Those “original Halloween costumes” TikToks have cluttered the For You page all year round in an attempt to help others find unique and never before seen costumes. The videos range from costumes that can be found on Amazon to ones you can find in your closet. However, with the circulation of these TikToks, the “original” has become trendy and suddenly those costumes are scattered all over the streets on Halloween. Coincidentally, you and the friend you planned to go out with are wearing the same thing, a costume that both of you have been planning for months. How has TikTok turned costumes trendy? How does it strip the originality out of pieces of clothing?
Halloween 2023
Princesses, Avatars and couples as Remy and Linguini. Cops, jail mates and Magic Mikes. Barbies, kiss-marry-kills and Alice in Wonderlands. While costumes are bound to overlap, this year was particularly ridden with repeats. That “unique costumes” TikTok that you saw over the summer and have been meticulously planning? The rest of the school saw it too. While these TikTokers have good intentions and are trying to help others with costume ideas, the algorithm of TikTok takes them to another level, stripping costumes of their originality and making them basic.
However, this is reminiscent of childhood Halloweens, when everyone bought the same cat costume from Party City or last minute was a makeshift witch with the only distinguishable part being the hat. Although today more and more costumes are being bought online, it’s the same thing –– originality when it comes to Halloween is extremely difficult to achieve regardless of whether it was purchased online or in store.
TikTok Fashion
This phenomenon doesn’t only apply to Halloween, but also fashion in general. That “non-basic” corset swarmed the For You Page and has landed in millions of campus mailboxes. The new jeans that you were so excited for are seen on every other girl at the frat –– and now you wonder who looks better in them. To the bottom of your drawer they go!
Finding brands or products on your own can be difficult, especially without seeing someone review it online. While these videos can take the originality out of clothes and products, they do offer insight into them before others decide to purchase them. They provide reviews, try-ons and opinions, which can’t always be found on Amazon or other sites.
TikTok is useful when it comes to finding clothing to buy or searching for the perfect Halloween costume –– even though they usually are not “original” or “unique.” With the social media wave, it’s becoming harder and harder to find a product online that a million people haven’t already bought and sport everyday. However, this is merely something to keep in mind. There is nothing wrong with getting inspo from TikTok and can even be convenient, just know that you might see your neighbor wearing that very top the next day.
Did you see duplicates of your costume this Halloween? Let us know by tagging @VALLEYmag on Instagram!
