OCTOBER 3, 2023 - Now that it’s officially October I know you all are beginning to plan your Halloween costumes. If you’re like me and are looking for a costume that isn’t $80 like the ones on the Official Star Trek Website, then you’re in luck. I’ve assembled a guide for the Trekkie looking for awesome budget costumes to blow everyone away this Halloween. 

Starting off, I’ve personally found that the cheapest uniform option is hand-sewing it. If you live near a store for creative reuse you can easily get enough fabric for a full-body uniform under $30. I’m a huge fan of the sewing patterns from Star Trek Costume Guide. They do a great job of studying the screen. If you’re looking for an even cheaper option Sewing and Cocktails provides a great guide for editing patterns you already own or t-shirts. She also includes a guide for making a dog and baby costume! The Woodland Elf also has some great DIY budget costume guides. I’m a huge fan of their Geordi Visor guide. Seriously though they have everything you could possibly think of. If you’re feeling crafty they’re a great resource.

If you’re looking for an epic (and fairly time-consuming) costume I recommend checking out Star Trek’s official Budget Borg Guide. The costume ends up looking AMAZING but it is quite involved and still relatively expensive. 

If you are not artistically inclined you can get a TNG Uniform for $35 on Amazon. This shirt is from the Rubies store on Amazon. They generally have good budget costumes. They are, of course, not the best quality but good for the price. As much as I hate Jeff Bezos, Amazon is a great place to get cheap costumes. I found a TNG phaser for $12 and a tricorder for $11 (it lights up, which is awesome!)

Not all Star Trek characters wear Uniforms. Wesley is a great easy costume. Raid your grandpa’s closet or your local thrift store and you will most likely find a very cheap 80s sweater. You can easily make a badge out of paper, cardboard, or duct tape. Then just throw on some black pants and shoes and bam you’re Wesley. If you feel so inclined you can print out a picture of Wil Wheaton’s face, glue it to some cardboard, and hold it over your face. I find that to be a fun gag and people will always know who you are.

If you’re feeling a bit edgier you can do Section 31. If you don’t own a leather jacket, find a friend who does, or get a cheap fake leather shirt and pants from Amazon or your local thrift store. Thrift stores are your friend when it comes to cheap costuming. You can make the badge yourself and bam, you’re as badass as Georgiou herself. If you’re feeling fancy you can even add some chains and belts. I also recommend some eyeshadow/eyeliner for an edgier look. There are no rules in Section 31, all you have to do is look badass!