Halloween is the perfect day for everybody to dress up as whatever they want. I think that it’s a great and fun holiday for everybody to show off some cool costumes. Plus, it’s a great excuse to party and enjoy a spooky season with all your friends. Personally, this is my favorite time of year.
I have worked for Halloween stores for several years now and I absolutely love it. However, I always see everybody buying the same costumes for Halloween. And, honestly, I think it’s time that we get a little more creative this year. So, here’s my personal list of overrated Halloween costumes and what I think you should dress up as instead!
Devil and angel
Oh. My. Gosh. The angel and devil costumes have been classics for decades. I even remember seeing a picture of my great Grandma wearing a devil costume in her early 20s, but it’s starting to lose it’s signature flare. At this point, I have seen a million people doing a partner devil and angel costume. I won’t lie, it’s super cute, but do you really want to wear the exact same red devil wings and sparkly fishnets as everybody else? Not to mention, but sometimes this costume idea can look like you just had no idea what you wanted to dress up as so you went with whatever you could find last minute.
However, no Halloween costume trend is dead. The best way to spice this costume up would be to do some thrift shopping and look for a more vintage flare. And I’m not talking about the bright red and white corsets on Shein. I’m talking about a white, ruffle mini skirt or a pair of DIY red bottom heels. For the Devils, you could go for an all black, sleek look instead of the typical red. You could do fun and colorful makeup instead of the same black/red smokey eye and lipstick that everyone else is wearing. You can even go for pleather leggings and a bustier top instead of the typical body-con dress. For the Angels, try some white mascara and wear more wings on a headband or shoes to give that seraphim vibe. You could even add more silver or gold accents to really make your outfit pop.
Angels and Devils can be so much cooler than a plain, monochrome costume that blends in with the party around you. So, add a little bit of your personality in there and make it unique!
cop and robber
Okay, this one might be calling out a couple of greek life date nights, but hear me out. When you go into any costume store, what do you see in the cops and robber section? The same exact robber/inmate costume on every single shelf. Sure, there are a couple of different sexy cop costumes, but let’s be real: they’re basically the exact same thing except one is sparkly and the other isn’t. It’s just not unique anymore and it’s certainly not something that will be turning heads.
This can especially be an obstacle for the inmate partner in this costume to stand out and look good. It’s a plain, striped jumper with the same number on every costume. Then, your only other option is a neon orange jumpsuit with the same number on it. In the several years that I’ve worked in the Halloween industry, I cannot tell you how many times a group of men will come in and buy the exact same costume together.
So, if you do still want to be a cop and robber this year, here’s how to do it. Instead of being an inmate, you can be an actual robber or cat burglar. Twist the theme around to seem like your cop partner was catching you in the act of the crime! You can still fit the theme, and you can stand out in the sea of striped jumpsuits. When it comes to the cop partner, avoid anything sparkly or blingy. I know, it’s cute, but everyone else thinks it’s cute too. So, go for the classic handcuffs and try giving yourself some aviators, police badge and a military style bun. Then, to spice up your outfit and still be sexy, find a leather mini skirt and a blue button down shirt with a black tie. It’s simple, makes it obvious what you’re dressed up as, and you don’t match everyone else.
sl*tty Animals
Can we, as a society, please move on from being a sexy cat for Halloween? It’s just not fun or cute anymore. I can understand if you and your friends are doing the Mean Girls Halloween party costumes. I think that’s a completely different costume that is still super fun and cute. However, if you think you can get away with wearing a lacy top, booty shorts and cow ears this year, you’re wrong.
This doesn’t just apply to the simple animal costumes, it also applies to the inflatable ones. The inflatable dinosaur costumes were so fun and cool back in 2015, but it’s 2024 now. It’s time to find something new.
Typically, I can recommend ways to make your costumes more interesting. However, I am simply going to recommend that you don’t wear any animal costumes this year. The only times that I will recommend any kind of animal costume is if you’re trying to recreate a fictional character. I promise you, you can find a better costume! You deserve better than some cheap cat ears that you’ll end up donating in a couple months anyways.
Honorable mentions
Here is a short list of costumes that I would avoid for Halloween 2024. Each of these have either been over-used or just aren’t fun anymore. Although they’re not the worst options, I really do think you can do better than these:
- Togas/Egyptian
- Onesies
- Barbie
- Sexy Nurse
- Harley Quinn/Joker
- Scream
- No costume
what you should wear
Bring back the classics! I promise you, there’s a reason why every Halloween store has huge sections for vampires, witches, zombies and other generic costumes. There’s a million and a half different options to dress up as, and you can spice it up with the dozens of accessories that they offer. Almost every single generic costume also has options for something that covers more skin, something that shows off more and everything in between. These kinds of costumes are completely underrated and deserve to have the spotlight again.
Another option that you have is to do a western theme. Over time, everyone just stopped dressing up as cowboys, and now I rarely see someone rocking out this killer costume idea. Sure, it may seem a little basic at first, but there’s so many ways that you can make this costume fun. There’s hats, boots, chaps and big belt buckles. Not to mention, you can grab yourself a lasso or holster to really make this costume come to life. Some elements of this costume can even be worn all year round: denim jeans, flannel shirts and bandanas. Even if you do a group western costume, everyone can still dress different from each other to stand out.
I think it would also be so much fun to dress up as your favorite pop star! You can bring back some older stars like Prince and Madonna or you can be someone newer like Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan.This costume can be so much fun and could even spark a karaoke night. This could even be a fun group costume. Imagine you and your friends all dressing up as Taylor’s different eras. The possibilities are literally endless.
My last recommendation for Halloween 2024 would be to just wear literally whatever you want. No matter what I say, it’s Halloween! Be whatever you want to be! You don’t have to follow trends every year or try to find the hottest costumes on the shelves. You can even wear whatever costume you wore last year. You can wear that one costume you’ve been to afraid to try out. You can be as extra or as simple as you want to be. At the end of the day, you just want to have a fun and memorable night. So, make every year count!
