It’s officially October, which means halloween is only a few weeks away. I have always loved halloween. Orange, black, purple, scary movies, monsters, costumes, and candy, I love it all. It’s the perfect holiday to hang out with friends and get creative with your costume without the pressure of gift giving or seeing every member of your family. I think about Halloween approaching all year, planning costumes in my head.I love seeing everybody else’s costumes almost as much as I love dressing up myself.
The classic ghost, vampire, zombie, witch, football player, cheerleader are fine, but let’s be honest … boring. And it’s no fun when your costume is so obscure you have to explain it to every person who looks your way. My favorite costumes are pop culture references related to something that happened in the last year. Movie and TV characters are a great place to start.
2023 has seen many year-defining pop culture moments. Here are the costumes I predict will be a common sight this spooky season.
Barbie and Ken
I could not possibly start with anyone else. Barbie is MY 2023 person of the year. The $1.4 billion blockbuster was the event of the summer in my opinion, especially in conjunction with Oppenheimer’s release. You have so many recognizable outfits to pull from (stereotypical barbie, roller skating barbie, cowgirl barbie). Dressing up as best friends or a couple, go as Barbie and Ken. Or go a little unconventional and be Weird Barbie or Allan!
Oppenheimer
Go 40s with an Oppenheimer suit look. A decade from now we’re going to look back on 2023 and say “Remember Barbenheimer day?”. It was a cultural phenomenon, highly anticipated by millions. How funny would it be dress up in a pair as Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Wednesday and Enid
The Wednesday era might feel like a long time ago now, but it was released in November of 2022, so it didn’t get to have its Halloween moment this year. I expect to see a lot of best friends as Wednesday and Enid. In a group you can even do the whole Addams family. Raid your closet for all things black, put your hair in two braids, and ditch the smile for a last minute Wednesday costume!
M3GAN
M3GAN became one of the biggest horror hits of the year. If you are going to go all out, be prepared to do M3GAN’s iconic (and moderately disturbing) dance.
Little Mermaid
Adapted from the 1989 classic Disney, 2023’s The Little Mermaid will go down as a generational classic. The representation Halle Bailey brought to this role will be costume inspiration for little girls for years to come.
*Prince Eric optional
Eras Tour Taylor Swift
In 2023 Taylor Swift embarked on the tour of all tours. The 3+ hour shows spanned all 10 musical eras over her career. There’s an era for everyone.
Ghostface
Ghostface is a timeless halloween costume, but even more relevant after the release of Scream IV, the sequel to the franchise’s revival. Scream is my personal favorite horror franchise, spanning four decades. If you don’t feel like sweating underneath a mask and robe, another recognizable costume would be Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker, the opening kill from the first movie in 1996.
Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, the animated Marvel became the blockbuster of the summer. The art style makes the movie what it is, and I expect to see a majority of the superheroes this Halloween dressed as Miles and Gwen.
Super Mario Bros
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a huge hit among everyone nostalgic for the old games we played on Nintendo. I’m anticipating lots of Marios, Luigis, and Princess Peaches this year among friends, siblings, and couples.
Daisy Jones And The Six
70s music and fashion fans are going to go crazy over their Daisy Jones costume this year. The series was adapted from the Taylor Jenkins Reid Novel and was an instant hit following its release in the Spring. It’s loosely based on the story of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, and that shows through Riley Keough’s wardrobe in the show.
I can’t wait to see these costumes come to life this Halloween. Comment any costumes you think I missed!
I saved one of my teenager's dance costumes that'll make a perfect Barbie outfit. We'll see!
ReplyDeleteGreat list.
These are so cute! Barbie is definitely going to be huge and I can’t wait to see everyone recreating her looks or being creative with it!!
ReplyDeleteHave already seen so many people on social media talking about Barbie costumes and ideas. Following the movie there are so many variations of Barbie so it's definitely going to be a top hit this year. Would love to see some Daisy Jones costumes though!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list! I completely agree with the Barbie costume, it is just so iconic!
ReplyDeleteI looked at this list and thought this was so accurate! It's funny though because I feel you helped me with a costume idea for Halloween. I think doing a Barbenheimer hybrid costume could be fun so I thank you for your help this Halloween!
ReplyDeleteEvery year I typically try to steer away from costumes that I think most people will be doing, but this year I am so excited to see all the different barbies. I can't wait to see everyone's interpretation of what kind of barbie they see themselves as.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about the Mario costumes that would come out! I think there might also be some costumes based on smaller or silly trends from this year (like Olivia Rodrigo from her new album or Grimace).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how people get creative with the barbie costumes! Ooh I wonder if people will do a mashup for barbenheimer movie theater weekend.
ReplyDeleteI read and heard there was a general consensus that Barbie had the same plot and arch as Fight Club. The messaging was the same just roles reversed .
ReplyDelete