There’s a guilty pleasure associated with wearing a costume. It’s not merely a way to play with identity or disguise yourself. For many people it’s about showing off to a crowd in a socially-acceptable way. This is the reason that most costume parties and events have contests and give awards for ‘best,’ ‘scariest,’ and ‘cutest’ costumes. They are acknowledging that people want to show off their costume prowess.
These people aren’t going to settle for a store bought costume or something thrown together at the last minute. They are going to turn to theatrical costume rentals or spend days and weeks pulling together a homemade costume. They don’t just want to be noticed, they want to be the center of attention at the party.
There are actually two levels involved here. The first is that they want their costume to be recognized as the best. It should be well-made and evoke the appropriate reaction from the audience. The second level is that they want to be recognized for the originality of their outfit. They want to be praised for thinking of something no one else thought of and for imagining something different when everyone else stayed within the usual lines. They don’t need to win a prize to show off; as long as they are holding center stage, they will be happy.