While New Year’s Eve is the conventional holiday of reflection, Halloween may be an even more telling summary of the year in one day. There will always be classic witches, vampires, and ghosts making appearances at your Halloween party - but the life of the party most likely lies within those who are creative, witty, or aware enough to dress as a recent pop-culture reference. I’ve compiled a list of 16 costume ideas that, rather than being “timeless”, are uniquely pertaining to 2016.
1. Barb From Stranger Things
The new Netflix original series Stranger Things was a huge hit this year. One of the biggest surprises in the show was the reception of the throw-away best friend, Barb. To achieve that coveted Barb-aesthetic, you’re going to want a vintage high-neck ruffle blouse from the eighties, vintage jeans with an elastic waist, and some clear plastic glasses - and of course, don’t be caught dead without your red pixie cut wig.
(Read more of my thoughts on Barb here.)
2. Harley Quinn From Suicide Squad
Love it or hate it, the Suicide Squad version of Harley Quinn must be the single most popular women’s Halloween costume of 2016. Although most die-hard Harley fans were upset with Harley’s new look, it’s hard to deny that she looks amazing. Don’t allow Harley Quinn purists and slut-shamers to deter you from wanting to dress as this badass female supervillain for a night. Rather, go ahead and gear up with your pigtail wig, baseball bat, and booty shorts.
3. Snapchat Filters
Nothing screams “late 2010’s” like Snapchat, and for the past year or so, we’ve all been thoroughly enjoying their facial recognition filters. This Halloween, dressing as your favorite filter is guaranteed to earn some oohs and aahs - be it the classic puppy dog, flower crown, or golden butterfly halo.
Read Seventeen Magazine’s tutorials for the four looks pictures above here!
4. Harambe
Harambe was a 17-year-old gorilla, known for being shot and killed on May 20th, 2016 by a zoo worker after a 3-year-old climbed into his enclosure. Outraged by what has been deemed in the court of public opinion to be an unjust killing of an innocent animal, the internet has immortalized Harambe as an inescapable meme. Such phrases as “Dicks out for Harambe,” and conspiracy theories such as “Bush did Harambe,” are strange memorials to his controversial death. Dressing as Harambe is made simple with this full-body gorilla suit from Amazon - or if that option seems too much like a sauna, you may want to consider being a sexy Harambe instead.
5. Donald Trump
Don’t be surprised if you encounter tons of tiny Trumps trick-or-treating on Halloween night. To achieve Trump’s iconic look, you’ll need to spray tan your face (excluding large circles around your eyes), a thin, cornsilk yellow comb-over wig, a suit, red tie, and American flag lapel pin. Equipped with all that, you will be wearing effectively the most terrifying costume in America.
6. Hillary Clinton
Although considerably less hilarious in appearance, Hillary Clinton is a great costume option for the ladies this year. For this look, you will need the unmistakable blonde Clinton bob, and a solid colored pantsuit in a striking color, such as blue, purple, or orange. Bonus points if you sport a mao zedong-style collar, or coat made entirely of burlap. Accessorize with a toy blackberry.
7. Bernie Sanders
Bernie may have lost the primary election, but he won the hearts of millions of Americans this year with his iconic disheveled look and “Brooklyn Jew” attitude. While Trump and Clinton have unlimited funds to spend on bespoke, designer clothes, Sen. Sanders has been clocked wearing a suit from Macy’s. In that fashion, to be Bernie Sanders for Halloween, throw on any old suit, a light blue button down, a blue tie, and a lapel pin like this one by the foundretail on Etsy. Don’t forget your balding, grey wig and rectangular wire-frame glasses. Bernie would be a YUUUGE hit at any Halloween party!
8. Rey From Star Wars: The Force Awakens
One of the most popular reboots of 2016 was the new addition to the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Regarded as “the new generation’s Luke Skywalker,” by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Rey is a new fictional feminist icon. If you’re a fan of strong, female protagonists, you should order your Rey costume ASAP.
9. Eleven From Stranger Things
Another fantastic character from Stranger Things is Eleven, a little girl with psychokinetic powers, who was raised in a lab. Despite her age and lack of communication skills, Eleven is extremely brave and loyal to her new friends. Both FrenchieYork and purpleseed are Etsy sellers who custom-make replicas of Eleven’s iconic pink peter pan collar dress. Pair with a navy blue jacket, Eggo waffles, and blood dripping from your nose. (Optional: Blonde wig.)
10. Any Character From The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The original film was released in 1975, and quickly became a cult-classic. Since then, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is still constantly performed on stage all over the country, often dripping with punk, subculture vibes. On Thursday, October 20th, FOX will be premiering the brand new remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show from 8:00-10:00pm ET. The cast, featuring stars such as Laverne Cox and Victoria Justice, will be shown wearing re-imagined costumes for 2016. Whether you draw inspiration from this year or 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a great film for couples’ or group costumes. For example, this year my boyfriend and I will be hitting the Halloween scene as Magenta and Riff Raff!
11. Pokémon GO
Pokémon reminds everyone of the 90’s - but Pokémon GO will remind us all of 2016, when it revolutionized the gaming world. While the hype may have died down since the summer, Halloween is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your favorite imaginary anime monsters. There are a few more form-fitting options if you’d like to dress as the game's mascot, pikachu - however, I would highly recommend going with a comfy kigurumi. The word kigurumi comes from the japanese words kiru, "to wear," and nuigurumi, "stuffed toy". You can find many different Pokémon kigurumis on amazon or aliexpress. Accessorize with a plush poké ball!
12. Beyoncé’s Lemonade
It’s impossible to discuss iconic looks of 2016 without Beyoncé’s visual album, Lemonade, released on April 23rd of this year. The songs on the album were accompanied by an hour-long film aired on HBO, and is considered a “revolutionary work of black feminism.” Although an exact replica of her flowing, mustard yellow dress may be impossible to obtain, a dress like this from Amazon will do the trick! Accessorize with black platform sandals and the unforgettable baseball bat, “Hot Sauce.”
13. Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7th, 1958, and passed away earlier this year, on April 21st, 2016. He was one of the best-selling artists of all time, and was induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Prince was best known for his flamboyance, his extravagant costumes and makeup, and for embracing gender fluidity. If you loved Prince and his music, you can pay homage to him on Halloween by sporting his iconic Purple Rain costume.
14. David Bowie
Another music legend we lost this year was David Bowie, who was born on January 8th, 1947 and passed away on January 10th, 2016. He was a musical and visual innovator, and one of the world's best-selling music artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Bowie had many iconic looks, including his 1972 character Ziggy Stardust. Pictured above, Ziggy Stardust wore a striped jumpsuit and a bright red mullet. Bowie also starred as the character Jareth in the 1986 film Labyrinth. Jareth’s costume can be purchased here, along with this long, spiked-up blonde wig.
15. Willy Wonka
Unfortunately, the beloved American comedian and actor Gene Wilder also passed away this year, on August 29th at age 83. While he starred in many films, Wilder is best known for his roles in Young Frankenstein and an American classic, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. This Halloween, you can pay tribute to Gene Wilder by dressing up as his most iconic role, Willy Wonka.
16. Leonardo DiCaprio With An Oscar
Let us not forget that 2016 was the year that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an oscar, after being nominated five times since 1994. Until his win, DiCaprio and his oscar-losing streak were subject to memes such as this one. Now that he won the oscar for Best Actor, the memes have stopped, right? Well … not exactly. Dress as Leonardo DiCaprio winning his first oscar with a gold trophy statue and a classic black tuxedo.
