‘Squid Game’, '80s Madonna and Bennifer: 15 Halloween costume ideas that bring you the best of pop culture

With Halloween mere days away, we bring you a breakdown of the best costumes inspired by pop culture past and present, with several ideas for those looking to couple.

'Squid Game': The Netflix series that has drawn widespread acclaim, along with a fair amount of criticism, will be a hot draw for Halloween this year. If you want to dress as one of the masked guards, grab a pink hooded jumpsuit as your outfit and order the mask online. If time is of the essence, head to sporting goods store to grab a fencing mask and draw a circle, a square of a triangle on it. Similarly, a green track suit would work perfectly well if you want to dress as one of the contestants from the show.

'Bridgerton': Another Netflix hit that gave us the feels was ‘Bridgerton’, with Simon and Daphne stealing hearts with their sparring and steamy romance. If you fancy dressing up like a blue-blooded member of the Ton, then air out that waistcoat, grab a paisley undershirt and pull on those boots. You will transform into The Duke in no time. The ladies can channel their inner Daphne with a pastel-shaded high-waisted gown, elbow-length gloves and simple jewellery. Don’t forget to do up your hair in an elaborate style. There are several YouTube tutorials that can guide you through the ‘Bridgerton-do’.

'Halloween' franchise: With ‘Halloween Kills’ serving up a scare in cinemas and smashing records in the process, there is no better time than the festival of fright to pay ode to Michael Myers. The mask is readily available on sites such as Amazon and Noon. But if those seem impossible to reach you in time, then there are tutorials online to help you create your own from a regular plastic mask that you may be able to pick up at the neighbourhood party store or Daiso.

'WandaVision': The Marvel series that became the pop cultural event of the year is a hot ticket to draw inspiration from for your Halloween costume this year. Costumes for Wanda and Vision are also easily available at stores, but you can also slip into red spandex or a leotard with a matching halter neck top if you truly want own the costume that Elisabeth Olsen wore in the series. Grab an old red T-shirt and cut it up for a makeshift cape. Cut up red cardboard paper to style a makeshift crown. If you really want to channel your inner evil then try to ape Agatha Harkness’ outfit as well with the help of a purple and black gown with your wicked laugh in check.

Kim Kardashian: Who doesn’t want to look like one of the most famous faces on the planet? But if you really want to up the game this Halloween, then channel Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look this year. All you need is a fitted black dress, black leggings, black pointy shoes, black gloves that cover your arms, a black train and a black hair mask that can be pulled over your face. If you need some visibility, then take a piece of black net and cut it down into the shape of a face mask. You will be the talk of any Halloween party you attend.

Audrey Hepburn: The late Hollywood actress is often cited as an example of timeless style and grace, and so it’s no surprise that people routinely emulate her at costume parties and for Halloween. She was known for her classic outfits and simple make-up, so it won’t be hard to find something in your own cupboard to recreate any of her looks from her movies. Of course, the most popular one would be her outfit from the movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ — pick out a simple black dress and accessorise it with a bejewelled necklace and your hair done up in a French twist. The big, dark sunglasses are a must. Bonus points if you walk around with a coffee cup and pastry in hand.

Cruella de Vil: Emma Stone brilliantly portrayed this classic villain in the recent origin story movie ‘Cruella’. With her half black, half white hair, and over-the-top fashion sense, Cruella de Vil will be instantly recognisable anywhere. One options is to go fully classic and draw from the original ‘101 Dalmatians’ franchise — the cartoon or the movies starring Glenn Close; think long animal print coat, a zany wig and bold red lipstick. However, if you’re opting for the more modern take on Cruella de Vil, then recreate Stone’s more edgy and punk iteration with a leather coat, metal hardware and — if you dare — the ‘Future’ face paint from the movie.

Beatrix Kiddo from ‘Kill Bill’: This outfit is as simple as they come, and has probably been done to death, but we can’t resist — it’s simply that cool. In the movie directed by Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman plays the deadly assassin called The Bride who is out for revenge after her baby is taken from her. She slices off heads, lands countless blows and sheds litres of blood in a yellow tracksuit and yellow sneakers, armed with a Japanese sword. We don’t suggest roaming around the city with a weapon, but the bright get-up is pretty much all you need to make an impact. Blonde wig is optional, but recommended.

The Addams Family: Nothing screams Halloween like the OG spooky family. The best thing is that you can pick from any of the iconic characters for your costume. Wednesday Addams is one way to go; wear your hair in pigtails (or use a long black wig to recreate this style), put on a plain black dress and wear black tights and shoes — keep a solemn face to really commit to the character. Another option is Morticia Addams; for a costume based on the matriarch, it’s key to get the make-up right. Use some white face paint to get her pale look and slap on deep red lipstick and dark eyeshadow. Pick a long, black dress with sweeping sleeves to get the look perfectly down. Gomez Addams is a fun look for the guys — or gals. Get yourself a pinstripe suit, draw on a thin fake moustache and slick your hair back. Voila!

80s Madonna: Some things never go out of style! Pop star Madonna’s super cool lace/punk/rocker chic vibe from the 80s is both easy to recreate and is always popular no matter what year we’re in. The best part is that there are so many fun variations to try. Pair a white corset or even a tank top with a tulle skirt, fishnet stockings, a studded belt and fingerless gloves to get the vibe. Or else, wear some acid wash jeans, a strappy black top, lots of heavy chains and side ponytail. The finishing touch is the heavy handed 80s make-up of course — eyeliner, dark brown lipstick and a beauty mark.

Ted and Coach Beard from ‘Ted Lasso’: Arguably the best “couple” in a show full of great twosomes, Ted and Coach Beard can make for a classic Halloween costume option and an easy one at that! After picking up several Emmy wins and a season two that kicked the ball right out of the park, ‘Ted Lasso’ is an obvious choice for those who like to keep their costumes casual but fun. To dress up as Ted, opt for a navy sweatsuit, a yellow whistle lanyard, a visor and a paste-on mustache. And for Coach Beard, pick a matching sweatsuit and yellow whistle, but you can shake things up with a hat, sports sunglasses and a clipboard. And you can’t go wrong with a beard for Coach Beard, of course! If you have time to get crafty, be sure to stick on the AFC Richmond logo on that sweatsuit.

Bennifer: Hands down the it couple of Hollywood for the year 2021, Bennifer is a no-brainer choice for your couples Halloween costume this year. And lucky for you, their long-time, on-and-off affair have given us plenty of choice looks to pick from. If you’re looking to dress down, pick one of their courtside looks from their outings to basketball games. Looking for a throwback costume? Why not opt for their ‘Gigli’ premiere look? Or if you’re looking to emulate Bennifer 2.0, their Venice Film Festival looks are all there for the taking, or better yet, go wild and copy their stunning Met Gala style.

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly: While the couple may have travelled down the adorable-to-annoying scale pretty quickly over the year, the truth is they make for a striking pair and have been in the news all year round. Not for the faint of heart, but if you can pull off the couple’s MTV VMAs daring look, you get points for thinking about it alone. While the ladies can pick out their most risqué dress (think nude shades), the men can go crazy with all things sparkles and red. A dash of confidence and you’re all good to go!

Loki and the Variants: 2021 gave us the gift of Lokis and you’d be a fool to not grab on this chance to dress up as one of the best Marvel characters to have been adapted to the big and small screens. Through the Disney+ series that released this year, we saw Tom Hiddleston’s Loki jump timelines and come face to face with various Variants of himself, and while the interactions were 10/10 amazing, it was even better for all the costume ideas it gives us. For those who want to dress up as the “main” Loki Variant, just put on a shirt, tie and windbreaker with “VARIANT” written out in orange all-caps on their backs. And for those who want to be the Sylvie to their Loki, get as elaborate or simple as you want to be, as long as you don’t forget your golden horned-crown, with one horn snapped off. Add on the black and green cloak for extra drama!

Otis and Maeve from ‘Sex Education’: It’s the on-again-off-again friendship that forms the beating heart of the popular Netflix series, and an Otis-Maeve look while brighten any Halloween party. Otis’ look is easy enough if you can find a retro-looking, colour-blocked jacket and pair them with a striped tee and khakhi pants. For Maeve, channel your best punk rock look, with a leather jacket and skirt pairing, along with fishnet stockings and boots. And if you want to go the extra mile, get some temporary hair colour and go pink!