Jessai Flores
Halloween is that glorious time of year when you can become whoever you want to be. Unsure of yourself? Throw on a mask and embrace the mystery. Feeling confident? Wear a bold outfit and become the life of the party. Halloween is your time to shine.
But don’t think your costume doesn’t matter: who you decide to become for the night says a lot about you. Let’s dive into what your go-to childhood costumes said about who you were growing up — and who you are now.
The Perpetual Princess
Were you the girl infatuated with the color pink, who wore princess costumes year after year and always dreamed of adding more glitter? You probably had a Barbie world in your room and fantasized about the sparkly tiara you were going to wear with your fabulous costume. I would guess that you were very confident in yourself, had main-character energy and were in a large friend group with girls who were all dressing up as another Disney princess with you.
The “I’m Not Like Other Girls” Devil
Were you one of the girls that never saw herself as a “girly girl” and wanted to stand out so came up with the “super” creative idea of being a devil? Trying not to be basic while still not overdoing it so people don’t think you care too much? Put on some devil horns, wear some red, find a devil’s pitchfork, maybe even put on a cape — and voila you have a “not that basic” costume! You can even put on your favorite “I don’t care attitude” and say you’re in character. It’s the perfect costume to be more “mysterious.”
The Teen Vampire
As you got a bit older did you decide that you were growing out of the cute childish costumes and that you wanted something a little more edgy? Then you landed on a middle school classic, the vampire. An excuse to wear all black, maybe try some more dark and gothic makeup for the first time and make your costume this year stand out. You can even go all out with the fake blood and fangs to show dedication and try to be a tad “scary” showing everyone how you’ve graduated from your old cute costumes.
The “Super Strong” Superhero
Were you the kid who couldn’t wait to put on the cape and show everyone how “strong” you were? Were you Superman or Batman? Or did you go for Marvel because all your friends were doing DC and you wanted to stand out? I’d guess that you loved the “power move” and told everyone about how you were “protecting the neighborhood.” Your costume reflected your inner confidence — or maybe you just loved pretending that it did with the built-in muscles in your suit.
The “Halloween Should Be Scary” Costume
There are also always the kids who very passionately believe that Halloween costumes need to be scary. If you were one of them, Halloween was a serious matter, not just about getting candy but keeping track of how many people you could scare in competition with your friends. I bet that you were always seeking adventure and that you still find yourself searching for thrills now with horror movies or haunted houses.
The Comedian
Those who always loved being the designated jokester of their friend group opted for the funny costumes. The various huge animal costumes or the low-effort sheet ghost were always a part of your attempt to make your friends laugh. For you, dressing up in that costume is more so that you can show your friends and strive to get a reaction out of them. If that were you, then I would expect you to still be very extroverted, making jokes at parties and trying to get everyone to have fun.
Your seemingly simple choice of character for a night on Halloween can reflect what kind of person you are. Even deciding whether you want a group costume to be safer and stick with your friends or a solo costume to express your independence.
So when you’re deciding what to be for Halloween, think back on the costumes you wore as a kid. Those early choices — the princesses, the ghosts, the superheroes — were more than just outfits; they were the beginnings of your Halloween personality.