Increasingly, Halloween costumes speak to the times and it has been a particularly scary year. From Brexit to the US presidential elections and exploding Samsung phones, here are some of the best Halloween costumes of 2016 …
Stranger Things
The Netflix show has spawned loads of Halloween costumes, with a pink Peter Pan collar Eleven dress viewed every three minutes on Asos earlier in October. Think pussy-bow blouses, tube socks, Barb specs, Dustin trucker hats, and lots of nose bleeds.
Donald Trump/Hillary Clinton
In Halloween terms, Clinton and Trump are the Minions of 2016. Even Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom pitched up at Kate Hudson’s Halloween bash as the presidential nominees, with Perry in full prosthetics and blow-dried blond wig and Bloom wearing a fat suit, giant feet, and orange face paint.
Unicorn
Pinterest’s most popular 2016 Halloween costume can be achieved on the hoof (pun intended) with last-minute rainbow hair, loads of glitter and a horn. It’s not scary but it’s not controversial either … no cultural appropriation was involved in the creation of this look.
Ghostbusters reboot
The 2016 boiler suits with the horizontal orange stripes, not the original 80s outfits. An ironic proton pack fashioned out of a cereal packet wins extra points.
Harley Quinn
The No 1 trending costume on Google earlier this week, thanks to the legions of Suicide Squad fans. Requires rainbow hair (which, if you lose heart, can be turned into a unicorn costume), bomber jacket, hot pants and fishnet tights. We’ve gone off it already. Go for the unicorn, folks. It’s the only safe choice.
Pokemon Pikachu
Cute, bang on trend, and allows the wearer to don a giant fleece onesie for Halloween. And then walk around playing Pokemon Go, much like every other night of the year.
Avocado
This year’s grumpy cat meme costume: surreal, silly, easy.
Prince
Pulled off most memorably at New York’s annual Tompkins Square dog parade by a dog carrying a very small purple guitar.
A burning Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Smoking hot, literally. One Imgur user responded to the controversy around Samsung phones catching fire by posting a breakdown of how to make a Note 7 Halloween costume with empty phone boxes and a tube for smoke-blowing. The look is completed with caution tape and someone dressed as a firefighter willing to follow you around all night with a (fake) fire extinguisher. Sounds dangerous. It’s not too late to go for the unicorn.
Brexit
Plenty of scope to spook people here: from Europeans flags and exit signs, to covering yourself completely in tribute to #WheresGeorge going viral when George Osborne disappeared after the vote. Alternatively, go conceptual as a giant Article 50 trigger button.
Snapchat filters
Achieved with a simple slick of rainbow vomit on the mouth and chin, Snapchatters love it. As far as everyone else is concerned, you’re a drunk unicorn.
