Themed Halloween Costume Ideas

Simple themes, such as wicked witches, are easy and comfortable Halloween costumes.

If planning your Halloween costume sends chills down your spine, consider selecting a theme ensemble. Themed Halloween outfits are popular because they are recognizable, saving you from lengthy explanations of your outfit to fellow Halloween revelers. A theme outfit is also a good choice for groups planning to coordinate Halloween costumes. Make sure the theme you select stays within your budget and makes you feel comfortable and confident.

Period Pieces

One of the simplest themes to create is a look from a previous decade. Because fashion goes through cycles, hit local thrift stores for a costume on a budget. For example, you can re-create a hippie look from the 1960s, complete with bell-bottom jeans and a tie-dye shirt. You can also peruse a costume shop for flapper fashion of the 1920s and poodle skirts from the 1950s. Cat's-eye glasses are an ideal accessory for a 1950s costume.

Hollywood Glamour

Choose your favorite movie for a costume inspiration. To make your costume "readable" to other friends, select a costume from a timeless classic, such as "Gone With the Wind" or "Breakfast at Tiffany's." You may also select a recognizable movie star regularly featured in the tabloids -- simply purchase a wig and carry a prop that easily identifies you as the star. Finally, take your cue from famous outfits worn by popular stars. A white dress similar to Marilyn Monroe's in "The Seven Year Itch" is a popular choice.

Fairy Tales

Both children and adults enjoy an outfit based on popular fairy tales. You may draw inspiration from classic fairy tales or base your outfit on modern cartoon interpretations of fairy tales. Often fairy tales are easy costumes to assemble -- a long red hood, for example, will tip everyone off that you are Red Riding Hood. Arriving to a party in rags with black smudges indicates you are Cinderella. Fairy tales also lend themselves easily to "couples" costumes. The man can be Prince Charming or the villain, and the woman can be the fair maiden.

Location Themes

Another Halloween costume theme is as simple as selecting your favorite locale. For a Western theme, don chaps, a leather vest and cowboy boots. A prop lasso will complete the look. For a tropical theme, arrive in a hula outfit or Hawaiian shirt and accessorize with leis. If you live in a colder climate, you may enjoy trick-or-treating dressed as an Arctic explorer or an Eskimo. Creating an outfit based on exotic locales can teach you about foreign lands, but be culturally sensitive with your Halloween ensemble.

References

• Billy Wilder (Director); "The Seven Year Itch"; Cinescope Pictures; 1995.
• Victor Fleming (Director); "Gone With the Wind"; MGM Studios; 1939
• Blake Edwards (Director); "Breakfast at Tiffany's"; Paramount Pictures; 1961
• University of Pittsburgh: Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Fairy Tales

Resources

• Lone Star College Library: American Cultural History: 1950-1959