Halloween fashion is evolving from its humble origins of face paint and Party City costumes into sustainable getups with intricate homemade accessories. The source of this transformation? Thrifting. Second-hand shopping is popular throughout the city, and this horror-filled holiday provides students with the perfect opportunity to show off their finds.

LS sophomore Haley Kramer, who plans to go as Mia Thermopolis from “The Princess Diaries,” has been quick to apply her thrifting expertise to her costume search.

“I have glasses, I thrifted old headphones for $2, I’m borrowing a friend’s gloves, and I’m looking for a white dress I can cut short,” Kramer said. “I wanted a classic, simple costume that I could put together myself.”

Kramer’s vision for her costume is the princess featured on the 2001 coming-of-age romantic comedy’s film poster: charming, recognizable and infused with nostalgia. Still, her execution, particularly regarding her intended alterations of the dress, takes some influence from NYU’s party culture. For some students, Halloween is a welcome excuse to take advantage of the city’s copious bars, clubs and pubs. For others, these traditions were a jarring change.

“My friends and I had a tradition where we’d hang out every Halloween from middle school until we graduated,” Kramer said. “It was really nerdy — we would just watch movies and eat candy. At NYU, there’s definitely more pressure to dress up and look hot.”

Beyond the revealing nightlife outfits, Tisch sophomore Maya Bowman expects competition when it comes to shopping for her baggier costume, Jesse Pinkman from the crime drama series “Breaking Bad.” Generation Z’s growing interest in thrifting means her usual shopping spots can become overrun with like-minded customers.

“I love to hit up Urban Jungle first and foremost, but after that I like to hit the Le Point Value Thrift,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the stuff I’m looking for at Urban Jungle or L Train [Vintage] because all the skater boys are snatching stuff up.”

To embody Pinkman’s baggy, thrown-together look, Bowman is searching for an early 2000s-style black shirt, a large zip-up, a beanie and oversized jeans. Loose-fitting attire is currently in such high demand that it may be just as inaccessible in thrift shops as it is in retail stores.

“I’d say it depends on where you go,” Bowman said, when asked whether thrifting still holds up against buying new clothes. “If you’re going to very cheap thrift stores in Brooklyn, for example, absolutely, but when you’re in Manhattan and things are priced at $20 or more for a thrifted pair of pants … I’d say you might as well buy something new at that point.”

Other students turn to the digital market in an effort to beat the physical crowds and rising costs of shopping in-store. The convenience of online platforms has made them incredibly popular among Gen Z. In 2021, 90% of active users of the resale company Depop were reportedly under the age of 25.

CAS junior Ava Bubbosh is among those users. She has multiple ideas for her Halloween costume, from the cherished ogre Shrek to Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” For another costume, she plans to be the DC Comics character Poison Ivy and wear a green top purchased from Depop.

“I feel like tops are good on Depop because I did a group costume and my friend got hers online, which saves part of the cost and helps it feel original,” Bubbosh said.

An experience Bubbosh recalls from her childhood is consequently echoed in her college costumes. She used to create parts of her outfits with materials from craft stores, online or from clothes around the house, sometimes with the help of her parents. Now, she continues the tradition with online second-hand sites such as Depop.

“Halloween is kind of my greatest joy,” she said. “I love dressing up. You have to showcase the entire personality.”

Online thrifting can also prove to be especially helpful when scouting out specific pieces. SPS sophomore Maddie Mendelsohn has ordered several items from Depop, to which she will add appliqués for a head-to-toe red leather look worn by pop artist Christina Aguilera during her MTV Video Music Awards performance in 2000.

“I don’t have time to search 50 thrift stores for red leather pants and a matching top — I host three radio shows and am a full-time student,” said Mendelsohn. “Due to my budget and my time restraints, Depop is easier for me in this situation.”

Mendelsohn believes she would have been able to find better pieces for her costume if she had enough time to properly examine New York’s second-hand shops, and she wishes she did.

“I enjoy the experience of putting on a costume and spending time with my friends,” Mendelsohn said. “It gives me a space to have fun and forget about all the serious aspects of my work and school life.”

This seems to be Halloween at its core for NYU: a holiday that simultaneously invokes childlike excitement and mainstream trends as well as one precious, horror-filled night dedicated to the art of self-expression, whatever form it may take.

Contact Ranina Simon at [email protected].