24 Halloween Costumes Perfect for 2016
Halloween is quickly approaching, and you want to have a killer costume that showcases your wit and cleverness while still looking cool, right? Yeah, us too. The advent of Instagram really upped the Halloween stakes for all involved. Replace candy with likes, and that's what the holiday is like in 2016. (But we'll still take the candy, too, please.)
This year was a rollercoaster year of landmark events in the world of pop culture, from the triumph and drama of the Rio Olympics to the rollercoaster that was Hiddleswift. (It also marked the tragic passing of some of or musical heroes, so expect to see plenty of homages to them this year — maybe even more than usual.) If you want to make a statement about the year that was on October 31, why not dress as one of 2016’s shocking, viral, hilarious, or influential pop culture moments? It’s easier than you think, we promise.
1/24Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West
People needed: 3
Props needed: cell phones
Bonus points if someone wants to be the Snapchat ghost.
2/24The Pink Ladies... or the T-Birds, you pick
People needed: 4
Props needed: squad jackets (you know you've thought about it anyway)
What with the success of *Grease Live! * on FOX, we wouldn’t be surprised if a whole new generation of Pink Ladies and T-Birds hit the streets on Halloween.
3/24Rey
People needed: 1 (she starts out as a loner, you know)
Props needed: the Force
The *Star Wars: The Force Awakens * heroine will definitely be a popular costume this year, especially for those of us who admired her grit and courage. (Plus, that hairstyle is totally easy to duplicate.)
4/24BB8
People needed: 1
Props needed: Roller skates, so you can “roll” around like the cute little droid we fell in love with.
5/24The Plastics on Halloween
People Needed: 3
Props needed: Mouse ears, duh!
At this point, the *Mean Girls * threesome is practically a classic BFF costume. Put a twist on it and dress as the girls on Halloween. A fourth friend can dress up as an ex-wife.
6/24The Countess
People needed: 1, plus any adoring boyfriends who are just dying to do your bidding
Props needed: Old-school glamour and charm to frighten the dead
Channel your inner fashion vampire by dressing up as Lady Gaga’s glamorous, dangerous American Horror Story: Hotel character.
7/24Zigi
People needed: 2
Props needed: The look of love in your eyes
Our go-to couples costume this year? Now that Hiddleswift is over, we’re going for Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid vibes. (Note: This costume could easily double as a Danny/Sandy look if you’ve got two events to dress up for.)
8/24The Final Five
People needed: 5
Props needed: All those gold medals!
Even if your squad can’t walk a balance beam or do a handspring, you can pay homage to the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Bonus: The warm-up suits will keep you cozy if it snows on Halloween.
9/24Drake and Rihanna's camouflage sharks
People needed: 2
Props needed: Uh, fins?
Drake and Rihanna’s matching tattoos come to life! Repurpose your Left Shark costume for this one.
10/24The Ghostbusters
People needed: 4
Props needed: Does Chris Hemsworth's character count as a prop?
Internet comment section (thankfully) not included.
11/24Eleven
People needed: 1
Props needed: Eggo waffles
Stranger Things’ breakout star was definitely Eleven with her buzzed head, bloody nose, and Eggo waffles. If you've been waiting for a moment to chop your hair off, consider this it.
12/24A pool float swan
People needed: At least 1, but the Jenners' pools feature the ultimate flex: swans and unicorns and...
Props needed: a bottle of water
“I’m not just a regular swan! I’m a swan *pool float, * as seen on Instagram.”
13/24President Hillary Clinton and First Husband Bill
People needed: 2
Props needed: Balloons!
If you dress as the Clintons, be sure to carry around giant balloons and wear a primary-colored pantsuit.
14/24Damn, Daniel!
People needed: 2
Props needed: White Vans
It explains itself.
15/24The Kardashian-Jenners at Yeezy
People needed: As many as you can (we understand if your crew isn't big enough to rep the entire family)_
Props needed: Lip kits and lots of body-con outfits
Invest in a long platinum blonde wig and a few feather boas to make this squad costume work. Dance awkwardly for more authenticity.
16/24Dat Boi!
People needed: 1
Props needed: A unicycle
Can you ride a unicycle? Great! All you need is a green unitard and here comes dat boi … you!
17/24David Bowie
People needed: 1
Props needed: It depends on your Bowie era, TBH
The tragic passing of David Bowie earlier this year means that Ziggy Stardust will probably be a pretty popular costume this year.
18/24Prince
People needed: 1
Props needed: Lots of purple, a hefty dose of shade
Few artists have ever been or will ever be like Prince. Pay tribute to the late icon accordingly.
19/24Willy Wonka
People needed: 1 (but bonus points if you and your friends dress up as Charlie and the rest of the kids)
Props needed: Candy. Thankfully, that's kind of Halloween's specialty.
Gene Wilder's recent passing affected many, and was a reminder that childhood is fleeting. Be a kid again by recreating this classic movie.
20/24Spin Class Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
People needed: 2
Props needed: Your best athleisure looks
You don’t have to haul a Spin bike around to parties to channel Ariana and Nicki's ‘80s workout glam. All you need is a long, bouncy ponytail and some baggy white pants. Bonus: you can totally wear your costume to gym class the next day.
21/24Pokémon
People needed: Uh, it's not "gotta catch 'em all" for no reason
Props needed: a cell phone
The Pokémon Go craziness has died down since it took over the nation in early summer, but Pokémon are so darn cute that they make the perfect group costume.
22/24The Puppy Filter
People needed: 1
Props needed: Some cute ears and you're good to go
Dress as everyone’s favorite Snapchat filter and see how many people take selfies with you.
23/24The Powerpuff Girls
People needed: 3
Props needed: Sugar, spice, and chemical X
One of the best things that happened in 2016 was the return of the Powerpuff Girls. We needed you in our lives, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup!
24/24Lemonade
People needed: 1
Props needed: Hot Sauce
We have a feeling that stores will be rolling out their flowy mustard yellow “Hold Up” dresses come October. Of course, there are tons of iconic looks from the visual album to choose from, so if you and your friends each want to pick a moment, you could recreate your own tribute entirely.
