I can pull an immaculate Halloween costume together in ten minutes just from my closet alone. Why? To put it blatantly, I have a bad habit of getting things I don’t need.

That being said, sure, my pirate costume could have had better boots and a big hat, with long drooping feathers, but that’s not what I did.

In the past, I have been a swashbuckling warrior of the sea, but this year, I was a treasure-hoarding captain that served customers popcorn and slushies. 

The difference between these is that my grandmother has provided me with the necessities of bulky jewelry that has no sense being this shiny, and, well, inconvenient. However, the clash of large red garnets and silver feathers, topped with sand gold, and turquoise pearls made for a wonderful outfit.

Pair this with the red-ripped sash and trashy compass, I turned many heads.  And by that, I mean the one lady who recognized me from my mother’s Facebook.

One significant thing about this outfit is that I never had to go to Party City and scrounge for props. In fact, most of my wardrobe consists of things from my closet. I have a tan long-sleeve shirt with bronze sequins stretched over the shoulders I could use for knight’s armor. What one may ask is, “why that specifically?” I don’t have an answer, but I do have armor.

Two boxes sit in the bottom of my closet, filled with different costume parts from past years, many of which still get used to this day: flower necklaces, an owl mask, paw gloves, fake owl feathers, fox ears, many strands of jewelry, and now, a cheap set of angel wings.

This box has saved me many times and plenty of money. It is perfect for football games, events, or even Halloween. This collection is all thanks to younger me picking up ‘trash’ from the road. I once found a white and gold flower headband on the ground and I still use it to this day at football games.

Had it not been for those many times my younger self picked up ‘trash,’ I would have been screwed for not being dressed up enough. Or, felt the embarrassment of me not trying hard enough.

Yes, this habit has led me to keep more things than I can actually use, but I think it’s beneficial. 

Cheap fox tails may be bought once, but at least one can use it again, despite the odd stickiness it accumulated while sitting on a shelf. Think of the possibilities with mixing and matching.

I have now been able to successfully wow my co-workers, every time I walk into work dressed in an all-pirate outfit or placing a flower crown with fox ears on my head. It gave me confidence that I was the one who could pull this together.

With that, Halloween ends with three boxes in my closet with more on the way. Let’s hope that next time, I don’t try to scavenge for bird wings at Party City the day before.