Hadley Wendorff and UW-Madison peers thrift to keep Halloween spend near $100
Three undergraduates describe how social pressure and fast fashion drive them to thrift and swap outfits instead of buying new ones.
By Isabel Moretti ·
University of Wisconsin-Madison students are limiting their Halloween costume budgets to $100 as they prepare for the weekend, a figure that sits well below the national average.
The National Retail Federation projects that Americans will spend $13.5 billion on Halloween shopping in 2026, with an average cost of $115.14 per person. On campus, many students feel squeezed between buying expensive, full costumes or assembling looks from fast fashion retailers like Shein.
Hadley Wendorff, a senior, noted that the local social scene pushes people to spend more. She said, "If your friends have a great costume you wanna have a great costume too." This dynamic leads many to wear multiple outfits over the course of the weekend, a practice that complicates budgeting.
Junior Lily Myhra said she typically spends between $50 and $100. She looks for pre-owned items on Depop. Junior Matteo Rovera acknowledged the influence of yearly trends. He said, "There's fads for the year," and admitted he has three costumes this year despite usually wearing only one.
The three students agreed on a $100 ceiling for their purchases. They cited the environmental impact of fast fashion as a reason to avoid new, single-use garments. Fashion production accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, and 85% of textiles end up in dumps annually. A costume worn once fits that waste cycle perfectly.
To stay within their limits, students recommend several specific strategies. These include shopping at thrift stores, using resale platforms like Depop and Vinted, or browsing Facebook Marketplace. Others suggest borrowing pieces from friends or digging through their own closets for reusable items.
Some students aim to buy clothes that can serve a second purpose, either as everyday wear or as part of a future costume. This approach allows them to participate in Madison's busy Halloween scene without relying on the rapid production and disposal model of major online retailers.
Source: The Daily Cardinal
