By Felicia Czochanski Bisaro

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble… deciding what to be for Halloween can be overwhelming! But there’s nothing wrong with sticking with a cute take on a classic costume. When it comes to this spooky holiday, there’s nothing like a trip to Goodwill^® to get the inspiration bubbling. Whether you’ve got Halloween parties lined up, a scary movie night with friends or can’t wait to set up your candy cauldron to hand out goodies, don’t let the stress of pulling a cute costume together overshadow your joy this Halloweekend. With a quick trip to a secondhand store like Goodwill, a few thoughtful accessories and a thrifted little black dress (LBD), you can turn around a weekend’s worth of costumes as quick as you could say abracadabra, and they won’t break the bank, either.

I love shopping at Goodwill for any holiday — whether it’s for décor, themed items or costume inspiration. For Halloween especially, there can be so many fun DIY costume possibilities just waiting to be found on the Goodwill racks or shelves. Shopping at Goodwill helps me keep my holiday purchases eco-friendly by participating in a circular economy that keeps items out of landfills. Plus, it fulfills my creative spirit at the same time. Not only that, but shopping and donating to Goodwill also means giving back to my community through the nonprofit career support they provide to those facing challenges to employment. It’s a win-win-win.

On a recent trip to my local Goodwill store, I browsed the racks for easy Halloween costume ideas. When I reached the dress section, it hit me — you can’t go wrong with a little black dress.

Keep reading for easy thrifted costume idea inspiration.

You can transform into a little black cat this Halloween with a few fun accessories. Thrift a fun little black dress and keep your eyes peeled for a pair of cat ears and fun thrifted sandals like the feathery ones above. With a couple of swipes of eyeliner to draw on whiskers, you’ll be a purrfect pretty kitty! Plus, you can pick a dress that you’d actually wear again, making this an even better deal.

There can never be too many takes on a classic flapper Halloween look. Check out the dress section of your Goodwill store for a dress with flapper tassels. It can be any color, and you might even find one that’s bedazzled. Thrift a matching pair of embellished flats like the pretty pair above, and use a glue gun to adhere a feather to a headband to complete the look. Remember to add a swipe of bold red lipstick, of course.

Is it even Halloweekend if no one in the friend group dressed up like a witch? The ultimate classic Halloween costume can be made cuter with a thrifted LBD and a pair of black boots. Boots and dresses are all the rage in Europe, and we’ll start to see that more and more in the U.S. too, no matter the weather. Don’t forget to check out the racks at your local Goodwill for the perfect pair.

Have the perfect thrifted LBD costume take? Tag us @goodwillofsv for a chance to be featured in a future blog.