Harvard Students Hastily Prepare Halloween Costumes

Whether sifting through piles of fluffy tutus at neighborhood clothing stores or scavenging in the most neglected and unexpected corners of dorm rooms, Harvard students are busy finding costumes for this weekend's Halloween festivities.

The Garment District is a popular stop for students looking for any type of costume—from Roaring Twenties flapper girl dresses to modern comic book superheroes. Across the noisy, chaotic space, employees ram around helping customers find fitting rooms and various costume accessories. The few days before Halloween are especially busy as students scramble to put last minute costumes together.

“Normally, my friends and I go down to Garment District the day of [Halloween],” said Thomas Ferland ’18. “The first time we did it…we went through older sections and picked out random stuff.”

Other students, similarly caught off guard by the imminent holiday, are relying on more economic means, searching around their dorm room for inspiration and potentially flamboyant clothing.

“I am not prepared for Halloween” Jorrion D. Wilson ’17 said, adding that he plans to dress up as “either nothing or a superhero...with some tights and things around the dorm.”

Some students are more prepared, harnessing their imagination to create quirky do-it-yourself costumes.

“I’m going to be Man Ray from Spongebob, and I’m making it,” Rachel L. Lobato ’16 said. “It’s been very well planned out… There are two other girls doing it with me”.

Others find a happy medium, making parts of their costumes and scavenging in store for smaller accessories.

Alina G. Munoz ’18 said she was dressing as an army ranger for Halloween, pulling together memorabilia from her family, old t-shirts, and war paint. She said she has also purchased some costume gear from Cambridgeside Galleria—namely, a camouflage-print hat and a belt of bullets.

Looking forward to the weekend festivities, Munoz said, “Follow the music, and you’ll find a party.”