How To Dress For Halloween In Your Workplace
I love Halloween. It combines all of my favourite things - costumes, candy, and the supernatural. I love to find any excuse to dress up in costume so when Halloween rolls around I am usually on board with at least two different costume changes.
One of these costumes is generally one that I will wear for whenever October 31st falls a weekday and I have to go to work. Usually when this happens, I encourage my co-workers to get into the spirit and dress up with me. I decorate the office, host an afternoon tea, and stay in character for as long as possible.
There is, however, a huge difference when it comes to workplace Halloween costumes and the type you would usually wear to a big drunken Halloween bash. To help you determine the differences there are a few things that you need to consider when choosing your Halloween costume for work.
Is It Safe And Practical To Dress Up?
First off, will this be allowed? Do you have a strict uniform that your company has to follow for a particular reason, or would wearing costumes be a safety concern (such as a construction site)? If you work in an office environment or a place that might be a little more lax in the uniform requirements, than this would be the perfect place to get into the spirit of Halloween. If you require permission from management though, make sure you get it first before sending out the mass email!
Is It Toned Down?
The costume you would wear to a midnight Halloween party is a completely different costume you would wear to work. As Mean Girls once put it, Halloween is a perfect time for the ladies to dress “like a total slut and no one else can say anything else about it” and they usually wear lingerie and animal ears. Now while I’m not necessarily one for these kind of costumes, I do always tend to sex it up a bit for a party, so it needs to be noted that sexing up your work Halloween costume will be a no go because you still need to maintain a professional air while at work.
Go for a more classic Halloween costume that doesn’t bare a lot of skin – think Dracula and Frankenstein, Little Red Riding Hood, or a full costume. You can still look cute, but don’t go full stripper Mean Girls on your workspace!
The same has to be said for making your costume PC and all-inclusive. You might find it hilarious to dress up as a giant penis for Halloween, but you could really offend someone too. The same goes for any religious costumes such as dressing up as a Rabbi, Nun, or even going as Jesus. If you might offend someone with your costume, you might need to pick something else.
Don’t Be Left Out
In saying all of this, nobody likes a party pooper. Even if you hate Halloween and think that it’s a stupid holiday that you don’t want to get involved in (and seriously, why are you reading my blog if that’s you?) you don’t want to be the only person in a suit and tie that didn’t get into the fun. You don’t have to overdo it – channel Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Jim from The Office and put in at least a tiny bit of effort.
Otherwise, you’ll be all alone at your desk while everyone else is enjoying tombstone cake and honestly you would deserve that.
So what are you going to dress up as for your office Halloween?
