Halloween Hoopla
Written by Ky Tanella. Graphic by Kaitlin Elliott.
Halloween is right around the corner; at least, it feels like it! With such rampant creativity at this school, it feels like the stakes are high in terms of costume originality and creativity, especially the older you get (unless you’re like me, the senioritis is hitting in all departments)! If you’re feeling that stress, too, don’t worry, I’m here to help!!
Now, I may not be a pop culture expert, but I’ve certainly seen a lot of amazing costumes floating around my Instagram Reels and TikToks, and I’m here to provide you with a comprehensive list – complete with some mood boards. I’m gonna start with some randoms that I’d love to see this year, as well as some incredible pop culture moments/icons that I believe I’ll definitely see!
Around my various social media sources, I’ve seen a heavy interest in vintage costumes. More specifically, variations of bats, witches, cats, devils, and even pink poodles take a lot of inspiration from the ladies of the 1920s-40s. I think this is a super fun way to spice up a more “basic” costume (like cats or witches) and make it into something a bit more niche! 1960s aliens are also popping up all over Pinterest, which I think is so aesthetically pleasing – if maybe a bit expensive to achieve. Big wigs, antennas, twiggy makeup, a vintage white dress, and maybe even some go-go boots are an awesome way to achieve this look!! Clowns are a big staple in the queer community, but specifically, Pierott or 1920s-inspired clowns are coming back in a big way. This is an opportunity to go all out with the makeup and super frilly neck ruffles, or you can tone it down with a corseted dress! Either way, I think this would be super cool to see this year, as you definitely don’t have to look scary to look cool as a clown (please don’t be a scary clown this year; I’m really scared of y’all).
Let’s not forget some pop culture moments that I definitely hope to see this year! I had better see some more Barbies this year.
The first one that immediately comes to mind is Lisa Frankenstien. This movie is super underrated, in my opinion, and her dress/makeup look is absolutely simple and iconic. If Lisa Frankenstien has one fan, it’s me. This has been a huge year for the pop genre, and I think it’s in some great hands – but specifically, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX have had their moments!! Miss Sabrina has tons of iconic looks – including most of her tour outfits, her and Jenna Ortega in the Taste Music video (for the wlw’s), and her and Barry’s moment in the Please Please Please music video. If I don’t see some duos with these outfits, I’m gonna lose it. Charlie XCX’s iconic music video, Guess, with Billie Eilish, could also be a killer duo! And lastly, where do I even begin with Chappell Roan? I think her Lady Liberty costume would be the most iconic, but her “Casual” music video also jumps out, as well as her Miss Piggy costume for her infamous single: Good Luck, Babe.
On the topic of duos/trios, the Joker and Harley Quinn outfits for Joker 2 are absolutely iconic and a far cry from the ones I see every year at Spirit Halloween. And, of course, my favorite movie of all time is CHALLENGERS!! All you need is a tennis racket and maybe some pathetic male energy, please make it a trio costume, I beg! And lastly, Dune Part Two made its iconic release in March of this year and furthermore occupied the minds of so many of my male friends for months at a time. I wanna see some Paul and Chani costumes, guys!
Okay, rapid-fire round! If you’ve seen The Substance, you know how iconic Margaret Qualley’s outfit is, and I’d love to see some Sue’s out there!! Maxxxine came out this year, and the denim-on-denim combo is incredible – I better see all variations of Maxine and Pearl this year! Saltburn also made its debut just before Halloween last year, so I’d love to see some white tank tops and angel wings taking on the form of Mr. Jacob Elordi. Lastly, I always throw in Lee from Bones and All, as it’s one of my favorite movies, and I also have a curly mullet.
I could talk about Halloween forever, but sadly I cannot share all of my secrets, I have to be at least a little different this year! Happy Halloween everybody, make sure to spend it safely and responsibly! Oh, and also, wear your costumes to Film Fest screenings, if you plan on going! It saves a LOT of time!
