The key to a good Halloween costume is to be as pop culturally relevant as possible.
While there is always that large percentage of girls who just wear animal ears and lingerie (a là “Mean Girls”), as well as men who simply wear togas, the most memorable costumes are the ones that think outside of the box.
This past year has had many memorable moments and notable figures to capitalize on. These are the top-10 costumes that you should be expecting to see when you go out this year:
- The left shark from the Super Bowl halftime show. While this was all the way back in February, shirts and costumes of the spunky shark have been mass produced. You can order this costume online (Amazon is cheapest) or brave the many Pinterest DIY pages.
- Any “Inside Out” persona. These adorable figures come in multiple shapes and sizes, making them an ideal costume candidate. Plus, who doesn’t like brightly colored wigs and face paint?
- Kim Davis. This Midwestern political drama queen faced censure and federal charges after refusing to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples this year. To complete this costume, just raid your grandmother’s closet and look for a blue long-sleeve shirt and a long dress to go over it. You can carry a Bible around as an accessory. Don’t forget to make disgusted faces at everyone showing some skin.
- Marty McFly. This throwback to the ‘80s movie “Back to the Future II” is incredibly popular this year seeing as we are living in the year that Marty traveled to. So walk around in your red puffy vest from Goodwill and a cardboard pink hoverboard and ask people where their flying car is.
- Kanye West at the VMAs. This has got to be the easiest costume to make this year. Go to Wal-Mart and buy a 3XL tan shirt and some sweats. Boom. You’ve just spent $10 to look like one of the most iconic rap artists of this generation. Don’t forget to walk around and talk about your future presidential campaign and your wife’s selfies to anyone who will listen.
- Chris Pratt from “Jurassic World.” This is another easy one. The hardest thing to find about this costume is a vest, but it can easily be found at a secondhand store. Make sure that every time you walk into a new room, crouch down and hold out your arms, staring intently at everyone while repeating “stand down.”
- “Netflix and chill” has got to be one of the most popular slang trends of 2015. It is essentially another version of a booty call. There are two ways that you can complete this costume. If you are riding solo on Halloween, pick up a red shirt and press a “Netflix” sticker on it and carry around a clear bag that says “ice” on it. The second thing you can do, if you have a partner, is wear matching shirts. One shirt says “Netflix” and the other says “Chill.”
- Furiosa. “Mad Max: Fury Road” was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2015. Expect to see people rubbing black face paint over the top half of their face and looking stoic as hell in dirty white shirts and multiple belts. You might also see other characters from the movie surfacing, like the harem of women in white, or the iconic War Boys, both of which can be made easily from makeup and old clothes.
- Caitlyn Jenner. While somewhat controversial, expect to see both men and women copying the famous Vogue photo of Caitlyn Jenner in the white corset with long brown tresses. A fairly easy costume to make, it will be recognized by nearly everyone, proving just how iconic Caitlyn’s transition is to this generation.
- Donald Trump. You can’t get around this man being caricatured on Halloween. His face has been all over the media and piñatas in the last year. He has made many enemies all over the country, so don’t be surprised when you see dead versions of him as well. He has single-handedly raised the sales of shaggy blond wigs and red trucker hats in America. When you see a Trump, make sure to shake his hand and tell him you hope to “make America great again.”