Sometimes, the scariest thing about Halloween is not the severed heads or things that creep around past midnight, but the possibility of receiving a detention for a not-so-school-appropriate costume.  October comes with many fun opportunities to dress out of uniform, but when one considers  the strict dress code and the prevalence of revealing Halloween costumes, the  possibility of a uniform infraction could easily become a terrifying reality.

Pedro Escobar ‘15   gives some advice to those trying to adhere to the dress code this Halloween.  “For boys,” Pedro said, “don’t cross-dress, even though it’s tempting. For girls, just don’t take the chance of dressing inappropriately. Know when to stop.” This advice seems relatively easy to follow, but costumes often waver on the border of being detention-worthy and appropriate. This leaves students second-guessing their Halloween fashions and  stressing out over what should be a fun day for everyone. In all cases, it does not hurt to bring the questionable costume into the Dean’s office. According to Dean Lindsey getting officially approved is the absolute best way to be able to wear a costume with confidence.

Dress code aside, it is still difficult to think of costume ideas that will really portray a “wow factor” at the Costume Contest. Lucie Imhotlz ‘17, advised her fellow Buccaneers who are blank for costume ideas to dress up as nerds. She said it’s “always a good idea because it’s got the collar and everything!.  If you’re feeling a bit wilder, take a page from Senior Aidan Jebson’s book.  Last Halloween, Aidan was a cow, and he said that this year he plans to be a gorilla, complete with a full-fur suit. The cashier at Spirit Halloween in Tampa said that zombie, fairy, and pirate costumes have been their most popular sellers this year, so if you’re looking for a more classic look you can’t go wrong with one of those three.

It is always a fun idea to do a group costume, and many agree that the group costumes are best when there are several different costumes that all fall under one creative theme.  For example, it’s more festive when those in the group dress up as several different characters from a movie rather than different variations of the same character. Popular group costumes in the past have included movie characters from Avatar and Harry Potter and book or fairytale characters like Alice in Wonderland.

With October 31^st quickly approaching, one must keep Dean Lindsey’s advice in mind: “Modesty for both boys and girls on Halloween is very important. It’s a great tradition and I love it, but we have to be covered up because it’s still a school day.”