Student Blog: Broadway-Themed Halloween on a College Budget

Halloween is my favorite holiday and, let's be honest, I'm quite a perfectionist about it. Every detail of my Broadway-themed costume has to be perfect from head to toe, and I always have to have something to do on the night of the holiday. However, this year is different. I just started college, I'm not at the age of trick-or-treating anymore, and I don't have the money for an extravagant costume. Being in this position as a teenager feels incredibly hard, as I still want to enjoy the night but there are so many things holding me back from what I usually enjoy doing. Having taken note of my money in the past month or so, I realized quickly that I had to get creative this season. I set myself a budget of fifty dollars, put together a costume plan, and got to work.

The costume that I was absolutely set on creating was Charlie Price. Between a half a suit and a pair of pale blue boxers, this leading man from Broadway's KINKY BOOTS has a simple costume in most aspects- except, of course, the boots. These shiny red lace-ups proved to be such a huge challenge to the budget I had set that I almost ditched the entire costume idea altogether. However, I was not going to give up that easily. I scoured the internet, visited every shoe store in downtown Chicago, and picked through every clearance shelf I could find. After a week or so, I discovered the solution: Poshmark. I weighed my options on the used clothing site, got in contact with a woman who had the perfect boots, and they were on my way within only a few days. I was absolutely ecstatic given the fact that they were $25 and only needed a few functional repairs to reach their fullest potential!

While the boots were shipping, I focused on the rest of Charlie's attire. Attempting to be as accurate as possible to the recent runs of the show, I chose the combination of a black blazer, a white dress shirt, a black tie with white pinstripes, and pale blue plaid boxers. I dug an old blazer and dress shirt out of my closet, headed over to a discount store near my house, and scored the rest of the ensemble for only $11. Now it was time for the defining moment of my little journey- the boots had arrived. I got the notification from my college's package lockers and, I kid you not, I sprinted downstairs in excitement to grab them. Upon opening the package, I couldn't help but grin. They were absolutely perfect. They fit like a glove, laced up to the thigh, and were as red as could be. I fixed up the blatant scrapes on the faux leather with fabric glue and red coloring, and I was set.

My costume was exactly what I had hoped for, and I was so proud of my efforts that I wore it around my dorm building for the weekend! Between the pure comfort of the outfit and the compliments from fellow theatre kids, I knew I made the right choice this year. Plus, I went under budget at only $36 for the entire thing, which made me even more proud of what I had accomplished. It is very possible to create a flawless Halloween costume that you feel good about with a low budget, and that's something I didn't truly believe until I proved it to myself this month. With only my pocket money and a few weeks to plan, I gave myself something to do this season that made me incredibly happy. Halloween can be celebrated in full by anyone at any age, and I am proud to say that I'm taking part in this celebration for yet another wonderful year.