Halloween Costume Ideas

Ghost costume

It is that time of the year when you can dress up and be anyone you want to be (just make sure your costume isn’t culturally appropriative). Sometimes inspiration doesn’t take flight and you’re wondering how you can celebrate this spooky holiday. Luckily for you, we put together a list of Halloween costumes, so you are prepared for whatever plans you have! Doesn’t matter if you plan on going out solo or with your crew, we got the costume for you!

Individual Costumes

Person wearing a cow costume

1. Retro (Hippie, Disco, 70s)

Hippie, disco, 70s costume! There are so many ways to put together a retro costume. You can be all peace and love, living your ABBA fantasy, or getting it down to roller skate around town. You will probably already have some retro-looking items in your closet.

2. Olive

This is a simple costume that can consist of two colors, green and red. We know that this can look like you are gearing up for the holidays, but you can pull it off with a label or make the pimento strategically placed!

3. Cow

What is Vermont without cows?! You can get some inspiration at the UVM Dairy farm for this costume and get some extra serotonin. Just grab anything white and cut out/sew/glue black blobs on. You will really have a mooooment with this one!

4. Condiments

I know, this is similar to the olive, but hear us out. This can be an individual costume or a group costume! There are so many possibilities for this one. You can be ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, relish, hot sauce, or one of the weird bottles that’s a mix of some. You can even have a friend be a hot dog or hamburger as well for a costume pair!

5. Hiker

This can be straight out of the closet and ready to explore the wilderness or the campus dining halls! Just grab hiking shoes, pants, layers, the absolutely necessary flannel, and a backpack. You might actually go hiking after wearing this.

6. Magic 8 ball

Try again later, Maybe, Yes, No. This costume can answer your questions on what to be this year! Just grab a black outfit and print out a picture of a magic 8 ball. That is it and maybe this one will help your friend with deciding their costume.

         7.  Tourists of any kind

Ah tourists, we get them here in Burlington and you can even be one yourself. Just grab a beach-y shirt, hat/visor, sunglasses, and shorts and you are ready to hit the town. Make the costume even more believable with a fanny pack and a camera!

         8. Pirate

It’s super easy to create a pirate costume with the clothes in your closet. Just grab a belt, some boots, a flowy shirt and a hat or bandana for extra measure. You can dress it up or down as much as you want- and you can tell your friends to walk the plank!

         9. Phoebe Bridgers

Baby, it’s Halloween, and we can be anythiiiiiing…. If you didn’t already know, Phoebe is a singer-songwriter famous for wearing a skeleton onesie on stage. This one piece costume will keep you warm and comfy AND can be used as PJs after Halloween. Trust me- the pharbz will recognize who you are from a mile away.

          10. Vampire

Hear me out on this one. I KNOW this is done a lot, but that’s because it’s tried and true. It requires minimal effort with a great outcome: $10 to get fangs and fake blood and you’re good to go. You can don a cape for Transylvanian vibes or make it more modern with clothes from your closet. They may sleep in coffins, but vampires in media will never die.

Duo Costumes

Two people dressed as ghosts

        1. Morticia and Gomez

One of the most iconic couples and history! Gomez and Morticia are anything but the typical American parents, but their relationship is one of the most romantic of all time. You can have a lot of fun with this one, and you can also add the rest of the family for a group costume!

     2. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline

Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen are the sapphic royalty we need and the CUTEST couple costume. Both costumes can mostly be made with things in your closet, and the rest of it just requires a little arts and crafts. There’s also plenty of fun outfits from the show to choose from!

     3. Cosmo and Wanda from Fairly Odd Parents

Timmy may be the main character, but Cosmo and Wanda are the real stars of Fairly Odd Parents. Grab some pink and green colored hair spray (or dye if you’re feeling adventurous) and you’re basically set.  Don’t forget the magic wands!

    4. Kim Possible and Shego

We’re throwing you right back to the 2000s for this one. There is nothing more epic than a battle between Kim Possible and Shego. But, a duo costume of them is a close second. Bonus points if someone’s a ginger.

    5. Sully and Mike from Monsters Inc.

Perfect for best friends and a super simple DIY project! Grab some plain T-shirts, fabric glue and felt from the craft store and you’ll be ready to head to Monsters U.

    6. Sun and Moon

This is one of my favorite ideas that has become more popular over the years. One person dresses in yellow/gold and the other in gray/silver. To complete the costume, you can make headbands in the shape of the sun and moon or do some celestial makeup or face paint looks!

Group Costumes

Group dressed as animals

1. Schitt’s Creek

EW David! You and your friends can dress up as characters from Schitt’s Creek and have some hilarious disputes and get the whole town talking. You can be Alexis Rose wearing a bohemian modern clothes with a wide brim hat. David with a black and white seater and black pants. Moira with a flashy outfit that will make it known you were soap opera actor, and you can be Johnny and dress in a suit and tie! You can even expand to other characters in the show! Best thing is you can all say “A little bit Alexis!”

2. Stranger Things

4 Seasons of characters and we are all upset about… sorry we are not spoiling anything here! You can dress up like you are from the 80s with this group costume! Grab you jeans, jackets, band tee, and stripped shirts, and more for an easily recognizable look. You will just need to decided which season you want to represent!

        3. Gru and the Minions

It’s only fair to Gru that we add him here. This is one of my favorite costumes because you can have so much fun with it! If the minions aren’t your vibe, you can replace them with his girls; Margo, Edith, and Agnes! You can go all out with yellow face paint for the minions and a bald cap for Gru, or you can just wear similar clothes and slap on a pair of minion-looking glasses! This costume is great for big groups if you want to be the star(s) of the party.

4. The Seven Dwarfs from Snow White

I love this costume because you don’t have to buy a single thing! Just get your acting ready and throw on a hat (if you have one). Just to recap, we have Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. You can even throw in a Snow White if you need an extra costume! I would recommend putting your character’s name on a sheet of paper and taping it to your shirt if you want your costume to be more obvious.

        5. The Pixie Hollow Fairies from Tinkerbell

I don’t know about you, but I spent countless hours of my childhood playing the Pixie Hollow game on my computer and watching the Tinkerbell movies (Fawn was my fav). Dress your group up as Tink, Fawn, Silvermist, Vidia, Iridessa and Rosetta to bring magic wherever you go. Expand your group by including the boys, Periwinkle or even Captain Hook.

        6. The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz characters are a perfect group costume for digging into that childhood nostalgia and looking super cute while you do it. The core four- Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow- can also be joined by the witches of the East and West, Toto and the Wizard himself for a larger group costume that’ll turn heads.

We hope this helps you if you are in a pinch! Have a spooky Halloween!