October may just be starting, but don’t be fooled: you need to decide on a Halloween costume immediately. Let’s face it: every year is the same — you tentatively start to brainstorm costume ideas, but since you’ve got “plenty of time,” you keep putting off the decision. Suddenly, it’s Oct. 20, and once you’ve finally decided on an outfit, low and behold, nothing in your Amazon cart will arrive until November. I’ve experienced this dilemma time and time again, but those days are over. It’s time to decide. Yes, now. But don’t worry; if you’re panicking about finding the perfect costume — niche, yet recognizable, funny, yet cute, culturally relevant, yet timeless — this 2025 Halloween costume guide is your best friend.
Wednesday Addams
The new season of Wednesday on Netflix just came out this September, calling back the demand for a timeless costume. A Wednesday Addams costume is perfectly easy, especially for the dark haired girls. If you don’t want to buy an “official” Wednesday costume, all you need to do is wear all black (she’s allergic to color, remember?) and wear your hair in two braids. For a final touch, add a sharp white collar underneath your shirt. This look will work whether you wear a black dress, a Nevermore-esque school uniform, or even a simple black top with black pants. If you’re looking for a duo costume, grab your blonde friend to be Wednesday’s rainbow-donning, werewolf roommate Enid — a costume that would be completed by lots of bright colored and/or sparkly clothes and some wolf ears. Don’t forget about the rest of the Addams family either; Morticia and Gomez make for a delightfully morbid and classic couples costume.
Elphaba and Glinda
Prepare for the November release of “Wicked: For Good” with your bestie by dressing as Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland this Halloween. If you’re the designated Glinda friend, your job is easy. Find a glittery pink gown or mini dress, a tiara, and a sparkly magic wand. Some additional touches like soft pink eyeshadow, lip gloss or body glitter would certainly elevate your look. As Elphaba, you’ll need to be a bit more committed. If you want to fully encapsulate Elphaba’s essence, grab some green face paint and go all out. If you want to take a more user-friendly (and stylish) approach, wear a black mini dress, some green tights, green eye shadow and of course, the witch hat. Just remember: do NOT skimp on the green! If you’re not fully painting yourself green, you’ll need to add as many other elements of the color as possible — otherwise, you’re just a witch.
Challengers
Are you a tennis fan? If not, it doesn’t matter. Challengers was beloved by almost everyone who saw it, athletes and non-athletes alike. Yes, it came out over a year ago, but its effect still lingers. Decide who between you and two friends are Tashi, Art and Patrick, and get to planning this perfect, low-effort group costume. Tashi’s costume could be either a pink velvet zip up hoodie or a white tennis dress (racket necessary). Distinguish yourself as Art by wearing a red t-shirt over a white long sleeve (Stanford logo not required) and a backwards red baseball cap. Patrick’s costume requires a little more specificity, his most recognizable look being a gray t-shirt with big bold letters saying “I TOLD YA”. If you have a fourth person in your group, have them dress in neon green and go as the tennis ball; everyone who saw the movie knows it’s an equally important character.
Charli xCx and her Coachella crew
Unless you live under a rock, chances are you saw Charli xcx own the stage at Coachella this past April — and she didn’t do it alone. Charli broke the internet when she was joined onstage by collaborators on her album “brat,” including Lorde, Troye Sivan and Billie Eilish. This Halloween, reference this pop culture moment with three friends. Each of their outfits could probably be found in your closet already (black two piece set, baggy t-shirts, black sunglasses, belts and jeans) so as long as you and your group bring the right energy, this is one of the most low-effort costumes on this list.
Katy Perry in Space
Another one of the most notable in pop culture (or perhaps aeronautics?) is when popstar Katy Perry joined an all-female group for a trip to space. The trip was short, yes, but the photo of Katy holding a daisy while staring blankly into the camera continues to hold the internet in a chokehold. For a perfectly niche pop culture reference this Halloween, wear a blue long sleeve leotard, add a makeshift NASA patch and a nametag that says “Katy” and carry a daisy throughout the night. This costume is sure to have you feeling “super connected to love,” in Katy’s words.
