Top Ten Costumes You’ll See

at Every Halloween Party in 2014

Frozen

The biggest animated hit this decade came out last November, which means little girls all over the world have been frothing at the mouth for 11 whole months just dying to dress up like their favorite new adorkable princesses. I’m just saying prepare for absolute hordes of little Anna’s and Elsa’s running around this year people. Tons of adult interpretations too if Pinterest’s hair inspiration boards are any indication. Not to mention the obligatory slutty styles that have already popped up, but you expect the Legs version of the princess sisters.  The Slutty Olaf the Snowman costume however was requested by no one, it just appeared one day as an example of the lowest point of humanity.

Walking Dead

Televisions best zombie drama just came back into our lives last week and just in time to go trick or treating as your favorite walker or apocalypse survivor. Darryl and Michonne will remain popular choices, who doesn’t want to rock a crossbow or machete? Rick and Carl are a good option for a father/son duo looking to do a coordinated look that makes the most of their burgeoning tension and adolescent angst. The beauty of dressing up as someone from The Walking Dead is the chance to pretty much just wear regular clothes splattered in dirt and blood and call it a costume.

Guardians of the Galaxy

These are going to be the groups winning all the costume competitions. Not only is Star-Lord like the coolest superhero we’ve had in a while, practically every guy will be able to pull him off — it’s just a fact that gasmasks and leather jackets look good on everyone.  Nebula and Gamora are both total kickass chicks tyhat basically just require body paint and some skintight pants. And we all know that one guy who lifts all year long so he can go shirtless on Halloween, Drax was made for him. Groot will be a challenge being a 7 foot walking tree and all, maybe some of you nerds have an old Ent outfit in the closet you can repurpose. Add a Rocket raccoon cape and mask to the dog and you have a group costume that’s fun for the whole family.

Hunger Games

Halloween comes just a month before everyone’s favorite Dystopian teen franchise ends, well begins to end in part one of the two-part ending. Katniss is great because you have a choice between super glamorous Girl on Fire in crazy makeup and a ballgown, or go low key with a causal Katniss hunting at home look just add jacket, braid and bow and arrow. Effie is always a good look as a complicated character who oozes style, plus most girls have a ridiculous bridesmaid dress that makes the look when worn with a blonde wig and neon eye shadow.

Doctor Who

There’s a new Doctor in town and fans can’t wait to cosplay as his latest dignified and brusque persona. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is so easy too without any wacky scarves or hats,  all it takes is a button down shirt, long-ish jacket (lined in red if you’re being picky) and serious case of attack eyebrows. Add a cutie-pie chipmunk of a girl in a short skirt, black tights and bangs and you have a super easy couples costume of the Doctor and Clara that is sure to be all over the place come Halloween. Don’t forget your sonic screwdriver, and maybe something that goes ding when there’s stuff.

Ebola Patient Zero

As the biggest Ebola outbreak in history it’s practically all that’s in the news these days and a legitimately scary threat…so naturally we need to make fun of it. Abstract ideas make the most fun costumes so I predict lots of different takes on this one. Most generic zombies out there this year will probably work ebola into their names somehow and hospital gowns and nurse outfits are sure to reign. There’s even bound to be a flippant few actually dressed as America’s first diagnosed patient Thomas Duncan, they’ll be the ones in the neon green jackets giving HIPPA the finger.

Maleficent

Angelina Jolie is the quintessential fantasy “hot girl” every woman wants to be so it’s no surprise her characters are always Halloween favorites. Female villains are most appealing cosplay when they exude a wicked elegance  and  this summer saw Jolie’s cheekbones starring as the Queen of the wicked fairies herself. Those delicate sharply pointed horns worn with a corset and wings will make any woman look like a dark goddess and spend all night perfecting her deeply sardonic drawl.

Captain America/Black Widow

While all of the Avengers will be well represented as costume choices, Captain America and Black Widow starred in the most recent chapter of the Marvel saga and the general public is ruled by a short attention span. So I foresee your parties boasting lots of redheads prowling around in cat suits and tons of patriotic heroes in varying degrees of authenticity from molded plastic muscles to jeans and an American flag tee shirt. And for the couple who is way too cool for that level of enthusiasm, Steve and Natasha as undercover mall hipsters in the Apple store are the epitome of laziness and obscurity.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Mark my words Turtles are going to be big this year with all of those poor little kids whose parents let them believe in Michael Bay’s distorted vision of our heroes in a half shell. And with 90’s kids all grown up and appalled to see what has been done to our beloved culture icons who will bdress as the classic Turtles to spit in the face of a new regime. But most of all with college girls looking for a tutu based group costume…because there isn’t a single classic cartoon that hasn’t been ruined by sorority girls in tutus.

American Horror Story: Freakshow

AHS is a completely different show every season but what remains the same is how it serves up mind blowing nightmares with such style. This season’s atmospheric and deteriorating 1950’s creeptacular carnival is rife with characters that would make great Halloween costumes. Jessica Lange is impeccable as the fabulous, aged German cabaret singer, the costume would be worth it to wear the furs alone. Jimmy Darling the Lobster Boy and his mother the Bearded Lady would both make excellent costume options, and the two headed twins would be a fun and eye catching look for a couple of girls who don’t mind being joined at the hip all night. But I think we’re going to see the most of Twisty the murderous clown. We’ve been afraid of clowns for a while now as a society and Ryan Murphy has found a way to interject new life into the trope with Twisty’s terrifying mask of human flesh. This costume is guaranteed to reduce most children to a quivering mess, and  isn’t that what Halloween is really all about?
– Amelia Steinmetz