Halloween Costume Ideas and thrift stores for DIY costumes

Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record
·2 min read

For many, Halloween is a fun time where they get to be creative and dress up as their favorite superhero, artist, or mouse, duh.

Whether you are looking to be something spooky or something cute here are a few Halloween costume ideas that are slaying this year.

Barbie and Ken

July 9, 2023 : Australian actress Margot Robbie and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling arrive for the world premiere of "Barbie" at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
July 9, 2023 : Australian actress Margot Robbie and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling arrive for the world premiere of "Barbie" at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Barbie, will for sure be the "IT girl" costume of the season.

There are so many different variations like "Western Barbie," "Pink Power Jumpsuit Barbie," "Gingham Dress Barbie" to "Barbie Box." All of these can be found at Spirit Halloween or Amazon.com.

More: Looking to get scared? Here are four things to do this Halloween

You too can be Kenough. Spirit also has a "Ken Box" and a "Rebel Rocker Ken," costume. The rollerblading Ken also seems to be a top hit. Other movie-inspired costumes include "The Little Mermaid," "Chucky," and "The Exorcist."

Couple costumes

But if Barbie and everything pink is not your thing. There are many other Halloween costumes to choose from, especially for couples. There is a "Flamin' Hot Cheetos Bag," a "Soap and Loofah," and a "Peanut Butter and Jelly." If you want to do something where you could use some special effects makeup think of a zombie, vampire, or a dead bride and groom.

Family costumes

17-month-old Penelope Hicks wears a Tinkerbell costume at the Trunk or Treat event put on by San Joaquin County Parks at Micke Grove Park in Lodi on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. 79 groups, organizations and individuals gave out candy and treats in the second year of the event. More than 2,500 people were expected to attend.
17-month-old Penelope Hicks wears a Tinkerbell costume at the Trunk or Treat event put on by San Joaquin County Parks at Micke Grove Park in Lodi on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. 79 groups, organizations and individuals gave out candy and treats in the second year of the event. More than 2,500 people were expected to attend.

Kids also have limitless costume options from "Bluey" or "Light-up Fornite Party Trooper" to a "Mario Bros Costume."

For families with little ones who want to coordinate group costumes, there are many options from "Toy Story," "Sesame Street," and "The Flintstones."

A 20% off on any single item coupon and code can be found online on the Halloween Spirit website for anyone looking to purchase a costume.

Thrift shop, DIY costume

DIY Halloween costume ideas.
DIY Halloween costume ideas.

Halloween is just days away but it's never too late to find a costume for Halloween night even if you have to make it yourself.

Costumes do tend to be a bit on the expensive side but that doesn’t mean you can't find ways to dress up on a budget. While it might be hard to find a specific costume at a thrift shop you can look for clothes that you can use to create your own costume.

If you want to be creative and do your own costume here are a few thrift stores in Stockton and Lodi where you can shop.

  • Puffy's Thrist Merchantile, 2210 Pacific Ave in Stockton

  • Superior Thrift Store, 1135 N Wilson Way in Stockton

  • Crossroads Trading, outlet store, 5756 Pacific Ave #26 in Stockton

  • 2nd Chance Thrift Store, 503 N Sierra Nevada St in Stockton

  • Drycleaners, 521 E Miner Ave in Stockton

  • The Hope Chest Thrift Store, 6112 Pacific Ave in Stockton

  • Lodi House Thrift Boutique, 221 W Lodi Ave in Lodi

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Halloween costumes 2023