Halloween is the one time of year it’s acceptable to dress and act totally out of character. So this October, grab your closest friend or significant other and take to the streets with one of these fun costume ideas.
GREASE LIGHTNING
It doesn’t take more than the word “Grease” to start singing out loud, envisioning Pink Ladies, leather pants, and slicked back hair dos. The 1978 classic is a reminder of all 50s icons: root beer floats, poodle skirts, John Travolta (when he was hot), and the days when cigarettes were cool, plus young, summer love!
There are a number of iconic outfits that Sandy and Danny wear if you want to create that duo. You could also go with your friends as the Pink Ladies or the T-Birds with matching jackets! Electrifying!!
UP, UP, UP AND AWAY
The 2009 Pixar movie Up is now considered one of the best animated films of all time. Who can resist a flying house of thousands of balloons, a grumpy, old Carl Fredricksen’s, spunky Boy Scout Russell, Doug the Dog and Kevin?
There are a number of options here. One could go as the young boy scout, Russell, and the other could act as Mr. Fredricksen. Or, your duo could dress up as the young Mr. and Mrs. Fredrickson. Kevin the bird and Russell are a great dinamic duo or even Doug and Russell! The options are endless...and fun!
UNDER THE SEA
Whether you’re referencing The Little Mermaid or ancient legends of sirens seducing sailors at sea, the theme of mermaids and pirates is timeless.
Create your mermaid look with a bikini top paired with a long skirt that flares at the bottom (preferably with some sort of scaled, green pattern). For those swashbuckling pirates, a handy eye patch, baggy white blouse, hook around his/her wrist (think Captain Hook), and some bulky boots (for managing a ship’s deck, of course) will do! For extra spunk add a hat with large parrot feathers stuck in the sides (or a bandana tied around the head).
MOTHER OF DRAGONS
This one is for you, Game of Thrones fans. This television series is HBO magic, packed with romance, violence, magical creatures (hence the dragons)..plus the perfect opportunity to recreate costumes!
There are a number of notable characters, but the most aesthetically noteworthy is arguably Khaleesi (the Mother of Dragons). For this idea, one would dress as Khaleesi, and the other could dress up as either a dragon or her equally recognizable boo thang from season one, Khal Drogo. (Pro tip: If you have a group of four, you could include all three of Khaleesi’s dragon babies.)
Khaleesi has bleached blonde (basically white), long hair, so a wig would work best for this costume. One of her more prevalent outfits was from late in season four: a long turquoise dress paired with a thick gold belt. Hunt down some good options at your local clothing stores or even treasure hunt in Goodwill!
For Khal Drogo, you'll need a beard (real or painted on, you'll look great), shirt or no shirt (it's up to you!) with leather holstering around your waist and war paint across the chest. Medieval swag with lots of leather and bolts is key to pulling this one off. If you’d like to go as a dragon, creativity will get you far. You’ll need to somehow orchestrate wings, a tail, scales, and perfect your fire-breathing skills.
GO BANANAS
Everyone knows monkeys love bananas, right?
The banana might need to get a bit creative with forming a full-body yellow, crescent moon-shaped suit. (Then again, you can always wear a bright yellow dress and stick Chiquita stickers all over your body.) The monkey will just need to dress in brown, make a set of ears out of a headband and felt, and construct a long tail.
POLICE BREAKFAST
Not to stereotype, but…we all know cops love donuts and coffee. Grab a friend or your significant other and dress up as this sugar and caffeine match made in heaven.
A blow up donut-shaped floatie or a white t-shirt with the donut painted on the front. Paint on icing and sprinkles, you can also place glue on the shirt and cover your donut in glitter! For the second costume, you can either dress as the cop or create your DIY coffee cop outfit with brown clothing and a hand-drawn Starbucks label.
JUNO
This 2007 film is about a quirky, teenage tomboy who gets pregnant with her best friend. A hilarious comedy with lots of quotable anecdotes, it’s arguably one of the most-watched movies of the late-2000s.
This one’s pretty easy to pull off, especially with a quick errand to the nearest Target store. For Juno, you will wear jeans a pleated skirt over them, a white and orange striped shirt (with a pillow or some sort of pregnancy-stuffing underneath), and a brown zip-up hoodie. Have your hair pulled into a ponytail, parted down the middle. For the second costume, you will wear flashy yellow track shorts (that means short shorts), high socks, a baggy T-shirt, running shoes, and a sweatband around your hair.
THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS
This animated TV classic premiered on Nickelodeon in early 2001 and lasted for 20 episodes. Wanda and Cosmo—the married fairy godparents of 10-year-old Timmy Turner—are a bit dysfunctional, but in the most likeable way. Totally nutty and in love, the duo try their best to make Timmy’s life better, but usually ends up just making a mess of things.
Wanda dresses in a yellow shirt and black pants, while Cosmo sticks with traditional white shirt, black slacks, and black tie. Both carry star-shaped wands (for wish granting, of course), have a pair of little white wings, and wear tiny crowns atop their colorful hair. Buying wigs will be crucial here, as Wanda’s locks are hot pink (and pulled into a 50s-style do), and Cosmo’s are electric green.
DIRTY DANCING
One of the best romantic dramas of all time, Dirty Dancing is the 80s-era love story of innocent Baby and camp dance instructor Johnny (who is played by young Patrick Swayze. Swoon!). While on break from the Peace Corps, Baby finds herself anxious to get away from her hovering parents and their sleepy resort to tinker with edgier people and experiences. When she runs into Johnny, a bad boy who is in desperate need of a new dance partner, her summer season quickly spirals into excitement and passion.
This is all about the 80s. Think boom boxes, fluffy skirts, and even fluffier hairstyles. Baby will want to wear the film’s iconic pale pink, knee-length tank top dress worn in the final dance scene. Remember heels and a teased bob of curls. Johnny will need a pair of tight-fitting black slacks and an even tighter black shirt. Remember the feathery, swooped hairdo. And both of you will need to brush up on your dancing skills, of course.
THE FLINSTONES
Remember this 1960s American sitcom? Well, the Flinstones—Fred, Wilma, and eventually their daughter Pebbles—were a modern Stone Age family with a whole lot of day-to-day quirks—just like the rest of us…minus the dinosaurs.
Fred wears a tiger-striped, dress-like pullover with a bright blue tie, and Wilma always wears a short and shaggy white-colored, one-shoulder-strapped dress and pearls. It’s the caveman’s approach to 60s style. Oh, and if you can stand to walk around barefoot all night, bonus points.
Whether you want to stir a laugh, a scare, or an “Awwww,” these collaborative ideas are sure to draw attention at this year’s festivities. Make a trip to the nearest craft store, and get started creating your best Halloween costume yet!
