Fashion / Style

45 of the best Halloween costume ideas for ultimate inspiration this year

45 of the best Halloween costume ideas for ultimate inspiration this year

There's nothing that generates quite the same amount of joy as a costume party. The opportunity to become someone you're not – someone you've always wanted to be – just for one night is undeniably desirable. Thankfully, Halloween comes around every year to curb our 'dress-up' appetite; but with so many potential costume contenders to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to start.

This year, the data AKA, our genius friends at Depop have noticed two major trends emerging – and they were both already on our list! Talk about trendsetters. In the last month alone, Depop has seen a +116% increase in searches for ‘Halloween Costume’, making it the third most popular search term on the app currently. Barbiecore has been one of the most popular searches, with 30% MOM increase in Barbiecore searches and 2.4k listings for the barbie style. Unsurprisingly, Euphoria is also up there, with a 44% increase in Depop search for ‘preppy’ and ‘preppy style’ and 33% increase for the search vintage Miu Miu. We really only have Cassie to blame for this one.

To save you time, we've decided to do the heavy lifting for you, searching through the archives of Halloweens gone by to collate the 45 best Halloween costumes of all time – regardless of budgets and time restrictions (we all know someone who leaves it to the last minute).

From pop-culture icons, to your favourite artists of the 21st century, and of course, a touch of spooky-chic to keep you on trend, here's our list of the best, most timeless Halloween costumes that are sure to win you best dressed every year.

 

1. Margot Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums

 

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Written into Halloween costume folklore, Wes Anderson's Margot Tenenbaum is a costume adored by fashion darlings and indie cinema buffs alike.

2. Jocelyn from The Idol

 

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Love it, hate it, or love to hate it – there haven't been many pop culture moments from this year that have cause quite the stir like HBO's The Idol series. But while the storyline was lacking – the looks were being served. Pop-star Jocelyn's pink stage look with dramatic black liner being a winner in our books.

3. The Addams Family

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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Classic, chic and absolutely theme appropriate; you can never go wrong with an homage to Halloween's resident family, The Addams Family. The perfect solution to couples dressing, pull out your best black gown and pinstripe suit for a look that will never fail to impress.

4. Studio 54

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Thanks to Tik Tok and a skateboard-riding, cranberry juice-drinking viral video, the 70s are having a greater resurgence than ever. There's no better opportunity to jump on the back of the hype and create a Halloween outfit inspired by one of the era's most iconic nightclubs – Studio 54.

5. Bring It On

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Certainly, dressing up as a cheerleader for Halloween may seem like an obvious choice, but this seemingly simple costume leaves a lot of opportunity to get creative. Take inspiration from your favourite cheer-icons and take your costume to the next level with a perfectly rehearsed routine for the final touch.

6. Marilyn Monroe

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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A women who lived life like every day was a dress-up party, Marilyn Monroe is a fool-proof option for any Halloween celebration. There's never an inappropriate time to pop on a gorgeous blonde wig and an elaborate diamond necklace.

7. The Flintstones

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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An iconic TV reference, step back in time and give The Flintstones a modern twist with a playful rendition of the show's signature fashion style. Bone chain belt and all.

8. Tony and Carmela Soprano

Sick of Mia Wallace impersonators? Try Tony and Carmela instead for a slightly more mob take on halloween.

9. Beyoncé and Jay-Z

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The Queen B and Jay-Z – a Halloween costume that will turn heads and is incredibly simple to recreate. Especially this matching suit moment, which we are absolutely loving by the way.

10. Cher and Dionne from Clueless

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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For a Halloween outfit you can pull together without a second thought, you can't look past the 90s duo that is Cher and Dionne from Clueless.

11. Off-duty Princess Diana

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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Bike shorts, oversized jumpers and chunky sneakers – the unofficial uniform of 2020. Now, it's time to turn your WFH look into a Halloween costume, following Hailey Bieber's footsteps and taking ultimate style lessons from Princess Diana.

12. Rock 'n' Roll legends

 

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If you're in the mood for a family affair, a throng of musical icons isn't a bad place to start. From Joan Jett to David Bowie, there's no limit on the combinations.

13. Elvira from Scarface

 

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There are few silver screen characters more iconic than Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Scarface. And all you need is a long blue dress and a blonde bob wig – et voila!

14. Holly Golightly

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A black dress, tiara and croissant in hand – Holly Golightly from Audrey Hepburn's iconic film, Breakfast at Tiffany's is exactly who we want to be for Halloween this year.

15. Frankenstein's Bride

 

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Frankenstein has had enough time on the Halloween stage, it's time to make way for his bride.

16. The Modern Vampire

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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If you've ever wanted to go to a Halloween party dressed in your pyjamas, here's your chance. This modern take on the classic vampire is perfect for party-goers who want to slap a costume together on the day.

17. Marie Antoinette

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Do you take Halloween pretty seriously? Here's your time to shine, with an elaborate Marie Antoinette costume that could see you take Kirsten Dunst's place in Sofia Copolla's 2006 film.

18. Leeloo from the Fifth Element

 

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The space angel of our dreams.

19. Beetlejuice and Lydia

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One of film history's most bizarre unions, Beetlejuice and Lydia is always a crowd-pleasing costume idea. That is, if you're into "The Whole Being Dead Thing."

20. Catwoman

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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An all black outfit, cat ears and a strong red lip are all you need to recreate Catwoman's signature outfit this Halloween.

21. FemBot and Austin Powers

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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Halloween is definitely the chance to go all out on pink feathers and matching silk gloves, courtesy of the Austin Powers character, FemBot.

22. Game of Thrones

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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One of the most divisive series in television show history, one thing we can all certainly agree on is that the characters in Game of Thrones make for great Halloween inspiration.

23. The Mask

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We'll admit, this one requires a lot of commitment, but there's something so playful about Gigi Hadid's modern iteration of The Mask.

24. Jessica Rabbit

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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A regular appearance during Halloween, Jessica Rabbit is one of animations most memorable characters and she certainly makes for a great costume.

25. The Trendy Witch

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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Last minute Halloween party? Look no further. Dig into your wardrobe for a classic denim skirt, polo top and 90s mule for a modern take on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

26. Forest Fairy

Best Halloween costumes of all time

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If you're wanting to make an impact this Halloween, upgrade your childhood Tinkerbell costume with this fashion-forward approach to a forest fairy. Don't hold back on the glitter.

27. Cassie and Maddie from Euphoria

No matter which way you split it, Cassie and Maddie have to be one of the most iconic frenemies duo to ever hit our screens. And for that, we are grateful. We are also grateful that the pair of an endless slew of memorable looks and moments that are perfect for Halloween. Glitter, cutouts and more! For the Maddie effect, we just know she would covet this Black Cutout Diamante Dress and Nate would have definitely gifted Cassie this vintage Chanel necklace.

28. Cavewoman

 

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Get in touch with your primal side.

29. Florence and the Machine

Make like Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner and take the punny root with your Halloween costume this year.

30. Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie's glam rock alter ego is a timeless Halloween costume to turn to, for those who already own a blue pantsuit and have a penchant for punchy eye makeup.

31. Greta Gerwig's Barbie

We're expecting to see many iterations of Barbie, as portrayed by Margot Robbie, this October 31st, thanks to Greta Gerwig's upcoming film. If you're searching for some pieces to complete your look, this Vintage Aromenia swimsuit or Amelie George Faux Coat from Depop will definitely do the trick.

32. The Guccis

 

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For those of us who, due to capacity restrictions in 2021, were not able to dress in their House of Gucci fantasies as planned.

33. Elvis and Priscilla Presley

 

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Take a leaf out of Jacob Elordi and Kaia Gerber's book and dress up as the royal couple of rock'n'roll themselves. If Austin Butler and Olivia de Jonge's portrayal in last year's Baz Luhrmann film wasn't enough, Sofia Coppola's newly released Priscilla should provide apt inspiration.

34. Timothee Chalamet at the Venice Film Festival

 

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I mean, really, all you require is a pair of red trousers and a scarf to execute this look flawlessly.

35. Suzy Bishop (Moonrise Kingdom)

Another beloved Wes Anderson character and go-to Halloween costume for anyone with an affinity for 1960s style.

36. Harry Styles

 

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Now this one does require some creativity. Our advice is to get crafty and stitch or sew some metallic fabric on a thrifted jumpsuit, and amp up your HS attitude to compensate for the home made costume. A+ for effort – you'll be the talk of the party.

37. Cher

You can never go wrong with dressing up as Cher.

38. Mia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries

Lean into the Y2K craze by recreating the iconic Princess Diaries movie poster as Mia Thermopolis.

39. Britney Spears

Sure, her ...Baby One More Time school-girl look is iconic. But this year, we're channeling this red lycra one-piece from Oops!… I did it again.

40. Pearl

For the scary-movie dressers, Mia Goth's Pearl is our scream queen icon for 2023.

41. Ladybird

The girls who get it, get it. Indie movie fans shouldn't overlook the iconic pink cast and home-died hair of Ladybird.

42. Baz Luhrmann's Juliet

There might never be a more ethereal presence on-screen like Clare Danes' Juliet in this Baz Luhrmann adaptation.

43. Fleabag and Hot Priest

 

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Probably the coolest couple costume we can think of, make like Daisy and Paul and channel our favourite on-screen star-crossed lovers from Phoebe Waller-Bridge's beloved TV series Fleabag. 

44. The Shining twins

 

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When in doubt on Halloween, nothing really trumps referencing a horror genre classic like The Shining. Just make sure you have a friend to join you for this one.

45. Envy Adams from Scott Pilgram

 

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There's something a little more fun about dressing up as a side-character. Move over Ramona Flowers, its the year of Envy Adams – just make sure Black Sheep is on the party playlist for 2023.


Want more Halloween costume ideas? Check out the best Halloween costume for your Zodiac sign, or get inspiration from some of our favourite celebrity Halloween costumes. If dressing up isn't your thing, why not peruse a list of our favourite spooky films to honour the holiday?

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Images: one, two, three, four.