It was a great disappointment for me as a child that I could never wear the beautiful, summery Halloween costumes I found in catalogs. My mother, thankfully, always made me see reason, and after some whining I’d choose a costume appropriate for almost-November in New England. There was no amount of exposed arm or calf that would fly on those cold nights, and unless you wanted to walk around with a coat over your costume, you planned accordingly.

With my mom’s general craftiness and willingness to make me complex costumes, it was always easy to find something I liked and could stay warm in. But when I grew up and went to college, that task became almost impossible! The women’s costumes of Spirit Halloween aren’t exactly warm, unless you count this fire minidress, which I don’t.

To be clear, this is not a post criticizing sexy costumes. I personally love sexy costumes. I think they’re so much fun, even the weird ones like sexy crayon. Choosing a Halloween costume is about finding what you’re comfortable wearing and not about judging others. Be true to yourself and wear what makes you happy, whether it’s a skin-tight dress or a giant tomato costume. 

Now that we’ve got that settled, we can also admit that sexy costumes are freezing. I’m speaking now to my ladies up north. We do not get a balmy, pleasant Halloween where you walk outside in a tutu and a light jacket and call it good. We get a fall night that’s essentially winter, where you can’t feel your legs by the time you reach your destination.

For those of you who aren’t phased by the weather, power to you. Go forth with bare legs and have a great night! But for anyone who struggles to find an outfit at the store that won’t turn your lips blue, here are a few easy and warm Halloween costume ideas that will look great and keep you comfortable.