From Moo Deng to Raygun: what to dress up as for Halloween this year
By Nell Geraets
Halloween costumes are no longer just about looking spooky. While you’re still bound to see a few Freddy Kruegers and Pennywise clowns, you can also expect to see a range of timely and topical costumes that demonstrate how “chronically online” people have been this year.
Roxy Rawhide, owner of Melbourne’s Centrestage Costumes, says many of us are drawing inspiration from recent blockbuster hits. For example, Minions costumes have been one of its top-sellers since the release of Despicable Me 4 in July.
Roxy Rawhide, who is dressed as Beetlejuice, says make-up is all the rage this Halloween.Credit: Eddie Jim
“Deadpool & Wolverine and Beetlejuice are also really popular,” Rawhide says. “Movies with staying power tend to do best; those that aren’t just going to be a flash in the pan. For example, no one wants to be Ant-Man any more.”
Halloween theme parties are also driving costume decisions, Rawhide says, as large groups decide to dress up as, for example, different Taylor Swift eras or various iterations of singer Chappell Roan.
Though plenty of us still opt for scary costumes, Rawhide says our choices are more commonly driven by a growing interest in special effects make-up. “People are buying our zombie kits, and watching tutorials on how to apply prosthetics. They’re focusing less on costuming, and more on make-up.”
Meanwhile, Anthony Defina, owner of House of Priscilla in Sydney, says there has been more demand for simple packet costumes this year.
James Bennati dresses Daniel Franklin for Halloween at House of Priscilla, where packet costumes are more popular than ever.Credit: Janie Barrett
“Many want cheaper, disposable packet costumes, like witches, devils, vampires,” he says. “They don’t really have to think about it, and can buy it last-minute. This is especially popular this year because we expect a double-banger Halloween. People have parties the weekend before, then another mid-week on Halloween, and another the weekend after.”
From TikTok trends to adorable zoo animals, here are some cultural icon costume ideas perfect for Halloween 2024.
Moo Deng
Thailand’s most famous pygmy hippo took social media by storm last month, inspiring countless memes and even a Saturday Night Live skit. Create your own hippo costume, or – for the less creative among us – buy a hippo onesie, and your transformation into Moo Deng will be complete. Next, throw a few adorable tantrums, bite someone’s knee, or relish in whatever water you can find, and you’ll have successfully embodied the two-month-old mammalian it-girl.
Chappell Roan
Speaking of it-girls, this 26-year-old singer has turned many heads, either because of her rise to fame a year after the release of her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, or because of her recent rejection of “creepy” fan behaviour.
Whether you like her synth-pop or not, her colourful drag is sure to inspire various costumes this Halloween, particularly her Pink Pony Club, Statue of Liberty and album cover looks.
Chappell Roan has emerged from relative obscurity to become one of the world’s most exciting pop stars.Credit: Ryan Clemens
Raygun
After the notorious breakdancing performance at this year’s Paris Olympics by Raygun (aka Rachael Gunn), don’t be surprised to see a lot of green and gold tracksuits and amateur kangaroo-style dance-battles this Halloween.
Dale Pruser, owner of Creative Costumes in Melbourne, says she quickly sold out of Raygun costumes.“I’ve had to order more, they’re just so popular,” Pruser says. “Pop culture drives everything now. And it’s so accessible – you can Google anything or go on TikTok and learn how to look exactly like them … The younger generations are particularly pop culture-driven.”
Brat
It’s hard to resist the laissez-faire, party girl look nailed by pop star Charli XCX after the release of her Brat album in June, and her recent announcement that she will headline six shows for Laneway Festival early next year. Keep “Brat Summer” alive in any Shrek-green clothing, some Y2K rave glasses and a seriously tousled hairdo. It’s less about the look and more about the “who cares” attitude.
For those planning to dive even deeper down the pop culture rabbit hole, try dressing as “Brat Kamala Harris” (hint: lime green power suit).
Charli XCX’s Brat album has made slime green hotter than ever before.
Hawk Tuah girl
Hailey Welch forever changed vox pops after telling YouTubers Tim Dickerson and DeArius Marlow that you “gotta give him that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang” earlier this year. As long as you can do the “sound”, you don’t need much else. Or wear some of the official merch Welch inspired, including trucker hats, jumpsuits and t-shirts.
Jen and Ben
Forget Taylor and Travis, in favour of Bennifer (aka Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck) who have kept us on our toes with their on-again-off-again relationship since 2002. Lopez filed for divorce in August, but this hasn’t stopped fans speculating whether the pair will again rekindle their relationship.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the Golden Globe Awards in January this year.Credit: Getty Images
Lopez has plenty of iconic looks to choose from, such as her Balmain Met Gala look from 2018 or her Versace plunging neckline dress from 2000. As for Affleck, pull a resting grumpy face, and grow a beard for good measure.
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