We’ve made it to October, the time of year when it becomes socially acceptable to walk about wearing a scope of funny, promiscuous, and all-out wild costumes. Depending on your age, you might go around begging for sweets, peace and quiet, or another shot from the bartender as you stand there with your ogre or rabbit ears.
There’s always the question of what to wear when we reach this time of year, and in researching previous Halloween picks and this year’s hottest trends, I will be making my predictions for what I think we’ll see this Halloween and why.
Music
2024 has seen some major changes in the music scene, with there being a reshuffle of the faces of pop. Here are some costumes that are likely to take inspiration from the industry’s frontrunners.
Sabrina Carpenter
The Marilyn Monroe of our day, Sabrina Carpenter has been on everyone’s mind after finding a surge in popularity from supporting Taylor Swift on the Eras tour and the release of her album ‘Short n’ Sweet’. Her style and aesthetic have been keenly remarked upon online, so expect girls to dawn high levels of blush and blonde hair, alongside bright and sparkly outfits featuring heart-shaped cut-outs, frills, and feather details.
Charli XCX and Brat
It’s a Brat Halloween, and I’m sure the iconic cover art will be the inspiration for many outfits this season. With the release of Charli XCX’s remix album Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat it’s likely that Charli’s Angels will be aiming to look like Katy Perry at the 2012 Kids Choice Awards.
Chappell Roan
Where are the redheads at? Chappell Roan has held the world in a chokehold of late, seeing a rise to fame like no other thanks to hits such as ‘HOT TO GO!’ and ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ which have taken the world by storm. You will likely see fans of her dressed in ball gowns, with the mandatory sash and signature makeup look.
TV and Film
It’s been a good year for TV and film, but perhaps not as strong as last year when it comes to potential Halloween costumes. Nonetheless, there are still a few to be on the lookout for.
Fallout Jumpsuit
This year saw the release of the Fallout series, bringing excitement to fans of the preexisting game and new viewers alike. Rising star Ella Purnell took to the wasteland in her iconic blue fallout jumpsuit, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this costume do well this year.
Inside Out 2
What’s going on in your head this Halloween? For many Disney fans (young and old), I wouldn’t be surprised to see Inside Out 2 costumes popular with it grossing to become Pixar’s highest-grossing film ever. While all of the emotions have recognisable colour schemes and props that could make for a great group costume, let’s not forget about Riley as her various ice hockey outfits would be a perfect fit for someone looking for a more relaxed yet still on-theme outfit.
Wicked
An excellent choice for duos, Glinda and Elphaba have moved from the stage to the screen with the movie adaptation of the musical Wicked being released this November. The classic evil witch aesthetic of Elphaba in the form of green skin and all-black get-up contrasts with the bright pink frocks of Glinda. Fans of musical theatre and Ariana Grande will most certainly be considering this as a possible costume to express their love for the land of OZ.
Internet and Wider Culture
Niches of internet culture, which many of people take pride in being part of, are likely to inspire many costumes this year.
Harris vs Trump
On 5 November the USA will make their pick for president of the United States. On 31 October, many will be making their pick: who should I dress as for Halloween, Kamala Harris or Donald Trump? Both have signature looks – particularly Trump – however, it’s worth noting that the success of these costumes is likely to be stunted by a slight stigma due to the polarizing nature of American and world politics at the moment.
Raygun
Raygun, otherwise known as Rachael Gunn, is an Australian breakdancer who competed at the recent 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She has, quite literally, bounced her way into the public sphere. The dancer’s moves weren’t received too well, however, with many taking to social media to make edits mocking her jumping around the stage alike a kangaroo. I think this could be a major hit this year, so don’t be surprised if you run into anyone wearing Team Australia gear, and of course, the signature green dad cap.
Hear me out cake
For those unaware, the ‘hear me out cake’ is a trend from TikTok where friends stick images of their favourite – and often obscure – crushes onto a cake. Animated characters that have shown to be particularly popular include Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon, Rapunzel, and Nick Wilde from Zootopia, but it can include anything or anyone. Maybe Will Smith after slapping Chris Rock, or ‘We did it, Joe’ by Kamala Harris will make an appearance.
These are just a few of my personal favourite picks this Halloween, but there are so many more costumes we’ll be likely to see. So, what are you wearing?
Hi, I’m Neil Singer, Culture Editor and second year student, studying media and journalism, and social policy. In my spare time I play for Strathclyde Lacrosse and watch a lot of films. If your reading this then that probably means you’ve looked at my article, so thankyou! You must be one very cool individual.
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