Halloween Costumes from the Past to the Present

By Claira Price, Staffer

Published: October 31, 2025

Dressing up in a costume for Halloween is a rite of passage for most kids. They are not only a staple of trick-or-treating, but also costume parties. Halloween costumes can be almost anything and are worn by all ages. It can be both fun and nostalgic to compare what people dressed up as for Halloween when they were little and what they are dressing up as today.

Halloween Costumes of the Past

LADYBUG

Most children’s costumes are fairly simple, and are themed after things like animals. Kids like to dress up as cute insects, like butterflies, ladybugs or bees. Costumes like these still hold a soft spot
among high school students, due to the fun they had during Halloween as kids.

“I was a ladybug one year. I had this little ladybug dress,” freshman Eli Turner said.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

This character is one of the most changed characters between generations. The character that people’s parents grew up with versus the character that we grew up with versus the character that our little siblings and family members are currently growing up with are very different, and each generation has their own nostalgia for this character, making it a fun character to look back on years later.

“I was Strawberry Shortcake when I was a kid, and that was one of my favorites,” freshman Jenna King said.
WITCHES

Many, people can admit to having dressed up as a witch as a kid, and you can see why. The big pointed hats and striped tights are really fun to wear. Recently, though, witch costumes have been getting more popular with teenagers and adults due to the release of “Wicked.”

Halloween Costumes of the Present

BLOW-UP COSTUMES

Some of the most popular costumes right now come in the form of inflatable characters, especially dinosaurs. At any Halloween event, you will see one of these guys waddling around. People can buy them almost anywhere, from Amazon to Etsy. It’s fun to watch them getting up to no good and running all over.

“I see a lot of those blow up costumes,” sophomore Tyler Neels said.
CLASSIC MONSTERS

Classic Halloween monsters like vampires and werewolves are still a common choice today. They’re reliable and fun, and people are able to put their own spins on any of the characters. Costumes like these are enjoyed by all ages.
CHARACTERS

People like to dress up as branded characters for Halloween. This is
especially fun in a pair or group. You and your friends can all dress up
as different characters from the same media.

“I’m doing matching costumes with my girlfriend, [...] we’re gonna do Darwin and Gumball from ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’,” junior Layla Williams said.
CELEBRITIES

Lots of people are imitating celebrities for Halloween. Most of these are simple but effective, but some people have gone the extra mile for elaborate outfits or even come up with visual puns based on the celebrity’s name. The trick is getting people to recognize who you are
dressing up as on the first try.

“I’m gonna dress up as my favorite bass player, Les Claypool,” senior Amir Abunaemea said.

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