Top 9 Halloween Costumes for 2023

Did Halloween sneak up on you and now you're in a costume crunch? Don't fear - check out nine of the most popular costumes this year that are quick to pull together and wallet-friendly while still managing not to skimp on the creativity!

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If you’re like me, Halloween snuck up on you rather quickly this year. With school, work, and life in general, costume planning has slipped under the radar, and many of us may be stressed trying to figure out a costume we can put together for a Halloween party. For those who are scrambling—take a deep breath and take your pick of costume ideas from my list of the Top 9 Halloween Costumes for 2023!

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Movie Character Costume Ideas

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1. Barbie

This is an obvious choice, but one of the costumes I’m most excited to see this year! The Barbie movie presents many stylish outfits and multiple versions of Barbie to choose from, such as Weird Barbie, Writer Barbie, Presidential Barbie, and so many more!

To make it even more fun, you can turn it into a duo costume by including a Ken (make sure he has his guitar) or a group costume idea with your friends all dressing up as different Barbies and Kens. If you do this, just promise me that you’ll incorporate a Barbie Land dance number at some point during the night.

For additional ideas, check out: Barbie and Ken Costumes

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2. The Little Mermaid

Go under the sea this Halloween! The live-action Little Mermaid was a highly anticipated and beloved movie this year, so whether you want to be Ariel the mermaid or represent her on-land self, you can find Ariel costumes at any costume store like Party City, or Spirit Halloween.

For additional ideas, check out:
Ariel Costume
Ariel Blue Dress

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3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

In this Spider-Man movie, Miles Morales is met with even more variants of spider-people as he travels across the multiverse—which means there are various costumes to choose from!

There’s Miles’s Spiderman, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Woman, Spider-punk, Peter Parker’s Spiderman, and so many more that are featured in the movie, you’re truly not in a spider costume idea shortage.

You may have to get creative with the costume creation of some of the spider variants, but Spider-Gwen and Miles Morales Spider-Man costumes (including his classic red and green sweatshirt) are easy to find online or at your local costume store. You’ll be traveling across the multiverse in no time!

For additional ideas, check out:
Miles Morales Costume
Spider-Gwen Costume

Pop-Culture Costume Ideas

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4. Taylor Swift

Taylor is—not even arguably—the most famous celebrity at the moment, and there are so many costumes to pull from in reference to her. The Eras tour, her most recent tour, has been an ode to her 20-year music career thus far, and to commemorate it, Swifties attending the tour got to work on putting together outfits that correlate with every song, album, music video, or Taylor-related thing that exists.

If you didn’t get tickets to the eras tour, or the outfit you had planned didn’t come in time, now is your chance to be part of the outfit experience—there’s no doubt this trend will carry into Halloween. Search through the Eras Tour tag on any social media platform for inspiration and don’t be scared to get creative with it!

For additional ideas, check out: Taylor Swift Eras Ideas

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5. Beyoncé

Going along with the famous women trend, Beyoncé is another celebrity whose looks will be recreated this year! For the Renaissance tour, fans put together chrome and silver-colored outfits at Beyoncé’s request to go along with the aesthetic of her Renaissance album, while also getting to work recreating her custom-made tour outfits to wear to the shows they attended. These outfits may take a bit of a DIY route, but you’ll definitely be the best dressed at any Halloween event you attend!

Take a look at Business Insider’s list of Beyonce’s 12 Best Looks From the Tour for ideas, and look through the Renaissance Tour tag on social media for DIY inspiration!

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Tv-Show Character Costume Ideas

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6. Daisy Jones

Based on the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones and the Six follows the rise and downfall of a famous fictional band from the 70s. This highly anticipated book-to-TV adaptation was a massive hit at the beginning of this year, and Daisy, the book form and TV form, has been regarded as an icon amongst young women since the book’s release.

Now that there are visual representations of what this beloved fictional rockstar looks like, this costume will be extremely popular. Whether it’s her everyday 70s boho look, or her later onstage outfits with dark, messy make-up and grungy boho dresses—you can’t go wrong with any of them, they’re all classic Daisy!

For additional ideas, check out: Daisy Jones and the Six Halloween Costumes

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7. The Last of Us

HBO’s The Last of Us is another show that took the world by storm at the beginning of the year. This show is based on the video game of the same name, and follows a man, Joel, and a young girl, Ellie, as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world together.

Costumes for this will be really easy to put together—post-apocalyptic clothing is easily findable in your closet or at your local Target! If you’re planning on being Ellie, all you need is a red zip-up hoodie, t-shirt, and jeans, and for Joel, a tan jacket, button-up shirt, and jeans will have you set to fight any clickers you encounter!

For additional ideas check out: The Last of Us Costume

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8. The Bear

With only two seasons out, The Bear has become a favorite amongst TV watchers. We follow perpetually stressed chef Carmy Berzatto as he takes over and reforms his brother’s hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

All you need to do is to look like you’re clocking into work at the most stressful place on earth in a white t-shirt, blue apron, a slightly crazed look in your eye, and a few kitchen health code violations to tie it all together!

For additional ideas, check out: The Bear Halloween Costume

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9. Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson has been loved by elementary and middle schoolers since its 2005 release, and after a failed movie franchise, the beloved character is coming back to screens in TV form in December, just in time for Christmas! Over the years, Percy has been cosplayed by fans of all ages, and now that he’s back and better than ever, his popularity is skyrocketing again, and fans want to celebrate his return in every way possible, including dressing up as him.

Any old orange shirt and jeans will work for this costume, but if you can find a website with quick shipping, consider buying a Camp-Half-blood shirt to indicate who you’re dressing up as.

For additional ideas, check out: Percy Jackson Costume

Whatever you choose to dress up as this year, make sure you feel comfortable in it, stay safe, and remember to have a fun and happy Halloween!

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