The Best 2024 Pop Culture Halloween Costumes From Movies, Music & More

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Spooky season has finally arrived, so it’s time to decide which Halloween costume you’ll be wearing on October 31 and Halloweekend. While you can go as a tried-and-true witch or cat, with the simple addition of a hat or ears, this past year has brought us many notable pop culture moments that are too good to pass up on. The 2024 Paris Olympics captured the world’s attention with viral athlete memes, while a baby hippopotamus warmed our hearts.

This year’s film and music releases provided plenty of costume inspo, too. From blockbuster movies like Challengers and the much-anticipated Wicked film adaptation to chart-topping music releases from the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé and Chappell Roan’s festival performances, there’s been no shortage of entertainment (or style). 

With that in mind, read on to get inspiration for your DIY Halloween costume this year, which will no doubt get you best-dressed status at your upcoming parties. Aside from the occasional kitschy prop, we’ve curated pieces that may already live in your closet, or ones you’ll be able to wear outside of spooky holiday festivities.

Whether you want to dress up with your friends and relive Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or keep it more simple (yet still recognizable) as a chef from The Bear, there are many pop culture Halloween costume ideas to be excited about ahead.

Wicked Witch Costume: Glinda & Elphaba Duo

There’s no question that Wicked will be one of the biggest moves of 2024, and a major fashion presence this fall, with Wicked collaborations already dropping. This Halloween, dress up as Ariana Grande’s Glinda or Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba solo or as a duo costume.

To channel Elphaba, put together a dramatic black outfit using a satin corset, tulle skirt, and sheer cape. And don’t forget to swipe some green onto your face and arms for the full effect. For Glinda, be pretty in pink in a ruffled or puff-sleeve dress. Accessorize with a tiara, wand, and statement heels that are just as whimsical.

Now, the only question is… are you a good witch or a bad witch?

Sabrina Carpenter “Taste” Duo Costume

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Carpenter knows a thing or two about dropping drool-worthy music videos and looks (from the red carpet to the stage). Her recent video, for Taste, features the performer alongside Beetlejuice star Jenna Ortega rivaling over a boy while looking drop-dead gorgeous.

Dress up as Sabrina in a ‘50s-inspired gingham capri set covered in washable fake blood. And have your bestie join in on the fun, wearing a sleek tweed dress while holding an inflatable chainsaw balloon.

Challengers Costume: Tashi Duncan

Oh, the whirlwind experience that was watching the Challengers film… and admiring the on-theme press tour looks that came before it. When she wasn’t wearing a 2000s velour tracksuit jacket in the film, Zendaya’s tennis star Tashi Duncan sported classic activewear like tennis dresses, court sneakers, and the Loewe graphic T-shirt. 

If you want to turn this into a group costume, recreate the film’s love triangle with characters Art and Patrick in their striped button-downs and backwards hats. Or channel the final scene with the jaw-dropping tennis racket moment for the ultimate photo op.

Beyoncé Costume: Cowboy Carter Cowgirl

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Beyhive assemble, because Beyoncé has brought us yet another era of music (Country) and fashion identity (Western) that we’re eager to replicate. Rather than dressing up as your average cowgirl this Halloween, be Cowboy Carter herself. Take inspiration from Beyoncé’s album cover art, music videos, or new Levi’s campaign and create an ensemble full of denim and leather, accessorizing with statement cowboy boots and a customized sash.

Olympian Costume: Team USA Stars

The 2024 Summer Olympics brought out some of the most wholesome and inspiring moments of the year. Team USA brought home 126 medals across all the sports, but there were certain moments and athletes that made an even bigger impact than any medal could. From gymnastics superstars like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Stephen Nedoroscik (AKA pommel horse guy AKA Clark Kent) to the “fastest woman in the world” Sha’Carri Richardson and TikTok-viral rugby player Ilona Maher, we’re excited to channel America’s real-life superheroes this Halloween.

Look out for a red-white-and-blue activewear, bedazzled leotards, rugby jerseys, or official Team USA Ralph Lauren merch. Bonus idea: Make it a group costume by dressing like the gymnastics “Golden Girls” crew.

The Bear Costume: Season 3 Chefs

Everyone’s favorite stress-inducing “comedy” series made another splash this year with a third season. We’re talking about the award-winning dramedy The Bear. Channel any of the loveably flawed characters by wearing a dark blue apron and a white top (fashion props if it’s from Thom Browne). Draw on faux tattoos with an eyeliner pencil like Carmi, or throw on a colorful headscarf like Sydney. Complete your look with chef-approved on-trend clogs, some beat-up dish towels, and go on your way shouting “Yes, chef!” to everyone you cross paths with.

Moo Deng Costume

A viral baby hippo wasn’t on our 2024 Bingo card, but we’re glad it happened. Moo Deng, which translates to “bouncing pig,” is a pygmy hippo in a Thailand zoo who went viral after videos of her sassiness and wet-glazed donut-meets-glass skin appearance quickly spread in September.

If you want to channel the adorable Rhode-worthy ambassador, embrace blushed cheeks, glossy lips, and slicked-back hair. Then wear any gray or metallic silver dress you desire (and can wear again afterward). Accessorize with light pink jewelry, bags, or shoes, and throw on hippopotamus ears for good measure.

Chappell Roan Costume: “Pink Pony Club”

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Although The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album debuted in 2023, it wasn’t until 2024 that Roan exploded on the mainstream music scene. Now, the pop diva’s campy songs, high-energy performances, maximalist stage costumes, and drag queen-inspired makeup are ubiquitous.

While the singer’s costumes and color palettes constantly shift and evolve from performance to performance, many of her signature looks include cowboy hats, bedazzled bodysuits, fringe, and lots of pink. Join the “Pink Pony Club” this Halloween by wearing pink-everything and donning a red curly wig. Or if you want to switch it up, replicate other iconic Chappell looks, like the Statue of Liberty at Governor’s Ball.

Bridgerton Costume: Season 3 Featherington Era

Season 3 of Bridgerton put Penelope Featherington (AKA Lady Whistledown) into the spotlight as she unwillingly searched for a husband. At first a wallflower dressed in cutsey florals, Penelope’s confidence and style evolved into more mature, deep gem tones. This Halloween, dress up like Lady Whistledown (or her comical sisters) in a bright citrus-hued dress and lots of feathers (from a hairpiece to a quill pen for writing the town’s gossip column).

However, if you connect more with the Bridgerton sisters, instead wear pink, purple, and blue pastels and delicate lace. Better yet, make it a group costume, and dress up as this season’s frenemy duo Penelope and Eloise.

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Group Costume

One of the biggest cultural phenomenons of 2024 was (and still is) Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, where the star performs songs from her many original and re-recorded albums. These fashion-forward mega concerts have inspired fans to dress up like the singer’s different “eras,” from Lover and Red to Reputation and Folklore (or 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department).

Relive your concert by re-wearing your concert outfit and commemorating the magic that was the Eras Tour. Or if you didn’t get a ticket, take Halloween as your chance to finally dress up with your besties in styles that symbolize your favorite Taylor Swift album, or replicate the costumes the singer wore on stage herself.

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Lady Gaga’s Costumes In Joker: Folie À Deux Reference CBGB, Amy Winehouse &…Lady Gaga

In Joker: Folie à Deux, the titular alter ego of failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and the enigmatic Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) develop a dangerous bond as inmates in the notorious Arkham State Hospital, a bond they express through elaborate song and dance numbers. (“Folie à deux” refers to a medical term for a shared psychosis.) But are these fantastical, often foreboding musical sequences just in Arthur’s head, or somehow a deeper connection between the two? That’s up to audiences to decide. Behind the scenes, though, dance parties regularly went down in Gaga’s costume, hair and makeup trailer, which even had a nickname.

“‘Camp Lee’ was fantastic,” says Arianne Phillips. “It was so much fun.”

From pre-production through filming, the three-time Oscar-nominated costume designer meticulously plotted Lee’s journey, along with Gaga (whom Phillips refers to by the star’s birth name, Stefani), Frederic Aspiras (Gaga’s hairstylist) and makeup artist Sarah Tanno. The team took the character from an inpatient at the bleak psychiatric facility to her bold self-actualization as mercurial antihero Harley Quinn. 

“What’s unique about Stefani is that she really understands costume, hair, and makeup — and she understands character,” says Phillips, who took over as costume designer from Joker’s Mark Bridges (who received an Oscar nod for that film).

The sequel is set in the early 1980s, and the costume aesthetic emphasizes a grimy, gritty realism. Phillips took inspiration from authentic sources, from ‘70s downtown New York City hallmarks to the golden age of Hollywood to Lady Gaga herself. 

“She was really honest and very generous with sharing some of her own personal experience that she felt related to Lee, and that those were really morsels that I could take in,” says Phillips. She keeps the actual details close to her vest, simply sharing: “You can see it throughout the whole film.”

Ahead, Phillips discusses Lee’s custom-designed wardrobe evolution through three different worlds: Arkham, the courtroom, and a fantastical wedding. 

Lee’s “Cozy Sweaters” At Arkham State Hospital

As he awaits trial for mass murder in high-risk block E of the corrupt Gotham psychiatric facility, Arthur ventures into the minimum-security B ward. The world slows down for a moment when he spots Lee outside a music class: Swaddled in an oversized marigold mohair cardigan over her hospital-issue white scrubs, she meets his eye and makes a finger gun gesture to her head. 

Like many headline-grabbing mass murderers before him, Arthur’s the subject of a TV movie, which an enamored Lee has watched countless times. “She’s this little street urchin,” says Phillips. “She really made herself small in order to get his attention… This is really a love story, and we wanted to create a vulnerability with her in this institution.” 

Lee’s “cozy sweaters” — her trusty mustard one, and a two-tone blue cardigan — set a backstory for the character, according to the costume designer: “The idea is that maybe she found it in a thrift store or it belonged to her father.” (For the Superman-level vision-enhanced viewer, Phillips also wove subtle, foreshadowing diamond patterns into both cardis.)

A sweet, dainty bow at the neckline of Lee’s tank and her scruffy ballet slippers (a reference to Amy Winehouse — who sported a visibly worn-in pair on more than one occasion — and director Todd Phillips’ idea) also convey vulnerability. And an origin story. 

“There’s a little infantilizing of her in the beginning,” says Phillips. “She has this bravado — a fearlessness that you really experience in a young person — and then you see her as her determination grows over time.”

Lee’s Downtown NYC-Influenced Courtroom Outfits 

Out of Arkham, Lee gradually shows her support of (or fixation on?) Arthur and his Joker persona by moving up the gallery to sit front row at his trial. Her courtroom dresses undergo a progression, too, starting with a floaty, light blue floral mini before evolving to a sheer black tunic with velvet diamond shapes and a navy, flower-print “church”-type dress with an exaggerated Peter Pan collar.

“[The early ‘80s] was the time when the East Village scene and CBGB on the Bowery were starting up,” says Phillips about the inspiration for Lee’s supposedly thrifted, ‘70s “babydoll, [designer] Biba-esque dresses” worn with discordant oversize cardigans and chunky punk rock outerwear. “She has a fake fur jacket and a thrift store men’s sweater. She would have cobbled these looks together, but, still, there’s a vulnerability and bizarre innocence — she’s this sycophant who’s obsessed with Joker. That mix, to me, shows that.” 

On the final day of Arthur’s trial, Lee strides into court in full Harley Quinn regalia: a red blazer with raised diamond patterns and pleated ruffle cuffs, a theatrical corset and graphic tights.

“Along with [embracing] her determination, she has taken on this persona inspired by Joker,” says Phillips. She imagines that Lee thrifted the red jacket from an old circus uniform, ripped the muslin and ruffle-trimmed corset off a period costume gown, and maybe copped the leather mini from the Gotham outpost of Trash and Vaudeville. “You see the diamond pattern throughout,” she adds.

Lee’s Showstopping Fantasy Looks

During an extremely tense trial moment, Arthur dissociates into one of his most heightened musical sequences: a wedding. 

Lee walks down the aisle toward Joker in a V-neck mini dress with a delicate diamond trapunto pattern and gleaming ribbons streaming down the shoulders — “playing into what Arthur would be attracted to,” says Phillips. “In her fantasy, and his fantasy, what would that look like?”

Phillips referenced ‘60s icons like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the block-heel Mary Janes, plus Doctor Zhivago-era Julie Christie and the late ‘60s/‘70s silhouettes of Ossie Clark and Biba. “[The dress is] pretty inspired by my aunt, who got married in the ‘70s,” she adds. “I was a flower girl.”

The nuptials transition into a raucous jazz performance at the ill-fated (and ominously named) Pogo’s comedy club. Lee smashes the keys on a baby grand as she belts out a banger, wearing a silver metal mesh dress that sways with her bombastic movements, bringing to mind…well, Lady Gaga.

Phillips — who’s designed six world tours for Madonna — collaborated with Michael Schmidt (a go-to for the likes of Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo) on the sparkly stage-wear. “I made a diamond-shaped collar that just gave a certain energy to that scene,” she says.

The costume designer also worked with Lady Gaga’s sister, Natali Germanotta, and her atelier, Topo Studio, which built the white bias-cut gown for a rooftop dance number straight out of a silver screen classic.

“Totally Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire,” says Phillips, “and [the dress inspiration] was in the script, so I leaned into that.”

She also sketched and designed the sleek, fluid gown to allow for Gaga and Phoenix’s upbeat choreography. For another bit, a striking marigold two-piece set with a smattering of delicate beading references Bob Mackie’s work for Cher.

“The beauty of this movie is that there’s so much realism,” she says, “yet we get to be in Arthur’s mind, where we blur reality and fantasy.”

Joker: Folie à Deux is out in theaters on October 4.

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