Dressing up for Halloween is a part of celebrating the holiday that remains ever-evolving and fascinating to participate in and see. However, there is a layer to this tradition that tends to go unthought of throughout Halloween costume-mania, and that is how people can stay eco-friendly during a holiday that promotes buying and throwing away.
“Halloween is a holiday that really brings consumerism to the forefront, that we buy things for a specific costume one year and never use them again. Thankfully, there are ways around this that are fairly simple. Therefore, the link between Halloween and sustainability is quite noticeable,” said Hamline Environmental Education Project (HEEP) board member and junior Gabriel Fleischhacker.
HEEP’s members are passionate about the topic of sustainability and finding ways to put it into practice. Fleischhacker points to HEEP as a way to educate students about sustainability.
“HEEP’s goal is to not only educate students about environmental issues but get them involved with sustainability,” Fleischhacker said.
There are plenty of resources that help to not only win the “best costume” award at any costume contest but also assist in keeping the Earth healthy.
Thrifting
Thrifting is a great way to obtain pieces that may be needed for costumes that are not already owned, but sustainably compared to buying new. Fleischhacker has three costumes planned for this year, including Hogan from “Hogan’s Heroes”, Shelley Duvall’s character Wendy Torrance from “The Shining”, and David Bowie from his “Rebel Rebel” music video. He explained that all of the items for his costumes are thrifted or borrowed, minus an eyepatch for the Bowie look. Thrift stores have a wide selection of interesting items to put together. Additionally, visiting multiple thrift stores is a way to maximize costume options, and can be a fun outing.
Borrowing
Fleischhacker’s point about borrowing items brings about the next idea, which is considering consulting friends, family and even other people who have things that could potentially be borrowed to complete the costume. And as a bonus, this costs no money.
First-year Taylor Peterson is being Misa from the anime “Death Note” this Halloween. Misa has an alternative style to her outfits, and a lot of her pieces are commonly found within a real-life alternative wardrobe, such as black corsets and skirts, chokers and fishnet accessories. Do not be afraid to reach out to a friend, family member, or someone else and “steal their style” for Halloween.
Using what you have
For those who have pieces in their wardrobe that align with the vision for their costume, using the clothes already in your closet provides an excellent, sustainable way to use your items, save money, and save time. Junior Nuala Foley is going to be a black cat for the second year in a row.
“I have a black turtleneck with a black cat-ear headband. I was inspired by my grandma who used to do the same thing every year. I even like to add a nose and some whiskers with black eyeliner. Super easy to do and no shopping [is] required! Unless you don’t have cat ears, but in that case, you can buy them once and reuse them,” Foley said.
Sophomore Frankie Witham is planning to be Sherman from “Mr. Peabody and Sherman.” Sherman wears black shorts, a white t-shirt and black-rimmed round glasses as his main outfit. Witham’s costume is an example of something that is easy to recreate at home.
Renting
Lastly, if the idea of short term storage of a Halloween costume is appealing, renting pieces gives more access to a large archive of quality made pieces for use. This is also an option that allows for more inclusivity with sizes as well as more options with a more diverse range of eras and styles.
Eleanor Schanilec from Costume Collective, a Minneapolis based small business with costumes for rent that has assisted in Hamline’s own theater productions. I interviewed Schanilec about why people should consider Costume Collective when it comes to options for their Halloween costumes.
“It is a Halloween costume experience different from ordering something online or shopping retail. The Collective is a gigantic warehouse full of options to look through and try on in dressing rooms. Our staff are all local theater designers who will help pick out and design your costume with you,” Schanilec said.
Schanilec shared what sorts of things the Costume Collective has in stock:
“We have a huge variety of sizes in different genders through different time periods (from modern day to ancient Rome). We have all sorts of animal costumes, a large distressed section (perfect for zombies, ghosts, or vampires!), as well as a section of some specific shows and movie characters, such as Star Wars, superheroes, and Willy Wonka,” Schanilec said.
Senior Emelie Wagner is dressing up as Robin Hood. Pieces like his signature triangular hat, tunic, bow and arrow and more may not be easy to thrift or borrow, but going to a place like the Costume Collective would be a great option due to its theatrical roots.
Lastly, sophomore Finnley Abbott is going to be a fallen angel. Wings and other mystical accessories that may not be readily available from other retailers due to their more specific nature and therefore lack of popularity would likely be available at the Collective instead.
When discussing sustainability, it is important to keep in mind that we can reduce the harm we cause to our environment and continue to celebrate the Halloween traditions we love at the same time.
