by Mary Catherine Craig on November 10, 2023
Arts & Entertainment
With pumpkins out on Eaton Street porches, cobwebs and caution tape strung around stores, and scary movies at the top of all streaming platforms, Halloween is almost here. For those impressive go-getters who take great pride in their costumes, planning began weeks, maybe even months ago. I wish I could say I was part of this group; I envy those who have a vision and can pull out all the stops to execute that perfect costume. The perfect costume to me is one that’s unique enough to stand out, but well-known enough to be recognizable, and outlandish enough for the occasion, but still a functional outfit. Coming from a self-proclaimed basic costume wearer, here are the costumes I’ve loved the most over the years and the ones I’m hoping to see on Halloween 2023.
Beginning with movie and TV characters, I obviously have to start out with Barbie. I’m expecting to see a lot of Barbies strutting around this Halloween, but I’m hoping to see groups of girlfriends get creative with her various forms and identities. I love a costume based on a movie character, especially if the character has an iconic outfit they’re typically remembered for. For more movie character costumes, I like to get inspiration from throwback films, ones that we grew up on. I’d love to see an Aquamarine with her blue-streaked hair, a punk rock Anna Coleman of Freaky Friday, or a trio of Ferris Bueller, Cameron, and Sloane. As far as television goes, I think sticking to the classics is always a good move. One costume that I’m surprised I haven’t seen more often is Rachel Green. If you can get your hands on the right pieces and style your hair in the perfect Rachel blowout, this costume would be a winner. Jennifer Aniston’s character is well known for having many great 90s-themed outfits, but I think the best ones to recreate would be a denim top with a Central Perk apron or her plaid skirt and white sweater combo from season one.
Now I love fictional character costumes, but it is ultra impressive when a Halloween fanatic can pull off a pop culture costume. It’s a safe bet to expect to see some of the traditional looks, like Marilyn Monroe’s white dress or one of Britney Spears’s notable looks. For this year, I am hoping a brunette pulls off Olivia Rodrigo. The 20-year-old singer has sported some fashionable outfits with fun pieces that could make for a great costume, like her silver sequin skirt in the “bad idea, right?” music video. The Kardashians always make for a fun costume with any of their recognizable looks. I’d love to see Kendall and Kylie’s orange and purple Met Gala looks or a leather-clad Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian. Speaking of Travis, that leads me to the costume I would most love to see this year, the rumored couple that everyone has been talking about: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. I think there’s two great ways to pull this one off. One, going as them in their independent looks: any of Swift’s iconic looks from the Eras tour and a number 87 Chiefs jersey. For a more challenging feat, imitating their looks from recent paparazzi photos would be a fun one. Swift has on a sheer floral top, a leather skirt, and black boots, and Kelce is wearing a beige corduroy jacket and pants set. If done well, I think this could be one of the best Halloween looks of 2023.