It’s the most magical time of the year – Halloween! At Community Thrift Store in San Francisco, we get pretty excited to see all the creative, cute, spooky, and scary costumes that our customers create while shopping at CTS. We have a few tips to help you craft a thrifty costume, PLUS learn how you can win $75 thrift bucks in our costume contest!

Thrifty Halloween Costume Tips 

• Plan Early, Shop Often There are two types of people – the ones who start planning their Halloween costume in February and the rest of us who don’t think of it until the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin special starts playing. If you usually wait until the last minute, here is your reminder to start scheming up a cool costume NOW! Of course, if you do wait until the last minute, CTS has got you covered. We put out new merchandise every single day. If you have a plan and you don’t find what you need on your first thrift shopping trip, check back soon!
• Integrate Elements You Will Wear Again This tip is for the KonMarie lovers and the budget shoppers. If you can’t stand the idea of dedicating closet space or spending money on something you’ll only wear once a year, think of a costume idea that incorporates clothing pieces that can fit in your regular wardrobe rotation. Your favorite TV, movie, or book characters can be a great way to make this work! 
• Remember That Cultures Are NOT Costumes Cultural appropriation is never a good Halloween look – so don’t dress up as Native American, a Geisha, or wear Day of the Dead makeup. While we’re at it, please don’t dress up as “homeless” or pretend that a “man in a dress” is a good Halloween costume. Check out this article for more information on celebrating a spooktacular holiday without offending your neighbors. 
• Think Outside The Box If you’re looking for the perfect green cardigan for your Daria costume, be sure to check the men’s section too. Don’t forget that accessories can make or break a costume – Mary Poppins is pretty easy to put together once you get a vintage umbrella. Check the electronics section for perfect pieces for a robot costume. Get creative! 

Win $75 in the CTS Halloween Costume Contest!

The CTS Costume Contest on Instagram is your chance to show off the creativity and thriftiness you put into your costume. One lucky winner will be rewarded with $75 in store credit! How does it work? Simply follow our instagram account and post a photo of your costume with the tag #thriftortreatCTS. Our contest ends November 2nd, 2019 and a contest winner will be chosen on November 5th, 2019.