From Magic Mike to Duolingo: A first-year’s perspective on the 2024 Halloween costumes
The Trending Halloween Costumes of 2024, From Traditional to Out of This World
Photography by Ming Yuan/The Barnard Bulletin
By Vivian Lin
November 15, 2024
Boo! Is that another Bustier Corset Top For Women with an Overbust Lace Up Waist Cincher? Indeed it is. Every year, college students try to craft the perfect Halloween costume — not too popular and not too niche, with just the right amount of spice — so they can show their Instagram followers just how much they’re living it up at college.
With the rapidly expanding influence of the internet, costume ideas are becoming even more popularized. People are able to see the trends that are arising and build off of them to add their own creative twist. After experiencing the infamous “Halloweekend” for the first time, I’ve compiled a list of the notable classic and duo costumes of the year, as well as my personal favorites.
The Classics
Per usual, the era of Disney princesses is never-ending. Snow White, Belle, Ariel, and Aurora are the most popular, and occasionally, Mulan, Jasmine, or Tiana may appear. Rarely, however, does this costume actually resemble the dress in the movie—it’s often a corset paired with a short skirt matching the color profiles of the characters.
The Minions are also a popular choice, typically for people going the more comical route for Halloween. A staple group costume that can be worn by anyone, all that’s needed is a yellow shirt (or some yellow paint), some overalls, and a pair of goggles. One volunteer can even dress up as Gru, a costume complete with a long nose and a striped scarf.
“The Minions were an easy group costume, especially because I had a couple costume changes planned for later,” said Anita Lin (CC‘27).
Magic Mike group costumes are hilarious and a good last-minute costume for groups. “It’s ironically sexy. You can dress up as a guy but still feel hot,” said Emily Kim (BC‘28). Besides, all that's really needed is a white top, a tie, some jeans, and a hat. Instead of going out to find the perfect costume, all that’s needed could already be in your closet.
Additionally, I’m a fan of the classic Kiss, Marry, Kill theme; it’s an easy way to make sure no one feels left out of a trio. The theme is clearly recognizable, often with a red, white, and black outfit, and a great way for all three to feel included. “It’s a bit overdone, but I’m not mad at it,” said Will Fu (SEAS‘25).
The cheetahs costumes were overdone this year. Although it's an easy costume to scrap together the day of, they were usually a little lazy, mostly completed with a sole cheetah patterned top and a cute black skirt. But personally, I’ve never been the Halloween police; I stand by the motto that people should wear whatever makes them feel good.
Couple/Duo Costumes
The most popular couples costume this year by far is Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from the hit 2016 film, Zootopia. Likely perpetuated by the internet’s romanticization of Nick’s voice (Jason Bateman), my entire Instagram and TikTok feed has been taken over by the sly fox and dumb bunny.
“I saw so many foxes and bunnies together when I went out…the cutest couple costume idea I’ve seen so far,” said Sue Min (BC‘28).
Another duo costume that I loved and wished I saw more of is Deadpool and Wolverine, based on the recent Deadpool & Wolverine film that was released this summer. The hilarious combination of Deadpool’s sassiness and Wolverine’s blunt honesty makes for a great watch and an even more amazing Halloween costume.
The only couples costume idea that I think is overdone to another level is the prisoner and cop idea. In my opinion, I don’t find it cute, and there is no originality whatsoever.
Personal Favorites
For me, I’m a big fan of those who take Halloween costumes comedically—I love to laugh and see all the creative ideas that people have, even better when they’re based on the highlights of that year. Raygun, the iconic Australian breakdancer from the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been a popular Halloween costume this year, alongside Anthony Ammirati, the French pole vaulter who has also gone viral on social media.
One girl on TikTok revealed her “hot girl Duolingo” costume to the world, a hilarious take on the green Duolingo mascot, Duo the Owl. A Barnard girl even dressed up as sexy Anger from Inside Out. I love to see people take conventionally obscure characters and add their own spicy twist for Halloween.
Finally, I saw several parodies of Jojo Siwa’s viral look featured in her music video for her single “Karma,” a look complete with a mohawk and black glittery stars around the eyes.
Takeaways
Halloween has never been one of the holidays that I took seriously. As a child, all I did was throw on the Costco Halloween costume my parents bought for me and run around the neighborhood collecting as much candy as my little Jack o’lantern basket could carry.
Coming here, I’ve realized just how big of a role Halloweekend plays in college culture—people go through multiple costume changes, a different one for every $30 party they attend. As someone who isn’t a major partier, I would’ve loved a mini trick-or-treat event (potentially on Futter Field) for nostalgic value. Overall, I had a great Halloweekend experience and am looking forward to next year’s creative costumes.