Looking good and scary with a mask during Halloween

A doctor costume consisting of a mask. Chris Ramirez/Lariat  

This Halloween will be a tricky one due to COVID-19. Many people worry that they won’t be able to wear a mask without it getting in the way of their costume. However, there are many costume ideas that involve wearing a mask so that you can stay safe and look cool this Halloween. 

One of the many choices that people can choose is dressing up as either a nurse or doctor. Having a mask already counts as a quarter of the costume, so it’s an easy first option. 

Many Halloween fans have figured out the perfect costume ideas to stay safe while trick-or-treating. 

“I’m still dressing up no matter what,” said Aaron Miranda, a student at Pratt Institute. “I love Halloween more than any other holiday, so I always make sure to have fun with it. Even though I won’t go to any parties this year, I still want to feel the Halloween spirit.”

Now if the idea for this Oct. 31 is to be something scarier, there are still many options. Almost every slasher film consists of the bad guy wearing a mask. 

“I have a ‘Scream’ costume that I always wear every year, and it won’t be any different this year,” said Alexis Canchola, a former Pumpkin City employee. “Honestly, I didn’t even consider how I’m still wearing a mask until you mentioned it now. I’ll probably still wear my actual mask under the Scream mask to be safe.”

Although wearing a face mask under a Halloween mask may be safe, this is not a good idea if breathing issues are a pre-existing condition. If that is the case, making the mask itself as part of the costume may be the way to go.  

“I love anything that makes me feel steampunk, so I’m definitely going with a plague mask,” said Teryn Sampaga, a former University of Southern California student. “I’ve always thought they were cool and would wear it regularly if I could. Halloween will be the perfect time to wear it and have fun with all that’s going on.”

If a fun do-it-yourself costume is more of what you have in mind, then there is another popular option that’s been getting lots of attention lately, especially if dressing up or referencing a celebrity or character is the plan. 

“I love ‘The Office’ more than anything, so I figured the best idea would be Dwight Schrute with a pumpkin head,” said Spencer Thornton, a current Cal Poly Pomona student. “That’s one of my favorite episodes, so all I have to do is carve a big pumpkin from the bottom and put it on my head. Also, this way it’ll be easy to wear a mask under it and I doubt anyone will really notice.”

Finally, costumes pulling ideas from popular culture like a DIY “Among Us” suit could be a possibility. The game has gained a large following in the last few months, being played by YouTubers and even congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez played this past week on the streaming service Twitch. 

“I don’t really like games too much, but I love ‘Among Us’,” said Kaylee Halliday, a current San Diego State University student. “It’s a really easy costume to make, all I’m going to do is wear a colorful hoodie with matching pants and an astronaut helmet. My boyfriend and I are both going to be matching.” 

With so many ideas this Halloween, it should be easier to also stay safe while celebrating Halloween. Wearing a mask and keeping a social distance should be taken into consideration during these upcoming holidays, according to health officials.

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