Dig Up a Free Halloween Costume at Matty’s Closet During “Matty’s Boo Boos”

  • Daniel Levitch and Ryan Silber stand behind a rack of clothing and Michelle Hernandez stands by it, holding a pumpkin. Andrea Escobar and Karen Acevedo emerge from within the rack

    Career counselor Daniel Levitch and student assistants Andrea Escobar, Michelle Hernandez, Karen Acevedo and Ryan Silber show off the costumes they assembled for clothes donated to Matty's Closet. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Daniel Levitch, Andrea Escobar and Michelle Hernandez, dressed as Willy Wonka, Mary Poppins and Wednesday Addams respectively, stand in front of a clothing rack under a sign that reads

    Career counselor Daniel Levitch and student assistants Andrea Escobar and Michelle Hernandez show off their costumes by the clothing rack that will be set out in Bayramian Hall's fourth floor hallway. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Ryan Silber, Michelle Hernandez, Karen Acevedo, Andrea Escobar and Daniel Levitch stand in a row in their costumes. Silber is holding a poster for Matty's Boo Boos.

    Student assistants Ryan Silber is dressed as Lurch the Addams Family butler, Michelle Hernandez is dressed as Wednesday Adams, Karen Acevedo is dressed as Harry Potter and Andrea Escobar is dressed as Mary Poppins. Career counselor Daniel Levitch is dressed as Willy Wonka. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Karen Acevedo holds a hand towards the camera, in the other hand is a wand. Acevedo is wearing round glasses, a gray cardigan with red and gold stripes on the sleeve and a red tie. Acevedo has a lighting bolt drawn on her forehead

    Student assistant Karen Acevedo assembled a Harry Potter costume from the clothing donated to Matty's Closet. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Ryan Silber and Michelle Hernandez stand side by side, glowering at the camera. Silber is wearing a suit and bowtie, with gray make up smudged under his eyes and on his face, and has a mysterious hand on his shoulder. Hernandez is wearing a black dress over a white collared shirt. Hernandez's hair is braided into pigtail and is hold a pumpkin in her hands.

    Student assistants Ryan Silber and Michelle Hernandez assembled Addams Family themed costumes from the clothing donated to Matty's Closet. Silber is dressed as Lurch the butler and Hernandez is dressed as Wednesday Addams. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Andrea Escobar is wearing a white blouse and a black skirt, with a coat hanging on her shoulder. Escobar is holding an umbrella in her hands and has a feathered hat.

    Student assistant Andrea Escobar assembled a Mary Poppins costume from the clothing donated to Matty's Closet. Photo by David J. Hawkins

  • Daniel Levitch is wearing a purple coat, purple tall hat and had a purple scarf tied in a bowtie. Levitch is leaning against a cane and is holding several candy bars.

    Career counselor Daniel Levitch assembled a Willy Wonka costume from the clothing donated to Matty's Closet. Photo by David J. Hawkins

Most people wouldn’t show up to a job interview dressed like a pirate or a vampire, or in anything they would wear to win a costume contest. Sometimes, however, the line between professional and pirate is closer than you think.

Since fall 2018, CSUN students in need of professional clothing have turned to Matty’s Closet, a service of the CSUN Career Center that offers wardrobe advice for interviews, as well as one free, complete professional outfit per semester, per student.

It’s all thanks to professional clothing donated by staff, faculty, students and members of the community. Sometimes, however, the team at Matty’s Closet receives donations a bit on the wacky side.

“We get corsets and sequins and stiletto heels and some very strange things,” said Patricia Gaynor, director of Matty’s Closet. Most months, Gaynor and her team of student assistants donate the clothes they can’t use, but as the air turns crisp and pumpkin spice season arrives, Gaynor puts those duds to great use on campus.

This year, Gaynor and her team are offering Matty’s Boo Boos, a treasure trove of items students can use to build a free Halloween costume to celebrate and raise awareness of Matty’s Closet resources for students.

“This is a time to be silly and have fun,” Gaynor said.

From Oct. 21-31, the Career Center will offer a curated rack of crazy and classic costume items in the fourth-floor hallway of Bayramian Hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The rack will include some masks, shoes and costume jewelry that students can use to assemble or inspire their dream. The items are free of charge and need not be returned, Gaynor said.

Matty’s Boo Boos also will present a costume contest, where students are invited to send in photos of the costumes they assembled. Winners will receive gift cards and have their pictures featured on the Career Center web site.

To enter the contest, follow Matty’s Closet on Instagram and check the post that provides the instructions on how to enter. All pictures must be submitted by Nov. 2. Voting will take place on Instagram on Nov. 5-6, and the three winners will be announced on Nov. 7.

For more information on Matty’s Closet hours, costume offerings and the Career Center, call (818) 677-2385. 

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