Sustainable, But Make It Festive
Halloween is almost upon us! This means the grocery stores are full of fun sized candy bars and cheap pointy hats. Outrage over my fellow witches’ and vampires’ culture becoming your costume aside, I think we can all agree that the season gives us a reason to get dressed up. Even those who are less inclined to plan their outfits before their first sip of cold brew can appreciate the cultivation of a well thought out Halloween costume.
Of course, with all the costume buying and crafting we must also be aware of the potential for waste. Yes, candy leaves behind tons of tiny bits of plastic and foil, but what of our actual costumes? Walk into any thrift store and you’ll no doubt find a pile of polyester landfill in the form of a gnarled wig mountain. Ratty weaves are just the tip of the trash berg. Sad store bought cowboys and puffy pant legged, Arabian princess onesies clutter the shelves, available in both children’s and adult sizes. I always wonder—who is buying these things?
If it’s not you, and it’s not me, I’m left to believe these unloved relics of Halloween’s past are destined for the dumpster, and soon an actual landfill. How do we avoid adding to the garbage heap? Is there a way to have a sustainable Hallow’s Eve? Realistically, I believe there is, somewhat. You can recycle your old costumes, assuming that they haven’t been destroyed during the end-of-the-night mayhem that is de-costuming. After a long night of partying and getting drinks spilled on you by sloppy strangers in bad wigs, there’s not a high chance that some or all of your handiwork survived unscathed. On the off chance that it did, you always reprise your role, turning it into your signature yearly attire. I don’t know about you, but I find Wonder Woman never gets old, though she does get tired earlier and earlier each year…
If you can’t bring yourself to repeat a costume, or get really fired up about doing whatever the new meme is this year, you can look for reusable pieces that can function in your daily wardrobe. For example, one year I decided to go as Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch, obviously). I was able to find the perfect aubergine button up at a consignment store, I borrowed the deer stalker from another Sherlock-phile and I made his signature scarf out of some felt squares. The overcoat was a new purchase, but I was in need of a big black coat at the time. Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, and poof! A new costume was created—partially crowdsourced and fairly eco-friendly. If I can do it, you can do it, and together we contribute two less costumes to the trash heap. Happy costuming!
