Whether you’re off to a mega fabulous spooky bash of the sort Heidi Klum would be proud of, or you’re just popping out to Trick or Treat the neighbours, finding a Halloween costume that’s cool but not a cop-out can be a real nightmare.
Witches, vampires and skeleton ‘fits are about as exciting as cold pumpkin soup, and as for the horny devil or sexy cat route well, frankly, you’re better than that.
The coolest way to approach your Hallows Eve ‘fit is to cut back on the one-wear flammable fancy dress shop clobber, and instead invest in items you’ll wear again – or better still work with ones you already own. And in terms of a character to adopt, why not reference a high fashion moment from the past year? From runway references to Met Gala moments, here are seven stylish ways to spook.
Julia Fox
Few wardrobe choices have caused as big a stir this year as Julia Fox’s. Whether her puffy red latex bra top and matching groin-grazing skirt combo or the black leather Hans Kobenhavn gowns with creepy hand clawing about the neck, Fox’s fashion choices are at once avant garde and wonderfully Halloween-appropriate. In fact, a quick re-scroll of her Instagram serves as a reminder she’s basically an everyday Halloween queen. We’ve gone for a top-to-toe leather look here, but there are so many to choose from (centaur anyone?). Just don’t forget the big, black ‘Fox eye’ – and should you need a tutorial on how best to black out your lids, she’s posted a handy one here.
Get the look:
Ann Summers dress, £30. Shop here
Steve Madden Vava boot, £150. Shop here
Stand Studio leather trench, now £243. Shop here
River Island faux leather gloves, £19.00. Shop here
Eyeko fat liquid eyeliner, now £12. Shop here
Paris Hilton at Versace
Fancy swerving the black and blood this year? Why not recreate the barbiecore look Paris Hilton rocked when she made a surprise appearance on the Versace runway in Milan this season? A Poster Girl mesh dress is something you’ll wear again on the Ibiza dance floor next summer, but if not any hot pink mini will do. Just add spooky white fake contact lenses to make the look a little less That’s Hot! and more That’s hella creepy!
Get the look:
Poster Girl pink mesh dress, £535. Shop here
Claire’s pink net gloves, £4. Shop here
Pink slingback heels, £85. Shop here
Amazon pink veil, £7. Shop here
Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2021 look
OK so this one is actually wonderfully easy to recreate. Take one fancy dress shop black morph suit; add some Balenciaga Knife boot dupes (or the real thing if you’re feeling fancy) and either a big black t-shirt with some strips of black material stapled to it as a train, or Prada’s cult satin mini. The latter is of course a mega investment, but an undoubtedly fabulous one that will bring you much joy long after the Halloween hangover subsides.
Get the look:
Smiffys second skin suit, £18.99. Shop here
Zara boots, £49.99. Shop here
Prada satin mini skirt, £1450. Shop here
Karl Lagerfeld
He’s the theme of the next Met Gala, which means that come the first Monday of May 2023, we are bound to see many a Karl-inspired outfit hit the infamous red carpet on the Met steps. Why not get ahead of the fash pack with a spooky take on the late designer’s iconic signature look? Got a friend in tow? Put them on a lead and have them dress as Choupette a la Kendall Jenner’s sexy Karl look for Halloween 2015.
Get the look:
Ba&sh black tuxedo jacket, now £177. Shop here
Etsy white detachable collar, £42.40. Shop here
Karl Lagerfeld sunglasses, £64. Shop here
Zara white halterneck waistcoat, £29.99. Shop here
Zara black leather fingerless gloves, £29.99. Shop here
Brooch pin, £5.98. Shop here
Moschino madness
Watching Moschino’s SS23 show in Milan we all wondered not only what the devil was going on but more importantly when the hell anyone would ever want to wear a flamingo float to dinner? Well, perhaps Halloween is the perfect time to put the Moschino madness into practice. Pick a party where people know their Balmain from their Balenciaga though, otherwise you’ll just look like you raided the paddling pool.
Get the look:
Karen Millen satin pink dress, now £57. Shop here
Flamingo pool float, £14.99. Shop here
Flamingo bag, £27.49. Shop here
Wednesday and Morticia Addams
OK so an Addams family costume is hardly the preserve of a style insider, and yet there’s something about Morticia and Wednesday’s fashion flex that gives them enduring cool-girl appeal. Morticia’s vampiric elegance suits anyone that likes their look more spooky than saucy (see Kate Moss in 2012), while Wednesday’s schoolgirl kookiness plays perfectly into our current love of all things goth and preppy.
Get the Wednesday look:
Alessandra Rich dress, available to rent £123 for 3 days from Front Row. Rent here
Steve Madden back pumps, £100. Shop here
Weekday knee-high white socks, £7. Shop here
Black plaits wig, £18. Shop here
Get the Morticia look:
Paco Rabanne velvet dress, £840. Shop here
Revolution white makeup base, £3. Shop here
Hermes nail enamel, £42. Shop here
Claire’s gothic ring set, £10. Shop here
