she said.
Calle agreed, saying couples’ costumes are “fun depending on how they are done.”
Roche also supports creative pairings.
“I think they’re super cute when done well,” she said.
Do’s & Don’ts
But across the board, students are eager to see something fresh this Halloween.
Samhitha Swarna, a senior finance major, said people should bring back Halloween’s spooky roots with their costumes.
“People should bring back scary costumes,” Swarna said. “Halloween should be about getting creative and having fun, not just trying to look cute.”
Another way Halloween fashion can be improved is by thinking beyond trends, according to Calle.
“We can be more creative with our costumes by not being afraid to dress up for the occasion,” she said. “Stay cute, but don’t be afraid to dress more camp.”
Salvador agreed that originality begins with effort.
“Be creative by not copying the internet,” he said.
Roche said inspiration is everywhere if students look for it. “Pinterest has so many creative ideas, especially if you scroll for a while,” she added.
Swarna added that creativity comes from the details, like adding accessories or themed makeup, while still keeping the Halloween spirit alive.
There’s a line when it comes to funny and offensive costumes, students say. Each student agreed that certain costumes cross that line.
“Any costumes that depict cultures; they aren’t funny or cute, just microaggressive and an open invitation to be openly aggressive,” Calle said.
Salvador also mentioned that “culturally offensive” costumes should be avoided.
Creativity should never come at the expense of respect, Vitolo and Barile agreed.
“It’s about being original and thoughtful,” Vitolo said.
Students say that basic costumes can be upcycled into creative ones through out-of-the-box thinking and accessorizing.
Calle believes Halloween fashion can be improved by thinking beyond trends.
“We can be more creative with our costumes by not being afraid to dress up for the occasion,” Calle said. “Stay cute, but don’t be afraid to dress more camp.”
Roche predicted that “Wicked” inspired costumes will dominate this Halloween.
“One hundred percent Wicked,” Roche said, “It’s gonna be everywhere.”
Calle also expects “Wicked” characters like Glinda and Elphaba to dominate Halloween costumes this year.
Vitolo predicted Sabrina Carpenter's looks would be popular, while Salvador said Happy Gilmore might be a surprise favorite.
All six students agreed that Halloween is meant to be fun, expressive, and full of personality: not just a repeat of last year’s trends.
Whether students plan to go scary, cute, or somewhere in between, one thing is clear: SHUwants creativity to make a comeback this Halloween.
Italia Wiley is a writer for The Setonian’s Features section. She can be reached at italia.wiley@student.shu.edu.
