Whether you like to dress up solo, as a couple, or as a group, All Hallows Eve is the time to let your creative juices run freely. So if you’re sick of traditional costumes like witches and vampires, check out these unique costume ideas based on current events, popular shows, and movies.
Win this year’s Halloween costume contest with these genius costume ideas that represent highlights of pop culture – and even politics – in 2016.
Pokémon Go Trainer Adventure
Let’s be real. If you’re trick-or-treating this year, you’ll probably have your Pokémon Go app open as you make rounds throughout the neighborhoods. You can hatch an egg, catch some Pokémon, and hit a few Pokéstops along the way. So, why not dress up as a Pokémon trainer? It’s the one day of the year when you can actually dress the part of your favorite game and fit in while collecting some sugary treats. Expect to see trainers from every team – Mystic, Valor, and Instinct – so be prepared for glorious battles at local gyms. You can purchase team hats and backpacks or DIY the whole ensemble. Top it off with a Pokémon plush toy like a Pikachu or Squirtle and you’re all set.
This webpage highlights the top 10 best cosplay/costume ideas for Pokémon Go.
Amazon has plenty of options to purchase Pokemon Go costumes or you can always use these as examples to design your own costume at home!
Scenes from Stranger Things
If you got sucked into the Stranger Things craze over the summer, you’ll know that this Netflix Original Series has plenty of creative Halloween costume potential. You’ll need a party of four, a blonde wig, pink dress, Eggo waffles, some walkie talkies, and typical 80’s boys fashion to dress up as Eleven and Will and the boys. Thinking about taking a couples approach to this costume theme? That’s easy. Check out this Stranger Things cosplay/costume in which a frightened Joyce attempts to decipher a string of blinking lights against a wall. On the other side of the wall is a hand reaching in…from an alternate dimension of course.
Leonardo DiCaprio and His First Oscar
Need a solo look this Halloween? It might be a bit tricky to capture all that is Leonardo DiCaprio while he holds his first Oscar, but you’ll surely stand out in any costume contest. Put on a snazzy black suit and tie, find yourself a fake Oscar award, and walk around with a thin veil of pride and relief with the knowledge that you finally made it to the big leagues. In all seriousness though, America would have come together in some serious protests if DiCaprio hadn’t won an Oscar for his role in The Revenant.
A Political Trio to Define 2016
The front-runners of the current presidential election are like caricatures in some morally ambiguous and cringeworthy adult cartoon. They are making it incredibly easy to poke fun at them, so there will undoubtedly be some Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Halloween costumes out there this year. And don’t forget Bernie.
Going for the Trump look? Get a spray tan, an orange toupee, and a blue suit with red tie. Don’t forget to purse your lips. For the Hillary look, grab a shoulder length blonde wig, a dark-colored pantsuit, and a pair of dark sunglasses. Walk around pretending to delete emails from your phone. The Bernie look requires a pair of spectacles, an Albert Einstein-type wig, and a second-hand suit.
Harry Potter Makes a Comeback
Take that old Hogwarts uniform out of storage this Halloween, because you can rest assured the streets will be riddled with brave Gryffindors, dedicated Hufflepuffs, wise Ravenclaws, and ambitious Slytherins of all ages. With the release of the much-anticipated two-part stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, at the end of the summer, the-boy-who-lived and all his adventurous wizard friends are back in the limelight. Grab your friends and dress up as Harry and the gang or as any of the new characters introduced in the play. This costume idea even works for families! Our middle-aged heroes of the wizardly world have kids of their own in the play, of course.
Want to know which house you belong in? Take the quiz.
Marvel and DC Full Force
Marvel and DC are officially fighting for public attention. They’ve showered us with more superhero TV shows and movies than we know what to do with. But, who’s complaining? For the most part, the superhero and villains we’ve seen are making pretty great impressions on the big screen. Superhero and villain costumes work for going solo, for couples dress-up, and for group costumes. You’ll likely see plenty of Harley Quinn and Joker couple’s costumes, some Deadpool, Arrow, and Flash for solo costumes, and Justice League or Avengers for groups of friends. There are a few DIY that are pretty easily completed, so pick your favorite superhero or villain wisely if you’re on a budget this Halloween.
Who You Gonna Call?
All you need are four fierce gals and a handsome hunk to get this look going. The Ghostbusters remake was released in July, and it has given girls the perfect opportunity to rock a beige bodysuit and some awesome ghost-fighting gadgets. There will be plenty of ghosts floating around on Halloween, so a group of Ghostbusters will be perfectly equipped for trick-or-treating. Couples can pair up with another couple to do a unisex ghostbusters team.
Game of Thrones
Most of us are still healing from yet another Game of Thrones season ending, so to cope with the separation anxiety, dress up like your favorite GoT character this Halloween. There’s so much potential for a DIY project with this series, even if your budget is restricted. It doesn’t really matter who you decide to dress up as because chances are that George RR Martin and the writers of the show will kill your favorite character off at some point in the next season.
