Illustration by Sami Seyedhosseini, Photo Editor.
“Dressing up as a cat with a black outfit and whiskers is not doing it anymore,” sophomore animation and visual effects major and Halloween enthusiast Nat Ashworth said.
In 2026, a witch hat and devil ears are no longer enough. The reign of one-piece Spirit Halloween costumes has come to a close as people begin to see costumes as more than a costume, but a fashion statement.
Bunny ears or cat whiskers thrown on hastily on the way out the door has become less common in recent years. Pinterest boards, TikTok influencers and entire feeds have become dedicated to curating “niche” costume ideas. Wigs, prosthetics and vintage couture are the new standard. Influencers like Sophie Silva have built a viral following for their costume styling content. Silva’s “Turning myself into” series, where she transforms herself into different characters, garnered millions of views; her recent videos, revealing her Jack Sparrow and Mad Hatter costumes, received tens of millions of views.
Dressing up for Halloween has grown to be more elaborate every year, so consumers are not stopping at fangs and a bit of fake blood.
Silva and the growing frenzy online indicate that more people are turning to a stylized approach to Halloween costuming. Buyers are, in a way, acting as stylists, creating a collection of looks to debut over a series of days dubbed as Halloweekend.
“(Dressing up) is becoming more of a stylized thing and not just, ‘I wear this for one day in the year,’” Panther Vogue interviewer Ezra Burdett said. “That's why people are doing weekends of different outfits. I feel like it's not just a costume, it's like one of those fashion routes…a collection of pieces that I've created.”
The Goodwill’s 2025 Halloween survey concluded that six in 10 adults prefer creating DIY costumes, thrifting and finding sustainably affordable pieces, which allow them to create more intricate, authentic looks.
“We’re seeing an even greater embrace of the Halloween thrifting trend, particularly among DIY costume shoppers. The popularity of thrifting is increasingly being driven by Gen Z, who are not only seeking affordable options, but are also committed to shopping more sustainably,” said Rosemary Cruz, vice president of donated goods and retail sales for Goodwill North Central Texas, in the survey.
In their search for one-of-a-kind pieces, thrifting has helped customers stretch their dollar while allowing them to style multiple costumes. Cruz said this new trend towards DIY costumes by shopping for pieces at Goodwill is “Affordable and eco-friendly,” all while “supporting our mission to provide those in need with education, job training and placement programs.”
“It's not a fight against consumerism,” Ashworth said. “But, instead of just buying a whole outfit, letting myself choose each individual piece makes it my own instead of something that some 40-year-old dude designed behind a computer screen.”
Halloween costumes are transcending ubiquitous figures; the intentionality behind many of them actually lies in the connection to a character. Hand-selecting each piece of the costume allows for the creative freedom to reimagine a character.
“I would always cosplay characters that I love and I deeply relate to,” Ashworth said as she detailed this year's meticulous search for a tailored waistcoat for her spin on “Primetime”’s Chris Hansen.
Featured in an issue of Teen Vogue for her 2025 Lollapalooza look, Ashworth describes fashion, in any capacity, as having the ability to make us feel more confident in ourselves. “Some people use (fashion) to escape, and some people use it to find themselves; recently everyone's been using clothes to build around who they're becoming.”
Dressing up for Halloween gives people an avenue to explore new styles because they are encouraged to be playful and curious with fashion.
“It's fun to relate to something and be able to express yourself that way,” Ashworth said. “Even if it's just for one day.”