Halloween is right around the corner!
So we’ve scoured the internet to find the best 50 costume ideas for 2021! Among our selected 2021 pop culture moments are memorable red carpet looks, newsworthy memes, the hottest shows and movies of the year, and nostalgic picks having a resurgence because of TikTok.
1. Squid Game
She is the moment… Squid Games is Netflix’s biggest hit to date, so if you’ve managed to somehow not watch the show take this as your sign to watch it so you can be on it this Halloween!
2. Lil Nas X as the Devil
Lil Nas X is a talented and boundary-pushing rapper, singer, and songwriter. His elaborate music videos are iconic, and his MONTERO video is a perfect choice to reference this Halloween.
3. Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia has definitely made the most of 2021! In just this year, she has had some iconic moments that are all worth a Halloween costume. We loved her cheerleader costume, a la Mandy Moore in The Princess Diaries, in her Good 4 U music video. You can also reference her visit to the White House or her Sour album cover.
4. Little Lad
Who likes Berries and Cream?
5. Bernie Sanders in Mittens
Remember the millions of memes senator Bernie Sander inspired with his cozy mittens during the inauguration? Well, this is a simple and hilarious costume that will keep you nice and warm, whatever your Halloween plans may be.
6. 2K-Era Paris Hilton
The Y2K revival is still going strong and introducing new generations to iconic Paris Hilton moments from the early 2000s. That’s hot.
7. Jeffrey Bezos Space Cowboy
Jeffree Bezos is another character in Bo Burnham’s special Inside. You can sing this song as you make a dramatic entrance to your Halloween party in a cowboy hat, and oh yeah, 5.5 billion dollars for a 4-minute space ride.
8. Cruella
Cruella De Vil has been a popular costume ever since the 1961 animated film. However, she got quite the punk-friendly makeover in this year’s film as portrayed by the oscar-winning actress Emma Stone.
9. Phoebe Bridgers at the Grammys
A Phoebe Bridgers costume is a pretty great last-minute option. You’ll be instantly recognizable, and all you’ll need is a skeleton onesie and dark lipstick.
10. Rhianna and A$AP Rocky at the Met Gala
This is the perfect couple’s costume for those who like looking chic and comfy!
11. Lorde’s Solar Power
Hot girl summer may be over, but we can never forget it when listening to Lorde’s sunny and happy tune!
12. Harry Styles at the Grammys
Harry Styles always rocks a red carpet, but we think he should have credited Ashley Tisdale’s 2000s red carpet looks as inspiration.
13. The Container Ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal
The drama of it all. The ginormous container ship, the legendary Suez channel, and the tiny yellow bulldozer that could, it was all an accurate representation of 2021.
14. Bennifer 2.0
Is this 2002, or are we dreaming? The power couple, simply known as Bennifer, is back and better than ever. For this couple’s costume, you could go the early 2000s route or as Bennifer 2.0.
15. Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker
Kourtney and Travis are tying the knot!
16. Grimes Communist Manifesto
Grimer and Elon Mush have separated, and she set up this photoshoot to rile up the internet in the most Grimes way imaginable.
17. Princess Diana
With Netflix’s The Crown and the upcoming film Spencer coming out, this has been a time to remember the one and only Diana Spencer.
18. Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala
Kim’s Met Gala look is a fantastic choice for those of us who want to be seen but not perceived!
19. Free Britney
The Free Birtney movement has been incredibly successful in shining a light into the life of one of the greatest pop stars and entertainers out there. Britney Spears has an epic repertoire to choose from!
20. Harley Quinn from The Suicide Squad
Margot Robbie continues to capture the audience’s heart in her fourth film appearance as the completely unique Harley Quin.
21. The Titanic Iceberg from SNL
Bowen Yang does a genius job as the…Titanic Iceberg?
This fan-favorite bit from the 46th season of Saturday Night Live has taken the “Weekend Update” to a whole new level of cool
22. White Woman’s Instagram
Latte foam art, tiny pumpkins, Fuzzy, comfy socks… As Bo Burnham says, a white woman’s Instagram does sound like a version of heaven. Well, there is definitely a lot of inspiration to take from one of the breakout songs from this musical comedy special.
23. The Darkling from Shadow and Bone
Move over, Jon Snow; there’s another brooding brunet in town. Ben Barnes does too good a job portraying The Darkling, the most toxic and handsome Grisha around.
24. Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a fantastic Apple Tv show about a football coach traveling to England to train a professional soccer team. This heartwarming comedy is a great Halloween choice.
25. Wanda and Vision from Wandavision
Wandavision was Disney + first Marvel show and showed us a whole other side of Wanda and Vision while introducing us to new iconic characters. Their Halloween episode is the perfect inspiration for a fun and homemade Halloween look!
26. Couch Guy
This viral Tiktok video brought out the detective in all of us. It’s an excellent idea for a group costume. You can be the infamous couch guy, the girl with the hoodie, the girlfriend, or one of the stunned friends.
27. Promising Young Woman
This powerful film will leave you speechless. Carey Mulligan knocks it out of the park in her starring role as Cassandra, a woman on a mission. She wears a candy-colored wig and manicure and nurse costume in the film’s most shocking moments.
28. Bridgerton
This Shonda Rhimes Regency-inspired show captured the cultural zeitgeist and will continue to do so with season two!
29. Cartoon Inspired Winx Club
Winx Club is an absolutely beloved cartoon by all of us 2000s kids. The recent Y2K revival has introduced many more to this ongoing magical cartoon.
30. Money Heist
Spain’s Money Heist continues to gather an international audience as we can’t help following the crew’s crazy adventures.
31. Natasha Romanoff in ‘Black Widow’
Scarlett Johanson’s long-awaited Black Widow movie tackles heavy and essential subjects and introduces us to her first family.
32. The White Lotus
Just thinking about the show brings back their memorable score! Well, this is another excellent option for a group Halloween costume. We believe that Emily and Paula, or Tanya or Armond, would be perfect picks.
33. Shang Chi
Shang-Chi was one of the first big blockbuster films to open after Covid, and it was a joyride from beginning to end. We can’t wait to see how Shang-Chi continues to grow in future Marvel films.
34. Masha in Nine Perfect Strangers
Nicole Kidman is a showstopper in this unraveling tale of nine strangers looking for spiritual healing at a boutique health-and-wellness resort.
35. She’s The Man
Amanda Bynes ruled the 2000s and was at her peak with this 2006 take on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Just don’t forget the tampons!
36. Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus
Dressing up as the legendary Sanderson Sisters is a perfect group costume idea! You’ll scare off all the little trick or treaters if they know what’s good for them. The long-awaited sequel is set to premiere in 2022!
37. Black Swan
It seems like the nostalgia cycle keeps speeding up. This fantastic film came out 11 years ago, and the costume seems to be ripe for a revisit. You’ll need a black tutu, ballet shoes, a leotard, and the smokies 2010s eye shadow you can manage.
38. Napoleon and Pedro From Napoleon Dynamite
This 2004 indie film is comedic gold. The costume is really easy to get just right. You can find the iconic Vote For Pedro t-shirt on Amazon.
39. Loki
Loki, the streaming series, was incredibly successful and introduced us to a new side of Loki, well, six different variants, to be exact.
40. Mid Sommar
Though this movie came out last year, we gather there will be many May Queens running around this Halloween.
41. American Psycho
American Psycho came out in 2000, making this film eligible to drink! This fun costume is another easy last-minute choice, but you might have trouble finding the 2000s style wired headphones.
42. Spiderman
Spiderman is amongst the most popular superheroes of all time. There are so many routes to go down, like Miles Morales, Doc. Ock’s Spiderman, or the classic Peter Parker.
43. Jennifer’s Body
Megan Fox is having a moment, and her cult classic film Jennifer’s Body is getting the recognition it deserves.
44. Space Cowgirl
Space Cowgirl is a fun and versatile Halloween costume. Some critical elements for the costume seem to be pink cowboy hats, metallics, and cow print! Howdy Cowgirl!
45. Twilight
The Twilight cinematic universe first came to life in 2008! It has since remained popular, but thanks to both TokTok and quarantine, it has now reached a new level of popularity and nostalgia.
46. #BamaRush
The viral Bama Rush trend was probably an insightful look into this niche world if you never rushed for a sorority.
47. Sally Stitches
Incredibly talented makeup artists have brought this iconic Nightmare Before Christmas character to life!
48. The Cast of Shrek
You probably won’t have to go far, far away to run into Shrek, Fiona, or Lord Farcuad this Halloween. Thanks to TikTok, Shrek fandom is again alive and well! This is an excellent idea for a 2021 Halloween-themed party.
49. Scream
Drew Berrymore in Scream quickly became a classic scream queen. However, she’s actually only on screen for 13 minutes!
50. Rattatoui
Rattatoui the musical started out as a viral TikTok trend and is now an international phenomenon with an actual Broadway-caliber show! If that isn’t the energy to chase as 2021 winds down to an end and into 2022, we don’t know what is!
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