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Halloween brings out the most committed and apathetic of us, and basically nothing in between. One year, I dressed up as a bird, because my last name is Bird, and my eighteen-year-old self thought it was hysterical. I handpicked (my little brothers did) the autumn twigs in my nest-like hair, and handmade (my mum did) my black feathered wings. Nowadays, dare I say, Halloween has become a struggle.
I want a costume that’s cool, cost-effective and doesn’t require too much effort. Halloween is the one night a year that welcomes an opportunity to explore the realms of fancy dress and spill out your creative juices. But as Halloween for some is fantastical, for others there’s nothing worse than deciding on a costume, especially days before Halloween night. If dressing-up outlandishly isn’t even on your radar, all hope for a memorable look is not lost, because this year we aren’t dressing-up, kinda. We’re going for a more Halloween-y twist, rather than a full-on costume. I can already hear your sigh of relief.
Who wants to spend their hard-earned money on a costume you will wear for only one night? Not me – I’d rather buy some lousy cat-ears. So if Halloween costumes are your idea of sartorial hell, wear Halloween-inspired clothing so you feel somewhat involved instead. There are some gorgeously spooky ideas out there that you can Halloween up, but yet wear again. Avoid fake blood by checking out my edit on Halloween cheat options.
Without having to go overboard, you’ll be cheating the dress code with velvet vampire-esque styles, black lace dresses and blood red co-ords. You might not be dressed-up in a costume, but you’ll be joining in with something much more cost-effective and re-wearable. If all else fails, throw on a onesie and call it a day. Happy shopping!
Lace dress with gigot sleeves, €245 at Sandro
Black lace suit jacket, €195 at The Kooples
Contrasting pleated dress, €49.95 at Zara
Sabina tiered mini dress, €261 at freepeople.com
Velvet drape button mini dress, €60 at Topshop