Well, it’s that time of year again; midterms are in full swing, and everyone is trying to figure out what they will be dressing up as for Halloween. I am personally a huge fan of the spooky season, but it can be difficult to choose a costume and go through the process of finding everything you need to pull it off. Whether you have no time, money or energy to go shopping, there are always creative costumes you can whip up with items you probably already have at home. You can pick from pop culture references, television cartoons, movie stars or some of the reliable classics. Here are over 20 costume ideas that you can easily replicate with your own wardrobe or by borrowing some things from friends to spice up your Halloweekend costume rotation.
Pop Culture Creatives:
Betty Boop
This look is for all my short-haired cuties – or anyone really – who has a red dress on hand. Match that with some red heels or a more comfortable alternative. Put on some large hoop earrings and a bright red lip to complete the outfit. If you have got the time, gel and skill then definitely try your hand at creating her signature curls. A garter belt and gold bangle bracelets, are the cherry on top of this retro look in case you have them stashed away.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
This costume is so easy, you have probably accidentally worn it already. Just throw on a black turtleneck with some blue jeans, a fanny pack and a thick chain. Fanny packs are a great way to carry your Halloween stash around and you can be extra cheeky by carrying a small rock too. This way, in case some uncultured folk can’t identify your look, you can cleverly pull it out and tell them you’re, “The Rock”, which is a statement ideally paired with an eyebrow raise and flex of the arm.
Barbie Doll
With all the anticipation surrounding the upcoming Barbie movie, this is an exciting and super easy costume to wear this year. It can be adapted to whatever you have on hand, as long as it is pink. Of course, you can throw in some white and blue if you don’t have a 100% pink outfit. You could also add in a Barbie logo or make this costume a duo with your very own Ken, which is also a flexible look. Ideally, Ken sports a tropical or cheetah print blue collared t-shirt and shorts, but any collared shirt would work with whatever accessories you want.
Bratz Doll
Again, this a very flexible costume that is mostly dependent on makeup. You can choose whatever outfit you feel gives off Bratz energy and match your makeup to the look. Most people have gone for an elongated wing and thick eyeliner with full lashes and bold eyeshadow. If you are looking for a more Halloween-themed look similar to this, you could also go for a Monster High Doll look. This costume will need a bit more structure to match the characters’ looks and makeup skills and have the scare factor if that is what you are looking for.
SNL’s Zam Mob AKA Yeet and Skrt
This is a pretty simple costume for a duo and means you get to dress up as the beloved Pete Davidson and Timothée Chalamet. While they sport an orange tracksuit and an all-white outfit of pants and a tank, you could probably switch the colours to what you have at home. The chains are an important part of this look, and you may want to invest in some temporary tattoos or just show off your real ones. Some pink and blue hair streaks would also be great, but what really makes this look work is you constantly yelling “yeet” and “skrt” at anyone and everyone.
“No Ragrets” from We’re the Millers
This look is similar to the last and just requires a white tank, black cap and bandana. Of course, none of this really matters unless you’ve got “no ragrets” printed across your collarbone/chest. Here’s to hoping that you also have no ragrets this Halloween season.
Television Cartoon Characters:
Shaggy and Velma from Scooby Doo
Aren’t you in luck that cargo pants have made a comeback? Just combine some brown wide-legged or cargo pants with a lime-ish green shirt and you’re good to go. It also gives you an excellent reason to carry around a sandwich and food wherever you go. If you want an easy duo look or just prefer to dress up as Velma, you can pull out some trustee 3D movie glasses that you hopefully have hidden away. Mix an orange sweater (preferably with a turtleneck) with a red skirt and knee-high orange stockings. If you have red Mary Janes, you were practically made for this look.
Kim Possible
Again, we thank cargo pants for their comeback. If you have some khaki/green cargo pants and a fitted black shirt – congratulations! You have hit the jackpot of costume simplicity. That being said, if you wanted to incorporate a brown belt or fanny pack and some black gloves, no one would be stopping you from taking this look to the next level.
Trixie from Fairly Odd Parents
For this cute and simple costume, you’ll need a purple headband/bandana and a t-shirt (best if it has a turtleneck). Pair these with a white skirt and boots to finish the look. You can make this costume into a duo by incorporating Timmy Turner, which is also an easy look – a red cap and shirt with black pants. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Tina from Bob’s Burgers
This is an excellent costume if you have a collection of unique and groovy dance moves up your sleeve. With just a blue t-shirt and dark blue skirt, this costume is rounded out with some knee-high white socks and black converse. Pin your hair back with a yellow clip and get ready to awkwardly grind your way onto the dancefloor in true Tina fashion.
Johnny Bravo
This may be the most hair-intense look so far. Match some cuffed jeans with a cuffed and fitted black t-shirt as well as a pair of sunglasses. The beauty of this look is in the hair. Use whatever gel, cream or spray you have to get your hair as tall as possible and spend the Halloweekend non-stop flexing.
Movie Star Styles:
The Cool Mom from Mean Girls
Did you know some people consider Mean Girls a Halloween movie? I am undecided on this front, but I do know that June George is by far the coolest mom and you can be too. Pull out a trusty pink velour tracksuit and a white tank because that is all you really need for this look. And if you happen to have a chihuahua in a red boa scarf then this is truly your costume calling.
Sandy from Grease
Whether you have a head of natural curls, recently got a perm or are a wiz with a curling wand – this might be the look for you. While it would be best for everything to be leather – you can get away with wearing a more comfortable fabric. Pair a black t-shirt (preferably off the shoulder and fitted) with some fitted black pants and bright red shoes. If you have one, add on a leather jacket and make this costume absolutely “greased lightning”.
Wednesday Addams
The Addams Family is a classic Halloween film and now with multiple versions, you can enjoy the eccentric family all month long. Copy Wednesday’s classic look with a straight part and two side braids. You can use any white collared shirt under a black dress or long sleeve shirt paired with any black bottoms you have. If you have an extra cut-off hand running around and some black mary jane shoes, this look would be to die for.
The Little Mermaid
With the release of the live-action film, this costume is right on trend. If you have a really cute purple bra, now is your time to let that baby shine. If you don’t have one, a purple shirt will do. You can mix it with any pair of green bottoms and shoes. This costume is a fun makeup opportunity and could benefit from any shell or sea-themed accessories you may have. Plus, your hair will just need a quick fix with a comb which is always a time saver.
The Queen of Hearts
This look can be as abstract as you want to cater to what you have and how much effort you’re willing to put in. You can pair any red outfit or clothing with hearts on them with a tiara. Use some makeup or heart-shaped stick-on to incorporate hearts into your look or draw some hearts onto yourself and your clothes if you feel like it. Alternatively, you could pull out all the hearts from a deck of cards and work them into your look however you want – add them to your tiara, ruff or belt to name a few suggestions.
Huff and Doback from Step Brothers
This costume is best used for a duo and is realistically just Bob Ross (which is also an easy costume to keep in mind) with a sweater vest. Match a blue-collared shirt with an argyle sweater vest and some frizzed-out hair for these two stepbrothers. The next day you can just ditch the vest for a paintbrush to change up the Instagram pictures.
The Grinch
This may seem a little seasonally challenged, but Christmas and the Grinch are fast approaching. Just throw on whatever you own that is green (best if it’s more lime-hued and fluffy) with a Santa Claus hat. You could really use whatever holiday prop you have. To ramp up the look you might even want to consider some crazy eyebrows to make Jim Carrey proud. This look is nothing to be a humbug about.
Reliable Costume Classics:
Where’s Waldo
If you have a red and white striped shirt, now is your chance to pull it out, throw on a beanie and consider yourself ready for Halloween. It helps if you wear glasses or have some 3D movie glasses stashed away to add with a pair of jeans. And not to worry, this look won’t have you blending into the crowd.
Cowgirl
This is your chance to pull out your Dallas attire and call it a costume. Any plaid shirt is probably enough for a simple look, but you could also throw in a bandana and hat to round out the outfit. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if you had some Western boots to dance around in.
A Ghost
Time to pay tribute to a classic. If you have got a white sheet that you don’t mind cutting up, this look is for you. Just cut the sheet into a square that suits your height and two holes so you can actually see where you are going. You can spice the look up with some sunglasses, a hat or any other prop that you prefer. This cute long-standing look won’t be on the receiving end of any Boos but maybe some booze and boos.
There are so many amazing outfit and makeup ideas out there that the Halloween costume possibilities are endless, so do not worry if you haven’t settled on anything yet. Hopefully, these simple costume ideas have been helpful or at least sparked some inspiration. Pre-made costumes can be expensive, fit poorly or just not suited to your style. With a little creativity, there is no reason why the perfect costume couldn’t be assembled from what you already have on hand.
However you end up celebrating Halloween, I hope you have a fun and safe time. Best of luck with your midterms!