October 31st is quickly approaching, and excitement is stirring. An iconic part of any Halloween is dressing up, but costumes can be quickly overdone. Take the Barbie paradox for example: In 2023, so many girls believed everyone else was going to Barbie, it resulted in no one actually being Barbie. Finding the perfect costume involves finding the sweet spot between mainstream media and creativity, so here is an all inclusive guide on how to ensure your Halloween costume is the perfect mix of both!
Using creativity to your advantage
While popular Halloween costumes change with the trends, some are timeless. Every year, countless people dress up as antagonists from horror franchises, traditional monsters like Dracula and the Frankenstein creature, and characters from movies and shows of our childhoods. While this is a good central idea, by thinking of different approaches from the same media you’re planning to base your costume off of, new doors open. Here are some ideas and examples for your Halloween success!
Freddy Krueger
While this does seem overdone, as Freddy Krueger is a household name in the world of horror, I scarcely see any Freddys walking around asking for candy (it might be because children shouldn’t be watching Nightmare on Elm Street), but this costume allows for creative liberties. The three main elements of this costume are red and gray stripes and a fedora. Consider these the anchor elements of your costume. You can tatter the top, or wear a skirt instead of Freddy’s traditional trousers. You can also experiment with the shoes. The key is to focus on the iconic elements of the costume and be creative with the rest of it!
Amy Winehouse
The late singer Amy Winehouse had an iconic look: big black hair and eyeliner that leaves no room for any other makeup. Because her identifiers lie in her hair and makeup, it leaves room for you to make the outfit whatever you want it to be, as long as it’s true to the source material. Amy Winehouse gave us multitudes of iconic looks, so the options are endless. She is distinctive, but also not someone who is mentioned everyday, allowing this costume to be easily recognized without it also being overdone.
Scooby-doo
Every year, we see countless Daphnes and Velmas, but we seem to forget who the real star of the show is: Scooby! He is characterized by his turquoise collar and brown and black spots. As long as these anchor elements are present, you can’t go wrong with a classic Scooby costume. This look can be suitable for anyone, and allows for creativity without being super niche.
The riddler
Another cartoon classic, there are innumerable batmen roaming neighborhood streets on Halloween night. Why not choose another well known character from the same universe? The Riddler is still iconic in his own respect, but he is often overlooked. The Riddler’s look however, is a little less accessible. He is depicted in a green suit, sometimes with question marks and a fun hat. This costume is the perfect for someone who wants to wear a costume from the batman comics but feels like Batman or the Joker is just a little too basic.
Jenna Rink
A character from an iconic film that has a distinctive look. 13 Going on 30 is a timeless film, and Jennifer Garner‘s dress is recognizable from a mile way. The only caveat with this costume is that the look is very specific, meaning it takes a little bit of effort and blocks out some creativity. However, the central idea of any character from a 2000’s chick-flick can yield incredible results; with the exception of Elle Woods, The Plastics, and Kat Stratford. While they are all well known characters, costumes depicting them are overdone.
Overall, Halloween is about creativity! Have fun with your costume! It’s perfectly okay to have a costume that’s basic and simple, but others like to go all out. Halloween is a special night, it’s an opportunity to express yourself, so regardless of what you end up dressing up as, own it!