5 Halloween costumes you (probably) haven’t seen yet

Halloween is upon us, and that means the familiar all-consuming thoughts of who we will become for those three Halloweekend nights. How will we stand out? How can we take on entirely new personas while still looking effortless? And how do we avoid dressing as the basic witches, zombies, superheroes, and cats that are reliable but not quite as special as we all want to feel on that one weekend when we can be anyone but ourselves? 

As it turns out, there are plenty of costumes that you most likely haven’t seen before. Maybe it’s because they’re closely tied to recent movies, books, and trends. Or perhaps it’s because they’re almost too simple to think of in the first place. Or, of course, you simply assume you can’t pull them off without looking just like your character. 

This Halloween, let’s get rid of these limitations and pose as our favorite TV show protagonist or our favorite up-and-coming rockstar from the book we reread whenever we need comfort. 

Here are five Halloween costumes you (probably) haven’t seen yet, brought to you by an accumulation of trends, new movies, and iconic under-the-wraps outfits that utilize versatile clothing items you probably already have, or will surely use again. 

Carrie – Sex and the City (but not from the overdone intro)

For Sex and the City bingers, this year’s statement Halloween costume is Carrie Bradshaw, but done in any way you please. You may think that Carrie Bradshaw’s look is limited to the curly-haired blondes of the world, but her ballsy, sexy, whimsical energy can be easily replicated through statement outfits. 

Carrie’s closet comprises bold pieces, mismatched shoes, and an array of “how does she pull that off because no one else could,” attire. Her most recognizable outfit is featured in the show’s intro – you know the song; it’s probably playing in your head as you read this. But there are so many ways to tackle Bradshaw in ways that you probably haven’t seen before. You can easily be Bradshaw with any mini dress, a big fur coat, and kitten heels. Or, because Bradshaw employs a variety of unexpected combinations, a long A-line skirt, and a crop top will do. Curl your hair and tease it; you’ll be the New York City ‘it’ girl for a night with your own Carrie flare. Don’t forget a trusty pair of foldable flats in your purse to avoid kitten heel pain!

Saltburn – Felix and Oliver – Venetia

When Saltburn hit theaters in Nov. 2023, we were handed a whole new aesthetic of posh discomfort and pleasing cinematography. But unfortunately, the film came out after Halloween. Saltburn is creepy and unsettling, yet beautiful and peaceful – so showing up as Felix and Oliver this Halloween will make the perfect statement. During Oliver’s Midsummer Night’s Dream party, he wears antlers, and Felix wears wings. Still, the rest of the outfit leaves room for creativity, allowing the costume to apply to any gender.

Oliver’s antlers can be paired with a white outfit of any choice. On TikTok, girls are wearing white tops and mini skirts. Felix’s wings can be paired with blue jeans and a white tank. All this costume requires is a duo and a pair of antlers and wings, but can be taken in any direction. 

Another costume you probably haven’t seen from Saltburn is Venetia’s sparkle-on-glitter tennis outfit. When the movie came out, Venetia’s makeup blew up on TikTok. Her makeup style is a bold black eye, featuring black eyeliner on the top and bottom lids paired with dark-colored eye shadow. Venetia’s wardrobe consists of anything glittery, but pink and purple 90s-style outfits are the most recognizable. Throw on purple sparkly leggings, a pink glittery jacket, and your boldest sunglasses, and you’re set. 

Cheetah, Zebra, Lion, or any other animal!

This costume is arguably one of the easiest to create but is more of a statement than the black cat we see every year. With animal print micro shorts, a plain top, and animal ears or face makeup, this costume is a cheap option that you may already have the parts for in your closet. If you don’t, this costume provides a great opportunity to expand your wardrobe with animal print shorts and black corsets that you’ll surely wear in the future. Who doesn’t love micro shorts and versatile black tops? 

Power Puff Girls – Love Island Version

This one’s not the OG Powerpuff Girls we’ve seen before. This costume is the new, stylish Powerpuff Girls, born this summer in the most recent season of Love Island USA. Leah Kateb, Serena Page, and Jana Craig built a fan base before they exited the Love Island Villa, founded on the iconic concept that their trio was just cool enough to be the new Powerpuff Girls. They’ve been attending podcasts under their trio name, and now, this Halloween, we get the introduction of a never-before-seen Powerpuff Girl twist: PPG. 

This costume can be your own recreation of any night in the Love Island Villa where PPG showed out, which, if we’re honest, was every single night. You’d be Leah in a plunge neck patterned dress, Serena in black dress pants and a black tank, and Jana in a red leather matching tank and pant set. All you need is a Love Island water bottle with your name on it and a wired body mic. 

Stevie Nicks – Fleetwood Mac

This one’s for my BookTok girls. Daisy Jones & The Six, a novel based on the 1970s-80s rock band Fleetwood Mac, tells the story of a band from multiple interview perspectives leading up to their final performance and breakup. This is an obvious choice for all the bookworms out there. 

The book’s TV show adaptation depicts Jones’s final performance, where she wears a long gold dress with a butterfly-style cover-up. This outfit, or an adaptation of it, is a Halloween costume that is recognizable to fans of the show, and one that you probably haven’t seen before. 

If you aren’t necessarily a committed fan of the book and TV show but are a loyal Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac fan, you can simply be Stevie Nicks herself for Halloween this year. All it takes is the most quintessential 70s rockstar gear, featuring clothes of different textures, crochet, messy hair, and smoky makeup, and, if you’re really committed to the bit, you can carry a tambourine. This costume will deliver the 70s rockstar statement that you probably haven’t seen before, and is far from basic. 

Halloween gives us the unique opportunity to embrace being anyone but ourselves, with a creative twist. By channeling our inner movie protagonists, book characters, and girlboss trios, we can show out this Halloween in never-before-seen ways that others wouldn’t think of. From creating our own modern Powerpuff Girls to giving an iconic character a new twist, there’s an option for everyone. This year, ditch the cat ears and inspire others to do the same!