Top 20: Be the Best Dressed for Halloween
Looking for fancy dress inspiration for your Halloween costume? Explore our iconic list to suit varied styles and dedication.
Halloween costumes are one of the most exciting things about the season, besides watching some great Halloween films! Whether you’re looking for scary or cute, stand out or simple, group or individual, this list has you covered with plenty of options to choose from.
Aunt Gladys
Who: Aunt Gladys, the instant icon from this summer’s smash hit horror, Weapons.
The Vibe: The mysterious, eccentric aunt moves into town - possible suspect in missing children case.
The Look: A bobbed, fiery wig with Scandi short fringe. Granny glasses. Make-up and more make-up, with particular attention to the mouth and surrounding area. Clothing wise, you want to look like you’ve either raided nan’s wardrobe or the local charity shop.
Must Haves: LOTS of red lipstick, a twig with some hair wrapped around it and a small bronze bell. IYKYK.
Difficulty rating: 5/10 relatively easy to achieve. Best thing about this look is no makeup skills are required (the messier, the better).
Bob
Who: Bob in Paul Thomas Anderson’s recent epic One Battle After Another.
The Vibe: Just rolled out of bed
The Look: It’s giving dishevelled revolutionary’s look – with a hint of hipster.
Must Haves: A tartan bathrobe is essential. Big visor-style sunglasses and black beanie help complete the look.
Difficulty rating: 2/10 Last minute Halloween costumes have never been easier (or comfier).
Dorothy
Who: The sweetest, golden age protagonist, Dorothy Gale from the magical The Wizard of Oz.
The Vibe: Like butter wouldn’t melt.
The Look: Dorothy’s country style with her ribboned pigtails and light blue gingham pinafore over a white blouse, is the ultimate wholesome option for Halloween. For an iconic group look, get yourself three friends to dress as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion.
Must Haves: A dog named Toto and unwavering optimism. Don’t forget the bright ruby slippers, too!
Difficulty Rating: 6/10 It’s simple but attention to detail is key.
Stack and Smoke
Who: Smoke and Stack, the identical twins played by Michael B. Jordan in the phenomenon that was Sinners.
The Vibe: With 1930s swagger, these twins are the life and soul of the (prohibition) party.
The Look: Dapper all the way.
Must Haves: Two of you is key for this look. Stack needs a burgundy fedora, while Smoke’s hat of choice is a blue flat cap. A novelty pair of vampire teeth wouldn’t go a miss (if you’re Stack anyway).
Difficulty Rating: 5/10 there’s quite a few elements to perfect the suited and booted mobster look, but hopefully you’ve already got some of it in your wardrobe.
The Grady Twins
Who: The poor Grady sisters from Stephen King’s infamous The Shining.
The Vibe: Cute but creepy. Maybe leaning more towards creepy…
The Look: Blue frilly frock and a white hairclip (x2).
Must Haves: A long, empty corridor to stand at the end of together, sure to startle anyone who stumbles across you and your doppelganger.
Difficulty Rating: 4/10 there’s not too much to it, just a couple of key items make it easily recognisable.
Superman
Who: The iconic Super Hero and symbol of hope, from James Gunn’s Superman.
The Vibe: Making kind the new punk rock, he’s an old soul who would unironically say "good gosh" or "darn it." He also saves mankind pretty regularly.
The Look: The instantly recognisable red cape and signature ‘S’ on a blue bodysuit
Must Haves: Ability to monologue, a great power stance and of course Krypto the dog.
Difficulty Rating: 5/10 can be a fun DIY option, even easier with a Superman t-shirt.
Morpheus
Who: Morpheus the rebel warrior from the ground-breaking The Matrix.
The Vibe: Ice cool and awakened from reality.
The Look: All black everything – trousers, waistcoat, shirt, tie, and of course, long leather coat
Must Haves: Armless sunglasses. Pocket full of blue and red jelly beans.
Difficulty Rating: 4/10 very achievable even at short notice. Just nail the black outfit and exude a calm, quiet confidence with a pretty flat expression.
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang
Who: Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo, seen in many Scooby-Doo TV episodes and films since the late ‘60s.
The Vibe: Groovy ghost hunters who always split up and look for clues.
The Look: Colour is key to determine each character for this nostalgic ensemble.
Must Haves: Assemble a team of five (option to have four people and one dog). Always good to have some Scooby Snacks around, and if you happen to have a Mystery Machine then you’ll take this to the next level.
Difficulty Rating: 4/10 one of the best group costumes you’ll come across and pretty easy to achieve.
Freddy Krueger
Who: The literal stuff of nightmares, it’s Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The Vibe: Not a big fan of teenagers, like at all.
The Look: A nightmarish combination of a red and green striped knitted jumper, a fedora and an unquenchable thirst for revenge.
Must Haves: Some makeup or face paint skills to pull off his unique face. Freddy’s signature bladed glove may be hard to come by (plus pose some health and safety issues), so fake nails and tin foil are more than suffice,
Difficulty Rating: 6/10 perfecting the face is the challenge here, the other elements are simple enough.
The Mask
Who: Stanley Ipkiss’s alter-ego in The Mask.
The Vibe: S-ssss-ssss-sssss-smokin! It’s bold. It’s suave. It’s unpredictable. And it will definitely turn heads.
The Look: A canary yellow suit with matching fedora and lime green face. You gotta go big (or stay home) with this Halloween fancy dress.
Must Haves: Charisma and OTT cartoonish facial expressions. Essentially, channel your inner Jim Carrey.
Difficulty Rating: 8/10 this isn’t just a look, it’s a performance. You’ll have to commit more for this eccentric character, but it’ll be so fun you’ll just want to P.A.R.T. Y? Because you gotta!
Corpse Bride
Who: Victor Van Dort and Emily, the accidental-married couple in Corpse Bride.
The Vibe: ‘Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.’ Romantic, tragic and very gothic.
The Look: From the wonderful world of Tim Burton, this bride and groom are in the Land of the Dead. Think dishevelled wedding attire with big, tired eyes.
Must Haves: A wedding ring meant for someone else and a forlorn expression.
Difficulty Rating: 8/10 this beautiful look requires some makeup skills and even some textile craftsmanship to perfect the costumes. Quality is key, but if you can achieve it, it’s so worth it to transform into these darkly loveable, stop-motion characters.
Harry Potter
Who: The boy wizard from the phenomenon that is Harry Potter.
The Vibe: Third year student juggling Divination homework and Voldemort attacks.
The Look: For Harry Potter himself, you’ll need a brunette pixie cut, glasses and the iconic lightning mark on your forehead. Simple but synonymous.
Must Haves: Complete the wizard look with a wand in hand and school uniform (preferably in the Gryffindor colours).
Difficulty Rating: 4/10 easily achievable if you still have your old school uniform to hand. Magic powers preferred but not essential.
Steve and Garrett
Who: I am Steve and Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, from A Minecraft Movie.
The Vibe: Gaming is life. Brb, off to fight a pixelated chicken jockey in the Overworld.
The Look: A master crafter with a simple preference for ordinary blue clothing, and a former computer game champion still living out his ‘80s dream.
Must Haves: For a quick and easy, last-minute costume, grab a blue t-shirt and trousers and you’re Steve! For Garrett, a mullet and pink leather jacket with tassels are non-negotiable. It’s a pet friendly option too – turn your pooch into Dennis with the addition of a red collar.
Difficulty Rating: 2/10 or 5/10, depending on which character you choose. If you can get your hands on a diamond pickaxe you’re onto a winning look.
The Grand High Witch
Who: The Grand High Witch, the most powerful and evil witch in the world, from Roald Dahl’s novel, The Witches.
The Vibe: A VIP and the lynchpin between the secret societies of demonic witches.
The Look: Fashion, darling. She’s sophisticated with a black bob with fringe and long black dress. An expression of permanent distaste for the human race.
Must Haves: Shades of purple in the form of a hat and eye shadow. Black gloves are essential, and plenty of costume jewellery.
Difficulty Rating: 3/10 It’s one of our easier options – combining black and purple will get you most of the way there.
Beetlejuice
Who: The ghost with the most, it's the one and only Beetlejuice.
The Vibe: Thinks he’s more of a catch than he actually is, but without a doubt the funniest undead guy around.
The Look: Risen from the grave, copy the ghoul’s messy look with some green hairspray and face paints.
Must Haves: Must say his name three times – trust us, nothing bad could possibly happen…
Difficulty Rating: 7/10 we suspect not many people have a black and white striped suit laying around in their closet, but if you manage to nail it, this look is a guaranteed winner for a fun time.
Mortal Kombat
Who: No matter which side you choose, there’s multiple characters to take inspiration from the world of Mortal Kombat
The Vibe: Kombat ready!
The Look: Keep it lowkey and throw on your coolest shades and a leather jacket for Johnny Cage, or go all out and gear up with your finest fantasy, ninja-inspired armour for characters like Kitana and Scorpion to dress to impress.
Must Haves: The iconic phrases. “Finish him!” and “Get over here!” being two of our favourites.
Difficulty Rating: 9/10 for characters like Kitana and Scorpion’s more intense outfits, 1/10 for Johnny Cage’s nonchalant swagger. In true Mortal Kombat style, choose your character!
The Nun/Valak
Who: One of the main antagonists from the Conjuring Universe, The Nun aka Valak aka The Crooked Man.
The Vibe: A rebellious angel who’s chosen the dark side. Truly terrifying and guaranteed to spook your mates.
The Look: Long black robe, white collar, black veil – true demonic nun style has never been easier. Have fun with the makeup, replicating the haunting face of Valak.
Must Haves: An eery stare and an intimidating stance.
Difficulty Rating: 5/10 the costume itself is simple enough, just try not to scare yourself dressing up as this one.
Willy Wonka
Who: Roald Dahl’s beloved character brought to life in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The Vibe: Quirky chocolatier diva living in his own world.
The Look: Formal yet whimsical, Wonka’s signature bob and top hat along with his red velvet coat form the perfect fit for a factory.
Must Haves: Starry-eyed expression and purple latex gloves.
Difficulty Rating: 7/10 quite a few components to perfect this look, but it would be epic to dress as Willy Wonka himself for a holiday that essentially celebrates chocolate and sweets.
Akasha
Who: The reincarnated vampire queen, Akasha in Queen of the Damned.
The Vibe: The undead, longest reigning queen hellbent on world domination.
The Look: Dressed to kill, this costume must exude the ultimate regal fantasy aesthetic with a long flowing black skirt and shiny accessories.
Must Haves: LOTS of bold jewellery
Difficulty Rating: 8/10 head piece may need some DIY construction.
Pennywise and Georgie
Who: Pennywise the Dancing Clown and poor little Georgie, from IT Chapter One & Two.
The Vibe: Drains can be deadly. The most evil clown you could possibly imagine and his innocent young victim.
The Look: Surely one of the most impressive characters to dress up as for Halloween, Pennywise’s red hair and ruffled collar are instantly recognisable – and terrifying. Meanwhile Georgie, it’s the yellow raincoat and paper boat (sob).
Must Haves: A red balloon. Iconic.
Difficulty Rating: 9/10 There’s no denying it, Pennywise requires some skilled make-up application, and attention to detail for the outfit. Georgie is definitely on the easier side though!
And that concludes our top list of 20 costume ideas, well done if you made it this far! Discover our Halloween Costume Ideas Pinterest board for further inspiration.