Celebrity Halloween costumes have to be inspired yet niche, spot-on yet on the nose. Many people look to celebrities for costume inspiration, hoping to recreate their looks or create a look of their own with the same level of impact.
Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to custom designer pieces, personal assistants, makeup artists and a stylist who’s a celebrity in their own right to create a Halloween look that’s not just a costume, but a cultural moment.
Instead, people are left praying by the front door that their Amazon package will arrive on time, which makes it underwhelming when certain celebrities put little effort into their costumes, seemingly throwing something together at the last minute. With all the connections and designer wardrobes at their disposal, there is no excuse for a Halloween letdown.
That’s not to say there aren’t some celebrities who don’t absolutely kill it on Halloween, and this year, pop stars stole the show. From Sabrina Carpenter’s recreation of a familiar musician’s iconic look to Harry Styles’ throwback to an iconic look of his own, pop music’s biggest stars took Halloween seriously this year.
During her Oct. 30 concert in Columbus, Ohio, Olivia Rodrigo wore a full set of costumes reflecting songs from her latest album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.” She started the night dressed as Marie Antoinette, pulling inspiration from track one, “drop dead,” which features the lyric “you’re looking like an angel on the walls of Versailles.”
The song’s music video was even filmed at the Palace of Versailles in France, where Rodrigo wore a dusty blue babydoll dress. Onstage, she wore an 18th-century-inspired version of the dress, accessorized with a pearl necklace, a Marie Antoinette-inspired wig and a playful touch of fake blood on her neck. Ultimate Antoinette vibes.
Rodrigo’s next look was a bumblebee for her song “honeybee.” She followed it with a pink ballerina costume, which the dancers in her “stupid song” music video influenced, and New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck choreographed..
Looking like she stepped right out of her music video for “the cure,” Rodrigo’s next outfit recreated her pink 1950s nurse look. The outfit even dissolved as rain fell from the ceiling, revealing a skeleton costume underneath, another reference to “the cure.”
Rodrigo’s costumes were original, showstopping and utterly iconic. Because what’s more iconic than referencing yourself?
Also performing on Oct. 30, Harry Styles kicked off the first night of his two-night Harryween performances by recreating two memorable looks from the past. Styles started the night dressed as Elvis Presley. He wore a white, bedazzled jumpsuit complete with a satin blue cape and a voluminous pompadour. Classic Elvis.
Styles’ second look was quite the throwback, recreating the moment that started it all: his 2010 “X Factor” audition. He wore a gray cardigan, beige scarf and even an “X Factor” audition bib.
On the second night of Harryween, Styles paid homage to New York City. With his 30-day residency at Madison Square Garden coming to a close, he dressed as Manhattan’s finest: a subway rat. He wore a giant, fuzzy rat costume, rat nails and even dragged an oversized piece of pizza with him.
Styles’ costumes hit all three Halloween costume categories: a look that’s hot, a look that’s not and a look that only true fans will understand.
Sabrina Carpenter also understood the importance of pop culture references as Halloween costumes. Dressed as the legendary Stevie Nicks, her first Halloween costume of this year paid homage to the Fleetwood Mac singer in a mysterious, witchy all-black look. Her long, flowing sleeves and tambourine were unmistakably Stevie Nicks-inspired.
Carpenter’s costume was especially fitting, as she recently performed a duet of “Landslide” with Nicks at the Met Gala. But that wasn’t the only pop culture reference Carpenter nailed. Dressed as Penny Pingleton, Carpenter looked like she had stepped right out of “Hairspray.” Her replica dress, hairdo and even the lollipop were near-perfect Penny Pingleton.
From career throwbacks that only longtime fans would recognize to tributes to unforgettable pop culture figures, pop stars proved they are the ones to draw Halloween costume inspiration from. While some celebrities don’t take Halloween seriously, these stars partnered with their stylists to create costumes that became pop culture moments of their own.
