Halloween costumes become unoriginal

FRI.| 10-31-25 | OPINION

Halloween, like most holidays, can look different depending on who you ask. Some use it as an excuse to go all out with costumes, parties, or scary movies, while others keep it lighthearted or skip it entirely. In recent years, social media and pop culture have had a major influence on the holiday in the way people celebrate and especially the way they dress up.

This holiday is celebrated in many different ways based on age and culture. Growing up, I loved Halloween as most kids do. In my family, it was always encouraged to dress up as something funny or whimsical, in contrast to the typical costumes that others take on a dark or scary connotation.

With the rise of social media, more creative, comedic costumes are becoming more popular. Because of the way I was raised, this is a trend I can get behind.

Photo by Airy Collock

Memes and niche online references have begun to spark inspiration for new costume ideas. For example, Saturday Night Live skits, comedic animated characters and TikTok memes have become 2025 Halloween costumes.. Personally, I never loved the gory aspect of Halloween, but with the rise of hilarious creativity, it sheds light on a holiday that may typically be considered frightening.

Costumes from previous decades have been trending, mainly due to the sequels or remakes of movies such as Barbie, Mean Girls and How to Train Your Dragon. This trend resulted in others joining in on this nostalgia train as well. In recent years people have dressed up as some of my favorites, such as the famous couple's costumes, Talladega Nights and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, following in the footsteps of the 2000s movie-based trends.

Although social media has aided in starting conversations about creative and trendy costume ideas, it's also caused a lack of variety, with many of these costumes being repetitive. For example, last year I saw five Padme and Anakin costumes within my school, but the trend doesn't stop there; I have already heard several couples planning on being this same duo this year.

Whether it be characters from the most popular TV shows, viral internet memes, or celebrity looks. Variety in Halloween costumes has soared, putting more pressure on creativity, humor and ability to be recognizable at first glance.

Whether you’re into dressing up as something silly, nostalgic or scary, essentially, the holiday is about expressing creativity and connection with friends or neighbors. I love the new turn Halloween is taking with inventive media-focused costumes, but the costumes are slowly losing their originality because ten people dress up as the same thing.