Every year, on Halloween night, groups of teenagers consistently dress up in the same, overdone costumes. They’ve prepared for months and made Pinterest boards, but still get stuck with the same, tired ideas. More people dress up as lifeguards every year than the actual amount of working lifeguards currently. Being a “dedicated Halloween-goer” now simply requires not being a vsco cowboy or angel & devil. Here are some original ideas that will get you compliments and leave you with a cute Instagram post of your ingenius look.
Solo Costumes:
Housewife that Killed Her Husband
The inspiration for this outfit was a short story I read in English freshman year about a housewife trying to cover up the fact that she murdered her husband, and I knew it would make a perfect costume. It’s a classic horror look, but you’ll still stand out from the clowns and ghouls. All you need for the look is fake blood, pearls, cleaning gloves, heels and a vintage looking dress. The outfit itself doesn’t require much effort; you can probably find some of these items in your closet. The only problem with this look is everyone and their mother is going to ask you what movie you’re from.
Siren
This is the perfect twist on the classic mermaid look that I think people will find unexpected yet recognizable. All you need to emulate your inner-siren power is steal any hippie girl’s closet. First, and this is an exigency, a flowy maxi skirt. To pair with this, you can throw on any siren colored (purple, green, silver, blue) lingerie-styled top. For accessories, any seashell clips or shell pendant jewelry should couple nicely with the rest of the outfit. If you want to elevate the look even further, you can try to imitate the makeup looks below or use some facial glitter to add some sparkle.
Betty Boop
This is such a cute and classic look for any vintage-loving person. This ’30s cartoon character has remained iconic till this day for her head-to-toe- red outfit and curly updo. To recreate this look, you’ll need a red dress, red heels, gold hoops, fake lashes and her quintessential curly black wig. The costume does require some more effort than the others, but I think the result will be worth it.
The Princess Diaries
Any enthusiast of the movie “The Princess Diaries” will instantly fall in love with this chic yet casual take on protagonist Mia Thermopolis. In the movie, Mia has a makeover from her “awkward” teenage self to a princess. This costume combines both of these elements to fully embellish Mia’s character. Necessary for this look is a cream sleeveless dress, silk white gloves, simple white or silver heels, skinny sunglasses, old headphones, and a tiara. The essentials list is a bit extensive, but each component is vital to the complete look. You could easily make this a solo or group costume and have a cute and classy ensemble.
Private School Girl
This may be considered more simple, but I think simpleness trumps complexity sometimes. It’s an almost effortless costume to assemble, as it only requires any formal white collared shirt, tie, and black skirt. For shoes, you can do any simple pair of flats or Doc Martens paired with white athletic socks. To really sell the look, you can bring an accesssory like the book depicted below, fake schoolwork, or a messenger bag.
Couple Costumes:
Fleabag and The Priest
This reference probably isn’t as known, but for the ones that do know, this iconic, heartbreaking duo from the tv show “Fleabag” is the perfect niche costume for a couple or pair of really close friends. Fleabag, the protagonist, doesn’t have one consistent look, but one of her most remembered looks is her schoolgirl style maroon dress. She’s always wearing a pair of simple flats, her classic bright red lipstick, and wavy, short hairdo. The priest requires any basic pastor costume that you can find at any Halloween store. You can breakout on All Hallow’s Eve with this barely executed look.
Roger and Jessica Rabbit:
This recreation of the original unexpected duo is the ideal mixture of irony and cute. This couple is known for their satirical dynamic and this humor will show in your costumes. For Roger, you can pick up any pair of red overalls you can find, yellow gloves and rabbit ears. Jessica, a slightly more difficult getup, requires her classic sparkly red dress, red heels, purple gloves and red wig.
Juno and Bleeker:
Perfect for a couple of film nerds, this costume comes from the indie romance film “Juno”, where the charmingly awkward Juno and Bleeker share their off-beat romance. Juno is an incredibly effortless look, all items you could find in your closet, baggy jeans, a striped, orange top, green skirt, and army green jacket. Bleeker requires a little more effort, but still includes some basic closet staples like athletic socks, dad shoes, athletic bands, yellow athletic shirts, and his maroon track shirt.
