Last Minute Halloween Inspo: The Most Popular Costumes For 2024

By Charlie Colville

6 days ago

And, if you still insist on wearing them, how to make them yours


Stuck for costume ideas? The need to ‘dress to impress’ can quickly take the fun out of dressing up – making many of us revert to annual classics and popular favourites. Whether you want to be on trend or avoid doing the overdone thing, these are going to be the most popular Halloween costumes this year.

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5 Forecasted Favourites For Halloween 2024

Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice 2
1.  

Beetlejuice

The arrival of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice means that this year’s top (and, by this point, overdone) Halloween costume is the ghost with the most. Expect to see an influx of striped suits, bushy wigs and eccentric face paint.

How to make the costume yours: Dial back the cinematics and try one of TikTok’s famed on-theme trends – find out how to master the Beetlejuice lips trend here, and how to nail the matching mani here.


Actors in a scene from Joker 2
2.  

The Joker

Its recent sequel might not be good news in the box office, but Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker still manages to make an impact come Halloween. A simple red suit and clown makeup will make this an easy go-to costume for many this spooky season.

How to make the costume yours: Team up with your very own Harley or Batman – or even get a group going. If this is a solo run, you can really lean into the detail of the costume; amp up the grunge of the makeup with some gory special effects.


Andy (Anne Hathaway, left) whispers some important information to her boss, fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), as Miranda's first assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt) looks on.
3.  

Miranda Priestly

Another sequel-fuelled costume for 2024. Following the recent confirmation that a Devil Wears Prada sequel was in the works, fans of the romcom classic will be taking to the streets in their best clackers. And while there will be plenty of Andy Sachs lookalikes, there’s no one quite as scary as the Runway queen herself, Miranda. Gird your loins.

How to make the costume yours: Your best bet here is an ensemble costume. Get a trio going with Andy and Emily, or a duo with Nigel. For a fun twist, you can team up with a friend and dress up as Miranda and her real-life inspiration, Anna Wintour.


jenna ortega as wednesday
4.  

Wednesday Addams

Everyone’s favourite gothic tween, Wednesday Addams has been a popular choice the last few years. While there’s always the option to stick to the classic live action uniform (black dress with a white collar – very pilgrim), you’ll see more people dressing up as Jenna Ortega’s character from Netflix’s Wednesday. Think all-black ensembles, cat ears, ruffly gowns and those all-important jet black braids.

How to make the costume yours: Up the ante with the help of some friends. A group costume can go a long way here – either take on the entire Addams family ensemble, the students of Nevermore Academy or even a Wednesday and Goody Addams duo.


Margot Robbie as Barbie
5.  

Barbie

The smash-hit success of Barbie was responsible for an influx of hot pink costumes last Halloween – and is still a pretty popular choice one year on. We’re certain there will be plenty of Barbies and Kens walking the streets this spooky season.

How to make the costume yours: The flexibility of a Barbie-themed costume means that you can use pretty much anything in your wardrobe to make it work. Feather boa? Party Barbie. Cowboy boots? Western Barbie. Scuba gear? Diver Barbie. If you want to move a little further away from Stereotypical Barbie, you could instead opt for other notable characters like Weird Barbie, Mermaid Barbie or even President Barbie.


The Most Popular Halloween Costumes Ever

Skeleton

What would Halloween be without a spooky skeleton or two? From black and white face paint to full-body costumes, the humble skeleton is a seasonal icon come 31 October.

How to make the costume yours: If makeup is more your thing, this is your chance to really go all out with the skeleton look. Browse Pinterest for more artsy takes on the skull, which you can personalise as you go along to give it your own unique stamp.

 

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Witch

Keen to dabble in some dark magic? You’re not the only one. Witches are a classic Halloween costume for a reason, and are instantly recognisable if you opt for the black hat and broomstick combo.

How to make the costume yours: Get a coven going with a group of friends and co-ordinate your witchiness together, or take a break from the occult and opt for a softer, green-fingered witch with a lighter colour palette and cute spell books.

Black Cat

And where there are witches, you’ll also find plenty of black cats. It’s an unoriginal, but unwaveringly popular costume – and largely an excuse just to dress in a sexy black outfit with cat ears.

How to make the costume yours: If you insist on channelling your inner feline, why not up the anti with fangs, prosthetic whiskers and claws? You can still be sexy, but also scary.

Vampire

Whether it’s Dracula, Blade or Edward Cullen, vampires have had us in a chokehold for decades when it comes to planning a ghoulish getup. It can even be as high or as low maintenance as you like – just make sure you’ve got a pair of fangs and some fake blood handy.

How to make the costume yours: You know how the internet jokes that some celebrities age so well they could practically be vampires? Well, here’s your chance to make accusations a reality. (We’re calling dibs on Cher, though.)

Clown

There’s always been something a little freaky about clowns, but their rebranding in popular culture as demonic killers (thank you, Stephen King) has given them a much bigger edge over the fancy dress market.

How to make the costume yours: A clown is a clown at the end of the day – so the best way to make it your own is to really go all out with the makeup and give it your own personal stamp.

 

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Featured image: Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.