As the opinion section looks forward to Halloween, there are some costumes we dread seeing every year. Whether it’s bland, last year’s trend or just plain overdone, we hope to get the word out and inspire some creativity this year. 

Scott Kent – Patrick Bateman

A Patrick Bateman costume can be good, but not when you walk around all night saying “he’s literally me.” 

Most of the time, people miss the point of what “American Psycho” is actually about. It’s just sort of weird when someone wears a Bateman costume and doesn’t get the point of the story. 

It’s also just a boring costume. All you have to wear is a suit and tie or the fairly easy raincoat outfit, which isn’t fun. 

Next time you think about wearing the Bateman costume, come up with something a little more creative. 

Olivia Langlan – Huge Inflatable Costumes 

Inflatable dinosaur costumes had their moment in middle school and now that moment is over. 

Though I can’t deny the fact that they are funny, inflatable costumes severely lack creativity and are more like equipment than a costume. 

In a costume, there should be touches of some personal flair and a basic amount of effort put into the process. An inflatable costume swallows the wearer whole and the only effort required is navigating how to walk around in it. 

If the aim is to wear a costume that transcends beyond clothing items, there are a million possibilities with just a cardboard box, like a robot, a taxi and even creating a unique alternative to the inflatable T-rex, just to name a few. 

Emma Dinsmore – Group Costumes

I know that group costumes can be fun, but I’m ready to see more individual costumes.

Group costumes can be stressful. I’m the kind of person who wants to be the main character. If we’re doing the “Wizard of Oz” and I’m not Dorothy, I won’t be happy.

Costumes can also get expensive; when you’re in a group, you have no choice but to buy pieces you’ll likely never wear again.

Some of the best costumes have no group to go along with them. The best costume I’ve ever done was Elle Woods as a Playboy bunny in “Legally Blond,” and I couldn’t have done that with a group.

If I do my own costume, I can be whatever I want with no restrictions. I can make my costume as special, niche or inexpensive as I’d like.

Issy Timberlake – Career Costumes

Every year, amidst the classic witches, skeletons and iconic movie characters, I see a multitude of sexy cops, firefighters, nurses and more. 

Not only are these costumes not very creative, but I find them a little weird. On a night where you could dress up as anything you want, from the supernatural to the super funny, there’s better options than a nine-to-five.

I think there’s definitely a level to which careers make good costumes. Something specific or original, like a zookeeper or a businessman, could definitely be pulled off without accidentally matching with a dozen other people.

With how controversial the subject of the police can be, I think the most respectful and frankly more fun move would be to avoid dressing up as them on Halloween. 

No one wants the cops to crash their party—not even fake ones.

Max Akom – Superheroes

While a child dressed as Iron Man will always be a staple of Halloween, I can’t help but feel slightly sad when I see people my age doing it. 

Superheroes do not represent the same things that they did when we were children. 

We are not in the era of Stan Lee anymore; with the plethora of shows as well as at least three blockbusters a year, superhero movies are nothing but consumerism manifested in the film industry. 

Perhaps try a Brothers Grimm character or something from a contemporary, less corporate media producer.

Ayelet Kaminski – an outdated meme

I’ll admit it, I have partaken in this trend: in sixth grade I was a gold “you tried” star. 

While my hastily thrown together last-minute costume earned me a few chuckles, dressing up as an internet meme is the sign of a declining culture. When your costume requires holding up your phone to an open “Know Your Meme” search, you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere. 

Instead of constantly making fun of culture, you could put yourself out there for a minute and participate in it.