Best Costumes

What makes the best Halloween costumes? Most people have been to a costume party during which there is a costume contest. But how do people decide what the best costume is? What are the criteria? Obviously, this answer is highly subjective, but I want to explore some of the probable reasons for the best costumes.

1)     Originality

Dare to come up with the best Halloween costume. Think outside the box, about what other people wouldn’t normally think of. Maybe that includes revamping a well-known character by gender-swapping them, or putting them in another decade, century, or universe. Or maybe that means creating a costume from a theory or a concept. Don’t just throw some ears on, draw a few lines on your face, and call yourself a cat. That is an obvious last-minute kind of costume, and it won’t win you any awards.

2)     Inspiration

Let your idea come from your heart. Don’t pick something just because it’s easy. Choose your favorite TV show character, or an historical figure that influenced you growing up. Maybe you have a strong political stance on an issue and you want to go as a political figure or movement. For this you could be Rosie the Riveter, or Rosa Parks.

3)     Design

This is just what your costume looks like. It is too easy to go to a generic costume shop and buy all of the ingredients for your costume. It is much more fulfilling – both for the creator and the viewers – for you to create some of your own costume. You can obtain cheap supplies from any craft store, including yards of fabric. And they are always willing to give advice to crafters.

4)     Execution

This is how well you put your costume together. This is where that advice would come in handy, if you want to have the best Halloween costume. This means paying attention to details, making hems even, and adding little touches, like buttons or other accessories. A costume can be recognizable without being memorable. Make your costume memorable by doing it right.

5)     Reaction

If you have the best Halloween costume, people will react accordingly. Often such contests are judged by how loud the crowd cheers. But this is also about thinking about audience reaction ahead of time. Are you choosing an obscure musical reference that not many people are going to get? This may be right up your alley, but if you want to have the best Halloween costume in the bunch, perhaps you should take a more mainstream approach.

There are many ways to try to make the best Halloween costume. It is difficult to know where to start, but I hope these steps can get you on your way.