How to put together a Halloween costume from the thrift store

It's not too late to put together the Halloween costume of your dreams, say Charlottetown thrift-store experts.

Halloween has become a big event for thrift stores, with customers scouring the racks for the perfect accessories, and staff keen to help. Jacquelina Wiggers, Value Village's lead costume consultant in Charlottetown, has actually met with other Value Village costume consultants around the region to share inspiration.

"Have an open mind," is Wiggers' top tip.

"A lot of people just go right to our accessories and a lot of the time I suggest why don't you look in our used clothes? A lot of the time there's stuff that's already out there."

Mary Matthews of Repeats delivers the same advice.

"People come in who create their own costumes, have their own ideas, bring us in a picture. We try to piece things together. It's a lot of fun," said Matthews.

"You cut it up and you switch it over and wear things backwards and inside out you can make it happen."

While there is still a lot to work with, with less than a week before Halloween you are probably out of luck if you are after some of the more popular items.

"Fortnite has definitely been very popular to the point that we're pretty much sold out of almost everything skeleton for kids," said Wiggers.

Skeletons have also been popular at Repeats, along with anything Game of Thrones.

"A lot of leather belts and vests and fur," said Matthews.

But there are still lots of options for being creative in other popular areas, such as steam punk or Harley Quinn costumes, and racks overflowing with unexpected treasures.

If you keep an open mind.

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