For this post, we partnered with Goodwill Southern California. All opinions expressed are our own.
Can we all conclusively agree that handmade costumes are far superior to packaged Halloween costumes?
Why spend $40+ on a cheaply made, thin and itchy, crushed-from-the-bag-it-was-in costume when you can assemble a costume that looks so much more authentic with affordable pieces of real clothing?
We used to buy the costumes in a bag growing up. Now that we know better, we always create our costumes from clothing we find while thrifting. The pieces are constructed better, they’re made with superior fabrics, and the costumes look much more convincing.
We mentioned in our “5 Things We’re Looking Forward to this Halloween” post that we always schedule a few trips to Goodwill Southern California throughout the year to get some Halloween costume inspiration and start searching for our Halloween costumes.
The Mrs. will spend hours combing through each aisle, leaving no article of clothing unexamined, as she hunts for the perfect pieces to complete our costumes. We’ve been brainstorming costume ideas for years, so we keep a running list of items we’re keeping our eyes peeled for in case we spot something that would be perfect while we’re shopping.
When we took a trip to Goodwill Southern California last weekend, we had a long list of potential costume ideas in mind but went in open minded to finding items that sparked inspiration in the moment.
We started searching through their Halloween “BOOtique” and were so impressed by their selection of potential costume pieces. Luxurious coats, leather jackets, cocktail dresses, masks, accessories, even wedding dresses- they had it ALL!
We take our Halloween costume hunting seriously, so we split up to divide and conquer the store. After a few moments, the Mrs. texted two costume ideas: Jim & Pam from The Office and Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.
The hunt was now set on a target.
The Office is one of our favorite shows, and Jim and Pam are arguably one of the most iconic couples in TV history. Being huge fans of Hole and Nirvana, we never hesitate to pay tribute to two musicians whose music made such a big impact on our lives. Most importantly, we knew the costumes were open to interpretation, so we weren’t restricted to specific (potentially impossible to find) pieces.
After a loading up our cart and narrowing down our final choices, we headed to check out. Just as the last item was placed on the counter, the Mrs. spotted a final addition: a bright red dress for $8!
We added the dress and headed home to assemble our costumes.
Pink Cardigan Sweater, White Striped Button Down Shirt, Grey Skirt, White Canvas Shoes
Light Blue Dress Shirt, Blue Neck Tie, Dark Navy Dress Pants, Brown Dress Shoes
White Lace Babydoll Dress, Black Sheer Hosiery, Black Combat Boots, Blond Wig
Striped Shirt, Plaid Button Down Shirt, Jeans, Converse All-Stars
Red Dress, Red Heels, Mask
If you’re frantically searching for a last-minute Halloween costume idea, we recommend making Goodwill SoCal your first stop. Each of the costumes we chose can be assembled quickly and contain clothing pieces easily found at all Goodwill Southern California locations.
Shopping at Goodwill Southern California helped us create 5 ridiculously simple costumes without putting a dent in our budget, and choosing Goodwill SoCal as a resource this Halloween is a decision we can proudly stand behind. When you shop at Goodwill Southern California, you’re supporting an organization that helps fund employment programs for veterans, at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, people formerly incarcerated and the homeless.
Give back while celebrating this season by making Goodwill Southern California a destination as you search for costumes and hunt for Halloween decor. Check them out on Instagram too @GoodwillSoCal
Share your tips for creating last-minute Halloween costumes with us below!
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