As Halloween quickly approaches, students and families alike search for quick and easy — but iconic — costumes. Camp is an essential style for costuming, combining high art and humor to embody current culture and individuality. Here are a few costume suggestions from The Appalachian’s Arts & Culture and Opinion editors.
Chappell Roan’s hair outfit from “The Subway” music video
With no shortage of dazzlingly eccentric stage looks, Chappell Roan’s closet is ideal inspiration for any maximalist’s Halloween dream. Playing on themes of memories and lost love, the music video for her most recent hit, “The Subway,” was characteristically studded with unforgettable ensembles, including a two-piece set made of human hair.
The matching jacket and skirt drape over Roan in a wild mop of fiery locks, shrouding her in what could be mistaken for a city-dwelling relative of Cousin Itt from “The Addams Family.” With the local dollar store’s stock of ginger wigs and a sewing needle, a thrifty recreation of the iconic outfit could easily place in a costume contest.
Tara Adams from the Disney Channel Original Movie “Radio Rebel”
In the 13 years since the debut of “Radio Rebel,” the quintessential Disney Channel original has been immortalized as a camp classic. Portrayed by teen-film poster child Debby Ryan, protagonist Tara Adams is an anonymous podcast pioneer defined by her side-swept ponytail and hipster hats.
With skinny jeans, a flannel, an obnoxiously large beanie and a set of dated headphones, a trip to the thrift store is the nostalgic solution to a Disney Channel enthusiast’s last-minute costume dilemma. There’s one essential accessory that can’t be bought, though — the infamous Debby Ryan smirk.
Cheryl Blossom from the CW’s “Riverdale”
“I invented red; I am red” stained the small screen in season two episode 13 of “Riverdale” as Cheryl Blossom struck the halls of Riverdale High School. The CW drama ran from 2017 to 2023 and spans the mystical world of teen romance, spontaneously incorporating storylines of magic and murder.
Blossom, played by Madelaine Petsch, flaunts her cherry-red hair and is rarely seen without her signature red lip. Blossom extends beyond the color red and embodies Regina George’s classic “Mean Girls” attitude of the wealthy daughter of a small-town aristocrat. If the shoe fits, wear it, so grab any red out of your wardrobe and channel your inner Blossom this Halloween.
Carrie Bradshaw’s 2000 Dior newspaper dress from “Sex and the City”
Strutting straight out of Vogue, Carrie Bradshaw wore many memorable looks in the adult comedy “Sex and the City.” From Manolo Blahnik heels to Fendi handbags, Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Bradshaw, is known for her high fashion on and off the screen. Bradshaw, a columnist for the New York Star, finds herself in cahoots with her editor, often leaving her on a deadline. What better way to meet her deadline than to wear it?
The piece by John Galliano first premiered in the Dior Fall/Winter 2000 show and featured two variations, one of which would go on to be a staple in any fashionista’s dream wardrobe. With a few extra newspapers — possibly The Appalachian’s October print — and some glue, one can find themselves in some DIY Dior. Paired with your favorite pair of high heels, this look will leave you strutting all Halloween.
