Halloween is the chance to one-up your peers in style, creativity, and fun, yet every October 31 sees the same rudimentary (and frankly boring) costumes. This year, turn the lifeless into spook-tacular with a few simple adjustments!
Socially Acceptable Furries
Teenage girls have been captivated by fuzzy ears for far too long, yet what the average Halloween bunny thinks is peak chic is just an uninspired outfit à la Mean Girls with Party City accessories.
The Cheshire and White Rabbit preserve the flirty appeal of the animal costume while adding a whimsical touch. On the sillier side are “Animal Crossing’s” plethora of fuzzy friends alongside Beanie Babies, both easy enhancements to a basic look. For the nerdy, turn to “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and “Pokémon” cosplays. Everybody’s seen cat ears and frilly getups, but how often do you spot Foxy roaming the streets?
The Classics
Face it: the standard zombie and skeleton could use a revamp. Friend groups, put the “gore” in “gorgeous” as the “Monster High” squad, or level up green and black outfits with blocky accessories to transform into “Minecraft” mobs.
Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas costumes stay true to the off-kilter monster vibe, and Coraline-inspired looks give new life to the typical haunted doll look. Get eerier with Creepypasta costumes; Jasons and Michael Myerses are a dime a dozen, so stand out as Jeff the Killer.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Thirst Trapper
Iconic, attractive, and a solid excuse to wear a bodysuit, Spider-Man is reasonably a popular choice each year. But to spice things up, instead ride off the recent movie’s success and dress as the equally enticing antihero Deadpool, who bears resemblance to the Spidey suit but with superior maroon and black leather detailing. Other underrepresented heroes include Nightwing, the Teen Titans, and, more recently, Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen. If your heart is set on showing up as the classic hero, though, at least opt for Miles Morales’ rendition.
Matching Clichés
Fitted police officer uniforms and baggy orange jumpsuits per frat parties online can be tempting, but nothing’s lamer than bureaucratic costuming. And don’t look up “matching costumes” online; how many more angel-devils and Mario-Luigis can your neighborhood take?
For quirky yet still recognizable duos, Phineas and Ferb, Stewie and Brian, and Nick and Judy are all popular pairs that won’t bore your local houses, and Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat are sure to elicit chuckles. If you’d like to be more socially acceptable, astronauts and aliens and Sonny Angel and Smiski are just as cute.
Oxford Academy-core
Don’t waste your Halloween on red polos and khakis; every year, Patriots opt for Target and Jake-from-State-Farm couture despite wearing such apparel every other day of the year. For low-effort costumes that still involve an ounce of creativity, dress as “Subway Surfers” characters or DIY a green diamond headband for Sims-chic. Stüssy warriors, take Halloween as the one day your hoodies are school-regulated and claim to be an 8-ball. Fans of the Oxford dress code can still sport collared shirts and slacks — the costume? Their math teacher.
