Halloween can be both a fun and stressful experience: picking a costume is the hardest decision of the season and will be immortalized in pictures for years to come. The challenges of selecting the perfect outfit for the right price (that isn’t super basic) can pile up, and it all becomes more difficult as the holiday comes closer and closer. Here are some ideas that can help with picking the perfect last-minute Halloween costume. 

The Basics

Witch or vampire costumes can quickly appear bleak and uninteresting because of their popularity. Although they may seem typical, there are many ways to spice them up. A vampire is super easy and can come out perfectly if done right. All you need is a dark vampire outfit such as a dark button-up with pants or a dark dress. Then, buy some fake blood and vampire teeth if you’re feeling adventurous. A witch can be similar, but instead of blood, use a hat. Another fun but popular costume is a pirate. Instead of buying a costume from a store or Amazon, grab a white button-up, pants or maybe a flowy dress. Then, wear some boots with a bandana or pirate hat. The key to doing these popular costumes is making them unique. Add your own flair by getting all the pieces separately. 

Characters

Fictional characters are also popular choices for Halloween costumes, but picking the right character can make all the difference. The goal is to not have to go out and buy everything for it, but also to make it evident to everyone who you are. Carrie is an awesome choice. You need an old, fancy outfit (something you know you won’t wear again) or an outfit from a thrift store and some blood to pour on yourself. Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family is another excellent choice; all you need to do is wear some dark clothes and two braids. Anyone from The Office is also a stellar costume to go with. You need work attire and something specific to the person you want to be. Another clever idea is a Sim. Just grab regular clothes and make a homemade sim gem over your head. Tate Langdon or anyone from American Horror Story would also be a fantastic costume. You need either a green or black striped sweater with some jeans, or you could take inspiration from Evan Peters’ character and wear dark clothes with skeleton makeup. One more popular choice is Ferris Bueller from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You need jeans, a white shirt and a fun vest. You don’t need to have everything perfect to be any of these characters, you just need to bring the spirit and get the idea across. 

Celebrities

Many celebrities are super easy to dress up as, but they are often overlooked because they are real as opposed to their made-up counterparts. A well-liked costume could be Harry Styles. You could recreate many of his different looks, but dressing up with a feather boa and something colorful would get the point across. Taylor Swift would also be easy to pull off since she has created many iconic outfits over the years, such as the “You Belong With Me” music video pajamas or the “22” shirt and hat combination. The new Elvis movie was super popular upon its release, so either Elvis or Priscilla Presley would be sure to get some compliments. You could take a look from the film and recreate it, or wear something that they might have worn. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Katy Perry have also worn classic outfits you could take inspiration from, a piece from one of their music videos for example. Adam Sandler is also a popular choice, as you could take a look from him or one of his characters. Being a celebrity gives you a lot of leeway, as it’s more about capturing the vibe of the person you want to be instead of wearing the same outfit.

There are unlimited costume ideas out there, so at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of picking out the perfect one for you. Halloween costumes aren’t going to get judged either, so having fun with it is more important. These costume ideas are just a few of the endless possibilities available.