The little black dress has been a staple to every girl’s wardrobe since the 1920s, proving to be an extremely versatile, yet simple must-have for women in college. Whether it has a flowy skater skirt or clings tight for a club-look, the little black dress can be dressed up or down to achieve almost any style. With Halloween quickly approaching, students always seem to end up scrambling for last-minute costumes on a college budget. If you’re one of those students, then look no further. All you really need for these five easy and affordable costume ideas is that little black dress and a few accessories. If you can’t borrow them from a friend, all of these accessories can be found locally for cheap.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is a film and fashion icon who has been ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema. In fact, the little black dress gained popularity after Audrey Hepburn wore one in the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. For this costume, you will need a plastic tiara, a pair of black shades, a pearl necklace, black pumps and black gloves. To complete the look, wear your hair up in a high bun. Oh, and don’t forget your smile; it’s like as Audrey Hepburn always said, “happy girls are the prettiest.”
“A” of Pretty Little Liars
According to Tvbythenumbers.com, Pretty Little Liars is ranked as Cable TV’s No.1 series for its seventieth original telecast in viewers 12 to 34. If you love the show and want to go for something more unique yet affordable, then “A” is the perfect fit. This costume is super easy; all you need is a zip up black hoodie (be sure to wear the hood up), combat boots and black stockings or leggings.To make the theme of the costume a bit clearer try printing out a red A or use tape and put it on the back of your sweatshirt. To get into character for Halloween night keep slips of paper with snarky “A” notes on them to pass out at your party or event.
Scarecrow
No brain required for this one. To master this fall classic, you will need a plaid shirt, a straw or floppy sun hat and a pair of cowboy boots. You can wear the plaid shirt two ways: knot the plaid top around your waist or wear it underneath the dress. And don’t forget the scarecrow makeup! Use pink blush on your cheeks to create circles and connect it to your mouth with black eyeliner.
Cruella Deville
There’s no need to go to Party City and spend fifty bucks on a Disney princess costume that most likely won’t be worn again. Cruella De Vil may not be the sweetest of disney characters, but as long as you have a black dress, it’s a fairly easy costume to put together. For this look, you are going to need a furry coat or vest and dress the outfit up with red accents (such as red heels or nails). Those with lighter hair tones can use temporary black hairspray on half the scalp then add a thick coat of baby powder to the other half.
Accessories:
Plastic tiara-Walmart- $11.99
Pearl necklace – Walmart-$15.00
Black gloves – Claires(Westshore Mall)- $10.50
Black hairspray – Walgreens- $3.99
Travel-sized baby powder – Walgreens- $1.49
Straw hat – Walmart- $8.00
White heels – sunshine thrift store- $3.99
Fur Jacket- Sunshine Thrift Store-$20
Photos by Ellis Catalan
Model: Lisa Hatch
Madison Irwin can be reached at Madison.irwin@spartans.ut.edu.