Wood Words

Work-Friendly Halloween Costume Ideas

Too gruesome? Too exposed?

Too controversial? Too uncomfortable?

Halloween costumes can be a real nightmare if they’re over the top – especially when you’re wearing them to work. But with a little planning and effort, it’s easy to hit the right note. If you need inspiration for your work-appropriate Halloween costume, look no further! Our Lebanon employment agency shares a few of our favorites below:

  1. Cartoon character. Whether you choose a classic (e.g., Flinstones, Popeye, Yogi Bear, Charlie Brown) or someone newer (e.g., Minions, the Incredibles) cartoon character costumes are popular choices – making it easy for you to find ready-to-wear options at your local costume shop.
  2. Athlete. Choose the type of athlete you want to be (based on the type of sports gear you already have at home) and suit up! Add details and props  – sweatbands, rackets, balls, gloves – to complete your look.
  3. Bread winner. Don a brightly colored t-shirt and a fake medal, and hoist a loaf of rye or wheat above your head to claim victory.
  4. Food. Start with a colored sweatsuit and use fabric markers to recreate the label of your favorite packaged food item. Fruits and vegetables are pretty simple, too. For example, you can attached purple balloons to a dark sweat suit and go as a bunch of grapes. Or hot glue a green fabric stem and leaves to a red sweatshirt and you’re instantly an apple.
  5. Tourist. Grab a Hawaiian shirt, lei and straw hat, and you’re ready for the party. Finish your look with a camera, which you can also use to snap photos of the festivities.
  6. Costume not found. No time or interest in putting any effort into your costume? Use a black marker to write “Error 404: Costume Not Found” across the front of a white t-shirt. Done.
  7. Pumpkin pi. Draw the Greek letter pi on an orange t-shirt. Hot glue a small foam pumpkin to a headband or necklace, so everyone is in on the pun.
  8. Movie theater floor. Hot glue popcorn, movie ticket stubs and empty boxes of your favorite candies to a black t-shirt. Add a few wadded up candy wrappers to round out your look.

A little Halloween costume planning goes a long way.

When weighing your options, make sure you consider the following:

  • Costume comfort. Choose one that’s not too hot, difficult to sit/move in or otherwise uncomfortable.If the costume is flimsy, wear a light layer of clothing underneath (nobody likes wardrobe malfunctions at work).
  • Makeup. If you frequently talk on the phone as part of your job, make sure that any makeup you plan to wear won’t smear off on the handset. Test the makeup on your skin ahead of time, to be sure it doesn’t itch or irritate your skin.
  • Corporate culture. Halloween parties are meant to be fun, but they’re not the place to test limits – no matter how laid back your culture is. When in doubt about a costume choice, err on the side of caution for work – and reserve the envelope-pushing outfit for a non-work party.

From all of us at your Wilson County employment agency – and all of Wood Personnel’s staffing offices – have a safe and happy Halloween!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email