10 DIY Halloween Costume Ideas for the Sustainable Baddie
Natasha: Hey Zibby! I’m having so much trouble trying to come up with a Halloween costume idea :( I want to be hot, a bit niche, but not so no one gets it… you know what I mean? What are you gonna be for Halloween?
Zibby: Natasha!!! I feel you on that big time… I want my costume to be just relevant enough where the people who get it, GET IT, and the people who don't… well they just aren't supposed to.
Natasha: I love that!! Have you seen any good DIY costume ideas online? I keep getting cats and Harley Quinn on TikTok :(
Zibby: Oh yeahhhh that is not my vibe… I keep seeing stupid puns and overdone sitcom characters on Pinterest. I think we might need to make our own list of Halloween costumes this year…
If you’re feeling like Zibby and Natasha, check out these DIY-able Halloween costume ideas to avoid pre-party stressage and to make sure you show up all Halloweekend-long in something just as susty as it is sexy, spooky, or silly!
Euphoria
Credit: IMDb
Pull out the glitter, the spandex pants, and tiny tops, because this holiday we are all enrolling at Euphoria High. Whether it worked out for you or not, everyone invested in a bit of metallic makeup and cut out pants post Euphoria season one. This Halloween is the perfect year to make the most of your impulse purchases. Try out your best Maddy at the Carnival impression or throw on your favorite zip up hoodie and bike shorts for an effortless Rue look. Need some group ideas? Channel the show’s blue, purple, and pink dreamy (and unsettling) energy with makeup looks, or go literal and recreate the characters’ iconic fits. I’m thinking of re-creating the bathroom fight scene with a dramatic baby blue look for Cassie, a cute all-black and low-rise pant moment for Maddie, paired with a fun green tank and a bright red bag to channel Kat’s look. These styles can totally be found around your room with a little bit of improvisation. Euphoria makeup will definitely come in handy for your next Halloweekend costume, especially if you're trying to work a “Hot Undead” look.
Stranger Things
A classic go-to Halloween theme of choice will always be the 80s, but we are tired of the Jane Fonda look, and ready for something a bit more pop culture. After this year's new season of Stranger Things, we are excited to see many 80s high schooler-esque looks this holiday. This look will be very easy to curate using pieces that you have around, or things you can pick up from the thrift store. The only thing you may need to do a little extra work for is giving yourself some very heavy-handed bangs or a quick DIY perm. For the ‘fit, start with a classic baseball tee, or a plaid or flannel shirt. A pair of your favorite levis will be perfect for this look, and your vintage reeboks, Adidas, or new balances will tie it together. If you really want to pay homage to a character, try a trucker hat to get the perfect Dustin look, or shave your head for the classic Eleven! And if Halloween is cold where you are, throw on a long raincoat in red or yellow, or an oversized denim jacket, and you’re all set.
Bridgerton
Didn’t you hear? Regency is all the rage this year. If you are looking for a costume that says sexy in cursive, well, this is the theme for you. This Halloween look might seem daunting when you consider the jewels, petticoats, and ornate details in costuming from the show, but we promise that you have more to recreate this look than you may have considered. Search your closet (and your friends’ closets) for vintage corsets, milkmaid style dresses, ankle length skirts or dresses, lacy slips, and frilly socks for dainty ballet flats. Add to your costume with sheer scarves to drape on your arms, long gloves, and plenty of costume jewelry. Accessories are really what made the regency era the regency era, so don’t be afraid to go all out romantic with this one. Of course this year we all want to be Kate Sharma, so add some jewelry or finishing touches that reflect your personal style or cultural background to make the look uniquely yours. This costume can also be easily transformed into other costumes over the Halloweekend, like your fav historical figures. Remember, reusing is still the most sustainable thing you can do!
Harry Styles
Whether you caught Love On Tour, are a lifelong Directioner, or just have a lot of feathers in your closet, Harry Styles is a great susty costume choice this year for anyone. As a lifelong Directioner myself, I might choose to go with a classic throwback style and pull out a little “Harry at The Bakery” look with a white polo and red striped apron. For newer fans, one of Harry’s iconic tour looks might be the way to go. Search around for your most high-waisted dress pants and the most outrageous tank top or dress shirt you own. Pair that with at least one sparkly or feathered layer – personally, I love the feather boa look – and you have yourself a costume. If you want to go above and beyond, I would recommend suspenders and heart shaped sunglasses to top it all off. These Harry Styles pieces can also easily transition into a costume for your fav album cover, or even a Met Gala Outfit!
Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars
Whether you are riding the dark academia trend or not, 2010s teen dramas are definitely a good go-to costume when you need an idea in a second. Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars are great ideas for a solo costume, couples costume, or group costumes. Since so many styles from this show have returned on-trend, you are guaranteed to have options for this costume in your closet already. If you are working the loose tie trend, then you definitely have to sport a “Serena goes to class” look, with a plaid skirt, baggy white t-shirt, tote, and of course, a scarf tied as a headband. It’s even better if your bestie tries out the ascot look for a perfect Blair and Serena duo. If that’s not your thing, maybe you and your three best friends can work a spooky but sexy Pretty Little Liars look. Pull out that Little Black Dress to capture the perfect recreation of the iconic cover shot, or try “Sporty Emily”, “Preppy Spencer”, “Glam Hanna”, and “Artsy Ari” to fit each individual aesthetic. These costumes are simple, inexpensive, and definitely sustainable! They just require a little bit of digging around the closet.
Historical Figures
Credit: Columbia Pictures Marie Antoinette
This one is for my Baddies who I know are obsessed with late-Edwardian garb, who are in their Victorian ghost era, and who wish they had Kirsten Dunst’s dresses from Marie Antoinette (2006). ‘Cause me too. Please whip out that bustle and your ruffled collar!! Bought a corset that is a little too tight to wear on the reg recently? Make this Halloween the night to suffer through for the sake of a gorgeous costume. If you happen to own a powdered wig, that would be the pièce de résistance. Take some black eyeliner and draw on a few circular, heart-shaped, or star-shaped beauty marks! If you’re going to multiple parties, and decide to dress up as a Bridgerton diamond, take a piece from that costume and rework it into a similar historical era!
The Hot Undead
Credit: 20th Century Fox Jennifer’s Body
I don’t mean sexy zombie or demon nurse, God no. I mean like Morticia Adams, The Love Witch, Jennifer from Jennifer’s Body (2009), Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. Put on some foundation that’s a shade too light and makes you look sick, add some red eyeshadow to your water line, and dig up all the dark clothes you kept from your 2008 goth phase. Makeup is the key to any hot undead costume. You may need some fake blood or face paint to become your undead wet dream, but mixing red eyeshadow (or any eyeshadow color) with water is a great way to make water paint out of your makeup!
Your Fave Album Cover
It would have been very fun to be the girl on the cover of Deftones’ Around the Fur when I had a shaved head, but I missed that opportunity and decided to be a blueberry (wack!). If you’ve recently shaved your head, be cooler than me and do that! I tend to base my costumes around the color of my hair, and this year I will be Shakira on the cover of Donde Estan Los Ladrones? or one of her “Ojos Asi” outfits. Pick any one of your favorite album covers to recreate. If you chose to be Harry Styles, definitely go with his Fine Line outfit! It might be a little too chilly for the shirtless Harry Styles cover in New York.
Your Met Gala Outfit
Do you plan on being invited to the Met Gala anytime soon? Yeah, that’s what I thought. But that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up as if you were going this Halloween! Pick your fave met gala theme of recent years (Heavenly Bodies pleeease!!!) and build an outfit that you might have worn that year if you were attending. You can also make up your own theme if you like! Pull together your most extravagant or avant-garde pieces that you have been waiting for an occasion to wear.
A Niche Meme
Not everybody wants to go for the cute semi-nude costume on Halloween, or spend hours working on their makeup; some of us are here for the laughs! Memes are arguably the best of all costumes at any party. I would like to see someone dressed up as Shrek in a black latex suit dancing, please!! Or my “Callate Hetero” angel Mr. Styles, pictured above. Most meme costumes involve a simple outfit accompanied by a sign or poster with your meme written on it. Look long and hard at your wardrobe – how can you make a meme out of it?