For all of the creativity and individualism that surrounds Halloween, the same tried and true looks show up at every party. Whether it’s because they’re cheap or because they always look good, some costumes are doomed to haunt Halloween ‘til the end of time. The question is, can the sexy angel costume hold up in the beginning of a Chicago winter? 

For college students, money is notoriously tight. Courtlind Hickey, general manager of Chicago Costumes, estimated that his pre-packaged costumes run from $30-75 and often don’t include accessories. Many students opt to spend as little money as possible on Halloween and elect to make their own costumes. DePaul sophomore Audrey Redifer tends to take this route when it comes to her costume choices.

“I like to dress up as something recognizable, using stuff I already have in my closet,” she said.

 So far, Redifer has dressed up as Kim Possible and a fairy. 

Freshman Gabby Herring dressed as a Pink Lady from Greece last year, but now chooses to follow in Redifer’s footsteps. 

“I would love to buy a costume,” Herring said. “But, I’m a broke college student so it’s looking like a makeshift situation this year.”

Even if Redifer and Herring do decide to build their own costumes, Chicago Costumes can still be of use to them. The walls of the store are filled with non-costume specific items such as wigs, makeup, clothing, animal ears and masks. Hickey’s store is perfect for one-stop Halloween shopping.

“You could put together any number of costumes for under $20, or build a really elaborate one for $200,” Hickey said. As long as you have a pair of black leggings and a plain t-shirt, you can get away with spending $5 on cat ears and call it a day. A popular yet slightly more risqué cat outfit, as seen in the movie Mean Girls, consists of only black lingerie and cat ears. A wonderful idea, though it poses some bumps in the road. 30-degree weather isn’t forgiving on bare skin and lace. Girls’ costumes in particular have changed to accommodate the cold Chicago fall. This Halloween seems like it may be a cold one apparently, since October has not seen a warm day in weeks.

“There definitely are a lot of sexy costumes, but the nature of that has changed,” Hickey said. “They are definitely still tight, just cover more skin.” 

The days where moms could force their kids to put a long sleeve on under their costumes are far gone. DePaul students will have to find other ways to stay warm. In Herring’s opinion, there should be no guilt in bundling up.

“I get cold very easily,” Herring said. “If it’s freezing, I will be wearing a coat with no shame about it ruining my costume.” 

If money is no object, and the temperature is irrelevant, pop culture costumes may be the way to go. According to Hickey, Eleven from Stranger Things has been popular in recent years. He also mentioned witches, angles, devils and the obvious sexy cats as fan favorites. For boys and men, Hickey cited a Chicago Bears sweater as a best seller item. He also stated that Hopper’s button-down and Steve Harrington’s Scoops Ahoy uniform from Stranger Things have been popular bagged costumes.

Some people are clueless as to what they will be wearing on Halloween night, but are more focused on the vibe they want. All in all, it’s still great seeing college students let their childhood shine through during this time of year – although, it may be a bit more risqué.

“I want to feel good and attractive, but I definitely want to be a little goofy and have fun with it,” Herring said. 

She is planning on sticking to house parties, and hopes she’s at least slightly protected from the cold. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how late you start planning your costume, you can always put something spooky together.

This year will bring new costumes on top of the beloved originals that never seem to fade out of view. Whether you are a cat, devil, scream or something out of the ordinary – like maybe Blue’s Clues – stay safe and stay warm this spooky season.

“One year I went as a bag of leaves,” Redifer said. “That was my peak; I will never have a better costume.”