As a kid growing up in the forties, we had never heard of “store bought” Halloween costumes. Making your own costume was half the fun of Halloween, and the ultimate recycling project. Why shouldn’t you buy a Halloween costume? Because, with a little imagination, you don’t have to.

The most popular :homemade costume at that time was a ghost. Take an old sheet(most people had white sheets then), drape it over your head, cut out a hole for eyes. Then take a black crayon or ink and draw a mouth and nose. Boo!

Second in popularity and ease of construction was a witch. Again, an old sheet or tablecloth dyed black (Black dye cost a dime). With scissors and safety pins you could make some sleeves.  Then, a belt around the waist..  Or ,you might wear some grown-up’s  black dress. A pointy hat  was the most important, , made by. rolling up some black poster paper, with the aid of glue and scotch tape,  Mom’s makeup for the face:. Mascara around the eyes. A gaudy red mouth with lipstick. . Eyebrow pencil lines and wrinkles drawn over your forehead. There was no end to where a little imagination would lead. All you had to do was cackle.

Cowboys were also popular. They still sold cap guns and cowboy hats at Woolworths’, and most every kid had some.  Black masks cost a nickel. Put on one of your dad’s old shirts, a pair of jeans,  a red bandana across your face, and there you had it. The Lone Ranger!

No one had ever heard of Disney Princess Costumes from Walmart.  If you wanted to be a princess, there was usually an old taffeta dress or skirt in your mom or big sister’s clothes closet. Someone who could sew might  help make a few ruffles or sew on some sequins . You could make a crown by stapling a strip of cardboard into a circle and decorating it with broken costume jewelry or sequins. Ballet slippers completed the costume. Cinderella!

By the time I had children, you could buy cheap, flimsy, throwaway Halloween costumes at every discount store. . a minimalist nightmare.  The industry itself is worth 9.8 billion dollars. The average person spends $86 on Halloween. What a waste of material and creativity!

That’s why you shouldn’t buy a Halloween costume.