Halloween costumes are a struggle we face every year, in an attempt to be original and creative for that obligatory Halloween Instagram post. It really does get tiresome trawling through social media at Halloween time and seeing half-hearted ripped, bloody white t-shirts, alongside standard night out outfits with a barely noticeable pair of cat ears. If fancy dress really isn’t your thing, enlist the help of your artistic friends for inspiration, advice and physical assistance making a costume or painting your face, or team up with them to create a double act Halloween costume! The ideas below are well worth pinching to spice up your Halloween photo shoot.
This costume can be generalized or based on a well-known witch or wizard character, e.g. The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz or any Harry Potter character! Freeze your Halloween-frenzied friends into the White Witch’s statues for a spooky Halloween snapshot.
If you’re a superhero fan, pick your favorite and be ready to become the savior of the night, fighting against all the ghouls and monsters that come your way. If your chosen superhero has a sidekick or an arch-enemy, team up with a mate to become a real-life comic strip on Halloween night.
This classic costume will work equally as well for a solo police officer, a copper and robber pairing or a larger group of law enforcers and criminals. And there’s the added fun of the handcuff prop being used all night, with the potential to be incorporated into drinking games and force unlikely pairings together for the night. A good choice for undercover matchmakers.
If you like the robber theme but want to be a little more interesting, opt for the red jumpsuit and Dali mask costume from the successful Netflix series La Casa de Papel. It’s easy, creepy and will make you feel far superior to the black and white striped robbers running around on 31st October.
The simplest and most classic of all the Halloween costumes, cutting holes in a sheet and chucking it over your head is the best option for when you’re short on time, money and resources. It hides your identity well so you can easily spy on your friends and enemies without being caught out, you’ll almost believe you can actually walk through walls…
Current media/political affairs always make for a popular Halloween costume, so picking one of the most hated people in the world at the time, e.g. Donald Trump, to dress up as will certainly get you a reaction.
It’s super easy to get hold of a skeleton costume, even better if you can find a glow in the dark one. Paint your face to match and you’re pretty much sorted!
Another common costume, the vampire look can be tailored to specific characters, such as the famous Dracula or Edward from the Twilight Saga in order to make your costume more unique. The pale skin, colored contacts, and pointed incisors are essential for this look, even better if you can find a way to make yourself shimmer in the light. Add a cape for a more classic look.
Either order a premade costume or make some cuts in an old/cheap white dress, going for a gothic look by streaking greys and blacks across your body, face and hair. Go for the ultimate smoky eye make-up, blacklip and pale foundation, as well as a messy hairstyle to fit the aesthetic.
Being the phobia of many, this outfit is guaranteed to cause a fright on Halloween night. Simple to put together, all you need is a great make-up artist to pull off the creepy clown face that haunts people’s nightmares.
Zombies are the epitome of Halloween costumes, with the ability to turn any everyday fancy dress costume into an outfit perfect for Halloween. For instance, take a nurse or a surgeon costume and splatter it with blood to zombify it. This zombie theme is how we women manage to make Halloween costumes sexy! It’s also great if you’re looking for a double act, e.g. zombie cheerleader and sports player.
If you’re the joker of the group who doesn’t take yourself too seriously, dressing up as a pumpkin is an ideal choice for you this year. Your friends won’t lose you in the club that’s for sure!
Go over to the dark side with this evil outfit. Recruit black angels onto your side and enjoy a night of bad decisions together.
There are so many Halloween costumes to choose from when it comes to fictional characters. Zombify sweet Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter or the already evil Queen of Hearts; rob Red Riding Hood or Snow White of their innocence by splattering them in fake blood and adding seductive stockings to their outfits; go for typically scary Halloween characters such as Frankenstein’s monster or Jack Skellington; give everyone nightmares by attaching buttons to your eyes and taking on the persona of the traumatising Coraline.
Many atheists question religion or find themselves intimidated by it, so dressing as a religious figure can put others on edge and sometimes have a more terrifying effect than a traditional monster. This costume can also be used ironically when displaying typically sinful behavior.
This innocent child’s toy has been frequently used in horror movies over the years, conditioning us to now associate it with supernatural events and therefore Halloween costumes. Tie your hair in bunches, get some glass-effect contact lenses and pull off the make-up and you won’t recognize yourself under the freaky exterior.
We fear these lethal animals, often portrayed to us in deadly ways, so they suit the tone of Halloween perfectly.
Stained lab coats, crazy, out of control hair and a rack of test tubes containing bubbling, oddly colored potions somehow instill fear in us at this eerie time of year.
If you can think of a historic criminal with an identifiable look such as Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper, attempt to recreate them on this deadly night, reaffirming their inhumane brutality as they roam the streets on the night dedicated to death and pure evil.
Your costume may disintegrate throughout the night as more and more drinks are spilled but this is a classic Halloween outfit for you to try.
If you’re all about black, this could be the costume for you. Get hold of some wings and there’s no more to it, just slink into the night.
Bring this much-loved board game to life by convincing your friends to dress up as the characters with you. Involve the murder weapons too, swapping them around throughout the night. Photograph yourselves in various rooms of the house for a comedic set of Instagram posts.
This family set up has been a firm Halloween favorite for a long time and makes a great option for groups.
If you can’t be bothered to find a set of wings for a bat costume, ditch the idea and opt for the Woman in Black instead. Minimal effort required.
For Doctor Who fans, you have a huge range of monsters to choose from for your Halloween masterpiece. If you put in maximum effort, everyone will be envious of your epic Dalek attire or cyberman armor.
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