There is probably nothing worse than spending a ton of money on a Halloween costume you know you’ll never wear again – with the exception of maybe next Halloween. Here’s a wild idea: let’s talk about Halloween costumes from stuff you already have or things that are generally useful in your wardrobe.

1. Pinstripe pants On Halloween: pair with with a fedora, a white tank top, pumps and suspenders and there you have it, a 1940’s gangster (fake pistol optional but not advisable if you’re heading out, well, in public). In real life: pair with a button-down, cardigan and colourful pumps for the office.
2. Pleather leggings Considered scary and tacky by some and stylish and fun by others, there’s no denying this item has serious costume potential. On Halloween: There’s actually two options! Either tough-looking high-heel boots, a black top and a cat mask or ears to transform into Catwoman, or an off the shoulder black top, curly hair and red pumps and lipstick to become Sandy from Grease. In real life: pair with a tunic-length (read: longer and tush-covering) white shirt, black blazer and cute flats for a modern pseudo-suit.
3. Gladiator sandals I know you have a pair of these in your closet! On Halloween: pair with an empire-waist white maxi dress, gold jewellery and a wreath of leaves on your head and you’re an enchanting Greek goddess. In real life: pair with… well, pretty much anything. They might be out of season now, but when summer rolls around again you’ll be wearing them daily.
4. Horizontal stripes On Halloween: grab a navy and white horizontal stripe top, pair with white or navy pants, red pumps and a Captain’s hat and there you have it, a sophisticated sailor! Oh, maybe toss an anchor necklace on for good measure. In real life: top the shirt with a blazer, a great scarf and finish off with dark skinny jeans and boots and you have a look that is quite Parisian indeed.
5. To round out the top 5, I’m going to share my personal favourite Halloween costume.  It might not be overly surprising that I’ve gotten made fun of because of my name a few times, but a few years back I decided to make fun of myself. I borrowed a green dress from a friend, wrapped a fake plastic snake around my neck, put flowers in my hair, found some apple earrings and even carried around Barbie and Ken to become… The Garden of Eden! See how clever I am? I knew you’d think so. A variation of this costume would be to lose the snake and dolls and grab some wings, and then you’re a fairy! Or… a butterfly. Ah, overwhelmed by the choices.

creative commons image courtesy of madgerly