My earliest memory surrounding Halloween takes me back to my younger self perched upon the higher bar chairs at my black granite island, my eyes planted upon the latest edition of the Chasing Fireflies catalog containing all of the perfect costume ideas. Though yes, they were significantly overpriced, regularly overdone—and quite frankly—not that special, it was my sole desire to purchase from this company.

Stubborn as I was, safe to say my lack of income hindered this need, so I was forced to compromise with my mom for some part of the costume I so desired. Maybe the wings or headpiece, but we(meaning my Mom) DIY’d the majority of my outfit. 

The evolution of this holiday has showcased itself all across the board. My stressors have shifted from arguments with my mother over wearing under armor beneath my candy corn fairy costume, to now forcing friends out of couples costumes and settling on a costume that satisfies each member of the gaggle of girls and opinions they possess. I am truly not sure which is more of a battle.

Safe to say, year after year I ended up displaying a black or white long sleeve beneath the multitude of princesses and characters I disguised myself as, and the third grade stubborn version of myself put aside, I begrudgingly will always thank my mom for that. 

As I have aged, the functionality of the costume seems to take a backseat as trick or treating moves out, and warmth is no longer the priority.

As the infamous Spooky Season has come and gone the past few years, a few costumes have established themselves as the staple and taken over the teenage instgram role that the Chasing Fireflies once filled. Now, similar to that of the ancient catalog, the featured costumes are cute, but not necessarily original; I want more.  

In terms of group costumes, I look for one of two things. Either all of the costumes are completely uniform, or they are all completely different. 

For uniformity, it simply looks so much better. If everyone has white shirts and a brown skirt, but they are slightly different, it pulls your eye.

To contrast this nonetheless, I adore when costumes all make sense together, yet they all feature completely different parts. 

Group Costumes 

I think the idea of sailors is truly adorable. This could look like navy skirts and white button-ups, or navy or white and blue striped dresses, of course, accompanied by a hat and red neck scarf of sorts. 

A simple last-minute costume if you had an extra school dance dress, or cocktail dress of sorts, could be Miss Teen USA pageant girls. Nothing but an old dress and homemade sashes featuring “Miss Teen Blank” would be necessary, and you could include so many people in this.

Choosing a single movie or show and basing each person off of a different character is a more challenging yet fun idea. Wizard Of Oz, Alice and Wonderland, Toy Story, even Disney shows. I would love to see the cast of Victorious or Strawberry Shortcake wherever I end up this October. 

Duo Costumes

I love a good Disney protagonist-antagonist duo. Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent, Ariel and Ursula, the list continues. This is the greatest play on a basic Disney princess costume, and I am obsessed with it. 

Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus is somewhat basic, yes, but I also think this is a relatively easy costume to put together, and easy to identify. 

Iconic duos like Blair and Serena, and Cher and Dionne are classic, however the school girl look is an easy throw-together costume that is recognizable and simple. A plaid skirt and matching top or button-up is easy to come by, and available cheap.

Solo Costumes

First, we must address the array of options going as a single present. The timeless costumes become more of an option for you as a solo. A witch or corpse bride for example.

To be slightly more original, I would absolutely love to see Cleopatra and Medusa wherever I end up this Halloween. Both of these are probably more complicated then the average outfit because of the required hardware and possibly wig, but I definitely think it pays off. An off white mini skirt or dress bedazzled and dressed up just about covers Cleopatra, and Medusa can be created similarly but in gray and, of course, a snake headdress is required.

Individual characters that stand alone also tend to be some of my favorite costumes of the night. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton—quite frankly—I love them all. In terms of fictional characters, I would love to see Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods, Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, and my personal favorite, Cruella Devil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

While most of my selections walk the line towards the basic category I suppose, each guarantees a fashion forward costume that has the potential to be dressed up or down, and done in a multitude of ways. While they may pose no true comparison to those featured in the Chasing Fireflies, I suppose they put up a pretty good fight.