With Halloween fast approaching, the race is on to get your costume organised. While classic costumes such as witches and wizards are always an option, tapping into the zeitgeist with a pop culture-appropriate costume is much more fun.
Whether you want to look super-niche or instantly recognisable, these costume ideas are fun, occasionally spooky and will ship in time for October 31.
Best for TV fans: Patricia from Widow’s Bay
Apple TV’s horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay has been winning fans and awards, thanks to its spooky Scooby Doo-esque premise. Cursed island? Check. Unexplained goings-on? Check. Eccentric inhabitants? Double check. Speaking of which, as the quirky assistant to Mayor Tom Loftis, Patricia Moyer (Kate O’Flynn) has emerged as a fan favourite.
For Halloween, channel Patricia in episode four, Beach Reads, in which she (spoiler alert) finds a malevolent spell book disguised as a self-help guide and inadvertently entrances the islanders at a party. To achieve the look, you’ll need a red floral dress, a sturdy headband, antlers, some branches, a toy fox and some arts and crafts skills.
Best for couples: The Odyssey
Matt Damon’s Odysseus, Zendaya’s Athena, Anne Hathaway’s Penelope and Tom Holland’s Telemachus … there’s a wealth of Halloween inspiration to be found in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster epic The Odyssey.
For Damon’s Odysseus, you can save or splurge as you wish. If you already have a beard, wrapping a dark-coloured sheet around yourself like a cloak will do as a last-minute dress-up idea. The same goes for Zendaya, whose looks as the goddess Athena are close to outfits you'd have dressed up in as a child, requiring you to wrap a white sheet around yourself, and voila.
But those keen to put in a bit more effort can snap up a Greek goddess costume.
For men, online options tend not to differentiate between Greek and Roman soldiers, so the scariest thing that might happen on Halloween is that an ancient history expert gets annoyed at you.
Best for instant recognisability: Dolly Parton
Don a blonde wig and rhinestones to pay tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton. The country music legend, who died on August 25, is likely to be a popular choice this year.
If you’re looking for a costume that is instantly recognisable and won’t have people asking, “Who did you come as?” then channel one of Parton’s many eras. From the rhinestone-studded dresses of her early years to the tight onstage jumpsuits that were her signature, make sure the hair is high and the smile is wide to make her proud.
Best for divas: Mariah Carey at The Last Supper
Pop star Mariah Carey went viral in October after posting a picture of herself on Instagram in front of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, at the Refectory of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan.
It wasn’t the famous painting that became an instant meme, but rather the singer’s facial expression. Mariah could not have looked less impressed with the celebrated artwork. With an expression as sparse as her Instagram caption – “The Last Supper” – people online were wild with comments such as: “One of the most important creations in all of human history, and also some mural” and “the last diva at the last supper”.
To recreate the moment, head to your local Desco to print out a large copy of The Last Supper and affix it to your back, then don a black hooded jacket and a long blonde wig, with an “over it” look on your face.
Best for guys: Pitbull
It’s been a huge year for Mr Worldwide. In July, at the BST Hyde Park show in London, Pitbull and his fans set an official world record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps, with 22,141 participants dressing up like the global pop star. His I’m Back tour sold out across North America and Europe and he released his 14th studio album, Pitcoin, in October.
This Halloween, make like his many fans and pay homage by putting his most recognisable feature – his bald head – front and centre. To complete the look, you'll need a black suit, white shirt and sunglasses. Bonus points for drawn-on facial hair.
Best for introverts: Bad Bunny’s bushes
This one is niche but, if you know, you know. Headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show, Bad Bunny used people dressed as bushes to honour Puerto Rico's agricultural history. Aiming to represent the US territory's sugarcane fields and the farmers who work in them, but with NFL rules restricting the number of heavy prop carts allowed on the field to protect the turf, the rapper had 380 performers dress as sugarcane grass to create the backdrop.
For your own version, you'll need bundles of artificial grass, which you can attach to a dark green hoodie around the arms and shoulders with zip ties.
Best for extroverts: Carrie
The Stephen King novel and 1976 film have been given another lease of life thanks to the series on Amazon Prime Video. Eagle-eyed horror fans will note that Carrie’s prom dress during that famous scene is no longer the baby pink of the original but is now silvery grey. The ill-fated tiara remains, though. To become the best-dressed pyro at the prom this year, be sure to douse yourself in fake blood either before or, for more effect, halfway through the night.