The year is not even over yet, and there are already hundreds of iconic pop culture moments from 2023 that now live in my head rent-free. The whole Scandoval situation? The Barbie movie, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé single-handedly holding up the economy? Rihanna at the Super Bowl?! Sometimes, I wish I could freeze time and live out some of these pop culture moments for a little bit longer—or even experience them for myself. Thankfully, with Halloween coming up, we can all take the opportunity to bring some of our favorite internet memes, pop culture hot topics, and TV and movie moments from 2023 to life.
Whether you, like me, want to live the shared experience of walking down the street on Halloween saying “Hi Barbie!” to everyone dressed as a character from the movie, or you want to think outside the box, there are tons of pop culture moments from this year that deserve to be made into Halloween costumes. If you’re looking for the perfect Halloween costume to rock this year, look no further. Here are 30 Halloween costume ideas for 2023 that are sure to be huge crowd-pleasers.
1. Roller-Skating Barbie
SOURCE: WARNER BROS.
Remember back in the day when we were all SO excited to see those first few stills of the Barbie movie? If you want to relive the way you felt when you first saw Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in their neon-colored attire on the streets of Los Angeles, roller-skating Barbie is the perfect Halloween costume. Bonus points if you can get your Ken to join in.
2. Queen Charlotte
SOURCE: NETFLIX
No Halloween costume ideas roundup would be complete without a Bridgerton-inspired look. This year, our pick is definitely Queen Charlotte. Get royally dressed up in this Queen Charlotte-inspired gown, white gloves, and a crown.
3. Wednesday Addams
SOURCE: NETFLIX
The bad news: We can’t all magically become as cool as Jenna Ortega overnight. But the good news is that it’s fairly easy to dress up as her iconic character, Wednesday Addams. All you need is some chunky loafers, a collared dress, and some braids in your hair.
4. Ariel from The Little Mermaid
SOURCE: DISNEY
This year, we all got to heal our inner child by watching Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. Take that magical energy a step further by putting on a mermaid-esque skirt and a seashell swimsuit this Halloween. If only your middle school self who wore those mermaid-tail pattern fluorescent leggings could see you now!
5. Rihanna at The Super Bowl
SOURCE: GETTY
I’ll admit that attempting to replicate anything Rihanna does is definitely a bit ambitious. While none of us will ever achieve the level of awesomeness that came from her Super Bowl performance this year, we can at least try with an all-red outfit—and some Fenty lipstick, of course.
6. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
SOURCE: GETTY
You knew this one was coming. 2023 is officially the year of Taylor Swift, and we’re all just along for the ride. Whether you went to the Eras tour or not, you can easily relive your favorite Taylor Swift era this year by replicating her tour outfits. I personally would go with an “All Too Well”-inspired fit, but here are a few options for some other eras as well.
7. Daisy Jones and The Six
SOURCE: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Yes, dressing up in ’70s-inspired garb for Halloween feels like a trend that has been around, well, basically since the 1970s themselves. But this year, Amazon Prime Video blessed us with the Daisy Jones and The Six miniseries that allows for some creative spin-offs on the classic rockstar look.
8. Cowgirl Barbie
SOURCE: WARNER BROS.
You didn’t think we could narrow it down to only one Barbie costume, did you? Out of all the amazing outfits in the Barbie movie, this one has to be the most iconic: it’s giving coastal cowgirl and Barbiecore all in one. Plus, anyone and everyone who has seen the movie will know exactly who you’re channeling in this outfit.
9. Morticia Addams
SOURCE: NETFLIX
When it comes to dressing up as members of the Addams family, there are the Wednesday girls, and then there are the Morticia girls. Channel Morticia’s dark, alluring, matriarchal energy with a long black gown, a red rose, and some black lipstick.
10. Katniss from The Hunger Games
SOURCE: LIONSGATE
If you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie to come out, then dressing up in some Hunger Games-inspired garb for Halloween is definitely the move for you this year. Katniss is a go-to character to dress up as, since she’s easily the most recognizable in the film series, but feel free to get creative with Halloween costume ideas based on other characters from Panem.
11. Marilyn Monroe
SOURCE: GETTY
Whether you watched the controversial Blonde movie or not, Marilyn Monroe has been a hot topic this past year, between the psychological drama’s buzzy release and Kim Kardashian wearing one of her dresses to the 2022 Met Gala. A Marilyn Halloween costume just might become one that you re-wear year after year.
12. Ellie from The Last of Us
SOURCE: MAX
Whether you’re an OG fan of “The Last of Us” video game or you fell in love with the HBO miniseries adaptation this year, The Last of Us is a great costume idea for 2023. As you wait for season two, dress up as Ellie with a gray long-sleeve, red button-up, and red Converse low-tops.
13. Jobu Tupaki from Everything Everywhere All At Once
SOURCE: A24
OK yes, Everything Everywhere All at Once came out in 2022, but we haven’t been able to stop thinking (or talking) about it in 2023. While there are many gorgeous outfits in the film to re-create, Jobu Tupaki’s Elvis suit and bedazzled makeup definitely takes the cake for an amazing Halloween costume.
14. Tanya McQuoid from The White Lotus
SOURCE: MAX
You could pick any one of the many characters from The White Lotus to emulate this Halloween… or you could just be honest with yourself and dress up as Tanya McQuoid. The major plus of this costume? It comes with a lengthy list of hilarious one-liners to toss out throughout the night in your best Jennifer Coolidge voice.
15. M3GAN
SOURCE: BLUMHOUSE PICTURES
Each year, there’s always that one movie that everyone expects to be kind of laughably bad before its release, and then it shockingly turns out to be quite good. This year, that film was M3GAN. Dress up as this iconic scary doll in a khaki dress, neckerchief, and some white tights.
16. Girl Dinner
@alanalavv Replying to @gianna martinez the best part tho. #snackplate #fruitandcheese
While some internet fads come and go, we would argue that girl dinner is here to stay. Celebrate your love of snacks (and get a laugh out of all your friends) by turning this trend into a Halloween costume. With a pink top, easy-to-carry cheese board, and some food-shaped candy, you’ve got yourself a Halloween girl dinner.
17. Kourtney Kardashian in the “Travis I’m Pregnant” meme
Say what you will: Kourt knew what she was doing when she decided to tell Travis Barker she was pregnant with a giant posterboard at one of his concerts. As one of the most meme-able pop culture moments of 2023, this one definitely deserves a dedicated Halloween costume.
18. Beyoncé from the Renaissance Tour
SOURCE: GETTY
If you were blessed with the opportunity to see Beyoncé live on her Renaissance tour this year (lucky you), then you know that she had some jaw-dropping tour outfits. While it might be a bit difficult to replicate *that* bee costume, you can always channel some Alien Superstar energy with some of these items.
19. Carmy from The Bear
SOURCE: FX
Yes, chef! It’s hard to know which part of The Bear stole our hearts the most this year: the unbelievable writing, the Taylor Swift needle drop, or Jeremy Allen-White’s tattoos. What we do know is that dressing up as Carmy is an easy, comfortable, and recognizable Halloween costume.
20. Mabel Mora from Only Murders in the Building
SOURCE: HULU
While some might attempt to manifest the perfect love story into their young adult lives, I personally hope to manifest an everlasting friendship with two eccentric murder-mystery-solving elderly men, which is why Mabel Mora is a top contender on my list of Halloween costume ideas this year. Plus, Mabel’s fluffy orange jacket is one I just know I would find myself reaching for again.
21. Olivia Rodrigo + “Vampire”
SOURCE: OLIVIA RODRIGO
Not only did she grant us the gift of new head-banging music this fall, but Queen Olivia has also given us the perfect Halloween costume idea. Dress up as Olivia in her “Vampire” cover art with a partner as the vampire, or go all-in-one with the black lace tank and some fangs of your own.
22. Wicked
SOURCE: UNIVERSAL PICTURES
While we all wait with bated breath for the Wicked film’s release (I just NEED to see Arianna as Glinda), dressing up as Glinda and Elphaba for Halloween is the next best thing. Grab your bestie and whip out the green face paint because this classic duo costume never goes out of style.
23. Sarah from Outer Banks
SOURCE: NETFLIX
This year, Outer Banks took over our screens yet again with season 3, and we loved watching the Kooks and Pogues just as much this time around. Channel Sarah Cameron’s casual-cool vibe with this orange top, some denim shorts, and a pair of high-top Converse.
24. Carrie from Sex And The City
SOURCE: HBO
No matter what you think of And Just Like That…, there’s no denying that Sex And The City is back in a big way in 2023. As a card-carrying member of team girlboss-writer-Carrie-not-defined-by-who-she’s-with, I personally would love to don her iconic opening sequence outfit this Halloween.
25. Top Gun: Maverick
SOURCE: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Yes, Top Gun costumes dominated Halloween 2022, but some of us missed out on the fun last year! If you’re more of an action movie lover than a Greta Gerwig fanatic, throw it back to last year’s film of the summer with a fighter pilot outfit.
26. Gwen from Across the Spiderverse
SOURCE: COLUMBIA PICTURES
IYKYK: The Spiderverse films are definitely not just for kids. If you’re still thinking about the huge cliffhanger in Across the Spiderverse, or can’t get that scene with Gwen and her dad out of your head, then dressing up as everyone’s favorite Spiderwoman for Halloween will definitely satisfy your craving for more Spiderman content.
27. Scandoval
SOURCE: GETTY
Bravo-holics know that the most dramatic thing to happen in all of 2023 was definitely Tom Sandoval cheating on Ariana Maddix with Raquel Leviss. While we never want to make light of such a heartbreaking situation, Ariana herself has made t-shirts based on the drama, so… any opportunity to make fun of the worm with a mustache, right?
28. Mario
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a box office hit in 2023, which means that Mario is definitely going to be one of the most popular Halloween costume ideas this year. Re-create everyone’s favorite video game character with a red t-shirt, some overalls, and a Mario hat.
29. Violet Beauregarde
SOURCE: WARNER BROS.
Violet Beauregarde probably won’t be in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel that comes out this December, but she sure does make for a chic Halloween look, especially if you’re looking for easy Halloween costume ideas. Dab some blue and purple makeup on your nose, grab a pack of gum, and hit the town as one of the most easily recognizable characters from the original film.
30. Twitter vs. Threads
RIP Twitter, you were so loved for your too-short time on our world wide web. The battle of the social media apps was one of the most… interesting conflicts of the year, so why not turn it into a Halloween costume? After all, you and your friend dressed up as the apps for Halloween would look WAY cuter than Elon and Zuck in a cage match.
