(Photo courtesy of: Eulalie Magazine) “Many people are planning to go as some form of Barbie and Ken from the new movie.”
Alison Parker
Connector Editor
With October coming in full swing, the question on everyone’s mind is: “What should I be for Halloween?” For some, this decision is simple—throw on a pair of ears and call it a day. For others, however, this is a decision that requires extensive brainstorming.
Every year there are costumes that seem to trend across social media. You know, the ones that seem to fly off the shelves of your local Spirit Halloween. This past spooky season, the fan-favorite costume was Eddie Munson from Netflix’s Stranger Things— following the release of the show’s 4th season in May 2022. The concept of media influencing costume choices is certainly not a new phenomenon. Other notable costumes influenced by television, movies and media include Tony Manero’s disco suit from the 1970’s classic Saturday Night Fever and late singer Selena Quintanilla’s iconic purple jumpsuit she sported during her Astrodome Concert in 1995.
This year, I predict that the most popular costume choices will be Barbie and Ken. Following the movie’s release in July 2023, this has been widespread speculation.Barbie culture has taken the internet by storm, with fans dressing in their favorite pink garments to theaters across the world. Costume retailers like Spirit Halloween have been quick to supply this demand with over 20 costumes and accessories from the film. In particular, I believe that the Western Barbie costume will be a fan favorite this Halloween— a pink, star-studded replica of Margot Robbie’s costume in the film. Don’t fear Kens of the world—for there is also a Western Ken costume for you to channel your best mojo dojo casa energy in this season.
Another 2023 release that may influence the costume scene this year is The Addams Family spinoff Netflix series Wednesday. While The Addams Family costumes have certainly been done before since its original release in 1964— it will be exciting to see how this new series will influence certain changes in the costume. Costume retailers have released a new costume replica of Wednesday star Jenna Ortega’s Rave’n Dance dress—where she performed her iconic dance to The Cramps “Goo Goo Muck”. I don’t know if it’s the Tim Burton fan in me speaking, but I hope to see this costume shine this Halloween season. If you plan on wearing this costume this year, you just have to dance like Wednesday in front of all your friends.
For couples costumes, I predict that the new Nintendo Super Mario Bros film will act as a great source of inspiration. There are so many duo options within this movie outside of the classic Mario and Luigi. If you and your partner are the comedians of the group— you may want to consider dressing as Princess Peach and Bowser. The popularity of Jack Black’s soundtrack “Peaches” from the film will influence the popularity of this particular costume.
Another popular couples costume that is incredibly relevant to recent news is songwriter Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Swift’s “Era’s Tour” has taken the world and the media by storm— with the singer even announcing an upcoming film documentary of the tour set to release in theaters on October 13. If you haven’t quite literally been living under a rock, you would know that Swift has been romantically linked to NFL star Travis Kelce in recent weeks. This costume is the perfect go-to for any Swiftie and their football fan partners who may just have a Kelce jersey lying around. Trust me, we all know a couple where one person hates dressing up. This just might be the perfect solution.
Each year there are your cult-favorite classic costumes, costumes that never seem to go out of style. Some of these more basic, but always safe choices include cats, witches, and Ghostface from Scream. If you choose one of these traditional costumes, I encourage you to jazz it up with fun and easy accessories. This will make your Halloween outfit stand out in a crowd. We all know how awkward it can be when someone doesn’t recognize what you are supposed to be. Even if it is something as simple as a mouse, duh.
Whatever you decide to be for Halloween, just know that the objective of the holiday is to have fun. Don’t let society’s idea of what’s popular influence your costume choice— unless you have been waiting all summer long to have your Barbie moment.
