12 Costumes Ideas Inspired by '90s Icons For An Epically Nostalgic Halloween
1/13How many times have you wondered if it were possible to be your favorite celebrity or pop culture icon? Too many times to count? Luckily, Halloween provides just that option — which is especially handy when some of your fave’s clothing choices were a little, well, out there.
If you’d rather wait for everyone else to look a little crazy before you bust out the elaborate getups, you needn’t look any further than October 31st to do so…and you don’t need to look that far beyond the glorious ‘90s for inspiration. What didn’t that ‘90s have?! Subtlety, that’s what, as every one of our favorite women from pop culture weren’t exactly shy in their outfit choices. Here are 12 costume ideas for you and your friends, the bulk of which probably already exist in your closet. (You held onto those neon pants, didn’t you? Don’t worry, we did, too.)
WireImage2/13Aaliyah
The costumes in Queen of the Damned are already Halloween-perfect, but there’s so much more to Aaliyah than that. The woman loved herself a crop top and baggy jeans, so pair your best boyfriend cut with a tube top — bonus points if it’s from Tommy Hilfiger — and prepare to rock the boat.
The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images3/13__Selena Quantanilla __
Whether you knew the icon before she sadly passed away or were introduced to her from the movie starring one Jennifer Lopez, there’s so much outfit inspiration to glean from the Tejana singer. Her costumes were sparkly and inspired by her culture — so get ready for a lot of flares, a lot of ruffles, and a lot of color (including that red lip). You probably know the lyrics to “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” already, but if you don’t, get to practicing. And speaking of J.Lo...
Getty Images4/13Vintage Jennifer Lopez
Whether you’re bold and go for the green Versace dress that went down. to. there, or just use it as an excuse to rock your favorite Juicy sweatsuit (because you know you still have one, and even Nicole Richie did it once!) there’s no limit to which version of la Lopez you can channel. Go on a Google deep dive and see which outfit speaks to you most. Just don’t forget that bronze glow.
WireImage5/13Destiny’s Child
Are you and your friends are survivors? Do you just want a certain dude to say your name (say your name)? Whatever the case, It’s best to lay out the groundwork here and promise your friends that you won’t abandon them for solo careers later in life. That pact made, look for outfits that are the same color, but all have slightly different hemlines and concepts. Mix and match pants, skirts, and dresses here. The point is to be matching...but not quite. You’re independent women, after all!
Getty Images6/13Gwen Stefani
The ultimate ska princess, Gwen’s music career goes way, way back — this is for everyone who remembers her before her Hollaback years. Kick it like the boys in a cropped white undershirt, some plaid pants, and lots of red lipstick — yeah, she was rocking it back then, too. Bonus points if you want to dye your hair to match the Gwen era you’re channeling…but a wig would work nicely, too.
Getty Images7/13Cher, Dionne, and Tai
What, you thought we’d leave them off the list? Ugh, as if! While it’s no longer a unique costume — think of the Wildfox Couture sendup campaign and all of the #tbt #listicles celebrating the movie’s 20th anniversary — teaming up with your BFFs to recreate the outfits from a particular scene in the movie would leave everyone else totally buggin’. Maybe recreate the val party and source a red Alaïa bodycon dress. (After all, it’s like a totally important designer.)
Alamy Stock Photo8/13Liv Tyler
Before Kylie Jenner crowned herself as the kween of plush lips, there was Liv Tyler. The perpetually fresh-faced star wowed in Aerosmith’s music videos — her father is their frontman, after all — and in films like Armageddon and Empire Records. Source a plaid skirt and a baby blue sweater if you want to take it back to the mall days, or find an off-duty NASA suit and stare up at the sky, hoping that your boys destroy the asteroid and save Earth.
Getty Images9/13Spice Girls
So tell us what you want, what you really, really want! What girl DIDN’T dress up with her friends and mimic the routines of the Spice Force 5 growing up? With their signature names, characters, and crazy-high platform shoes, these girls were just waiting to be recreated by adoring fans back then…and years after their debut album came out. You could also channel their Olympics revival performance, but TBH, why would you want to? The glory years of girl power were where it was at.
WireImage10/13TLC
This costume isn’t for the scrubs — though it would be totally comfy if you did it right. Silk pajamas, buttoned strategically, mean that the only thing you’d have to worry about would be a breeze on Halloween night…though that would also perfectly mimic the wind machine in one of their most famous music videos. Make sure whoever channels Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes (RIP) pencils on a stripe under her…you guessed it, left eye.
Getty Images11/13Christina Aguilera
What a girl wants is a great Halloween costume, and Christina Aguilera rarely disappoints. She burst onto the scene with “Genie in a Bottle,” but the powerhouse vocalist showcased tons of iconic outfits in the late ‘90s. Think low-rise jeans — bonus points for a lace-up fly — and tons of chunky hair highlights. (Temporary hair paint works perfectly here.)
WireImage12/13Britney Spears
Hit you, baby, with one more Halloween costume idea? If you insist! While fans of scarier Halloween costumes might opt for a bald cap and an umbrella a la 2007 Britney, the school uniform in the singer’s breakout music video and the red bodysuit in her “Oops! I Did It Again!” spot would be just as recognizable. Bonus points: grab your best guy friend and go as double-denim dates. Brit-Brit and Justin would be proud.
FilmMagic, Inc13/13Missy Elliott
If you’re waiting eagerly for Missy’s new album (we are, too!) then there’s no better way to show it than a homage to the fiercely fly rapper. An Adidas tracksuit is comfortable, easy to find, and totally on trend (Kylie Jenner totally thinks so!) and it’ll keep you warm all night. The adventurous and DIY-happy costumer could even remake her iconic inflatable suit with tons of black garbage bags…if you dare.
