2023 Halloween Costume Ideas & predictions

Though 2023 hasn’t shelled out the amount of content as years past, there were still plenty of noteworthy characters and memorable pop-culture references to get our creative Halloween juices flowing. From television shows, national past times, sold-out concerts to a record-breaking blockbuster phenomenon, here are my top Halloween costume ideas – slash – predictions for 2023:

Wednesday

Jenna Ortega is officially our new goth princess due to her perfectly excellent portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the Netflix produced series, ‘Wednesday‘. Released in November of 2022, show runners didn’t give the show much opportunity to be showcased as a fan favorite in last year’s festivities. Though I’m sure it did give the Spirit Halloween stores ample time to capitalize on it this year.

My recommendation: I’d thrift shop and/or DIY the costume, as it will most likely look more authentic, as well as comparable in price to the store-bought option. Then I would purchase a severed hand prop from your local Halloween shop (or even most dollar stores), paint on some stitches, and hot glue it to your shoulder. A simple way to showcase Wednesday’s “right hand man”, Thing, and elevate your outfit that much more.

Sonya McQuoid (The White Lotus)

Sure, no one recalls her characters actual name, but I’m sure we can all agree, you can’t forget about Jennifer Coolidge. Her memorable portrayal of The White Lotus character for two seasons quickly became a fan-favorite, given how ridiculously out of touch the character is. A role that would have had us all hurling a shoe at our televisions, had it not been played by the naturally likable Jennifer herself.

This costume could be executed in a couple of ways. Simply dressed in one of her signature flowing dresses with a scarf, oversized glasses and perhaps a champagne flute could do the trick. But I’m hopeful that someone this year elevates it with a more “wet” approach… if you catch my drift. (I so badly want to give spoilers).

Rihanna’s Super Bowl Half Time Show

RiRi sure gave us all quite the surprise when she opened her Super Bowl Half Time show this past February. Not only did she open with a song that I did in fact call out would be her first song…(though admittedly I only claimed, ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ because I thought it was hilarious, yet no way realistic), but she intentionally revealed her baby bump to boot. The show was fun, as was her all-red outfit.

This costume would be perfect for Rihanna fans, a soon-to-be mom with a pretty good baby bump, or better yet a Target employee. I don’t know if you all are allowed to show up in costume on Halloween at Target, but I bet they’d have a hard time telling you to change when you doubled as a walking billboard.

Joe (from ‘You’)

Netflix describes ‘You‘ as, “a dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man who goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.” If you haven’t seen it, all I can say is going into it blind, I really didn’t expect how the first season would end. I also don’t want to be the one who ruins it for you, so you’ll have to see it for yourself.

Still going strong, season 4 was released early February 2023. Part two of the season will be released next year, meaning you may even be able to squeeze one more spooky season out of this look. We might have to wait to see how it ends, but what we can take away from the first half of the current season is that this costume is perfect for any dark haired guy. With or without beard, he’s donned both looks, so a jean jacket, matching ball cap, maybe some aviators and ta-dah… you have yourself a Joe Goldberg costume at the ready.

Yellowjackets

Showtime’s Yellowjackets is an American thriller drama television series created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Though the story is hard to perfectly nail down, I can best describe it as equal parts coming-of-age drama, survival epic, and psychological horror. It also boasts an incredible ensemble cast of actors, both familiar and new. The extensive cast makes this a great idea for a group costume project, especially if you can all hunt down the same letterman jacket. It would work great as a solo costume as well, so long as you do a version with Antler Queen’s head dress.

M3GAN

January is traditionally a dumping grounds for studios to get rid of their duds. But when M3GAN was released, it was anything but. Fans loved the filmmaker’s balance between real-world fears of AI, mixed with the right amount of camp. There were off-putting moments without ever being gory, and even an a cappella number by M3GAN herself.

Anyone with the right stature (and a gymnastics background) should definitely give this costume a try. I’m sure you’ll be met with some excitement, while others may be left feeling a bit creeped out.

Barbie : The Whole Dang Movie

I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that my number one prediction for Top Halloween Costume 2023 would be the Warner Bros. Pictures Barbie. Still breaking records as of this writing, Barbie has become Warner Bros. highest grossing movie of all time.

Here’s the kicker, folks: Although this is just one category, the dilemma lies in its many facets. Sure, who doesn’t want to be Margot Robbie, aka Stereotypical Barbie? She’s absolutely perfect, and if you have the body for it, I say go on with your bad self. But what I’d really love to see is a girl squad of Barbies in all professions, ethnicities and sizes. Essentially a bunch of girls dressed up, painted up, feeling pretty, (yet also hopefully comfortable), just saying, “Hi, Barbie” to one another.

I think the Barbie movie is going to be a hot one for the gays as well. A crew could be a bunch of different Kens, or why not have a few drag it up and play some Barbies, too. With multiple options, you can mix and match your group however you so choose. Personally I’d like to see a crew go out with all of the different outfits Ryan Gosling’s Ken wore throughout the movie.

But here’s the real rub: I fear that the Ken meme that keeps popping up on my Instagram may be true…

I fear that a majority of the ones that go all out as Ken for Halloween will in fact be the douchiest of them all. Oblivious to the movie’s message, they will be stomping around in their Mattel-branded faux fur coat, extra machismo, “acting” like a dick all night. Barf. My. Ass.

But I guess I can’t be down with a bunch of douchy gays dressed up like Kens, and not be down for a bunch of douchy straights dressed up like Kens. I wonder if the straights will know they are essentially doing a form of Drag?

And of course we can’t forget about Weird Barbie! She’s my personal favorite Barbie, after all.

Weird Barbie is incredibly special to me because I legitimately had a repressed memory come about during the viewing of this film when her character came onscreen. This memory came rushing in, where I was at my grandmother’s house, very little, playing with some old toys that were obviously left over from my older nieces and nephews. I had a nondescript action figure fighting a highly colored on, bad haircut wielding Barbie. There were also Lincoln logs. I didn’t think I grew up with Barbies, and yet there she was, glorious, majestic Weird Barbie. All I know is if I was asked to be in a group Barbie Halloween costume, I would fight long and hard to be Weird Barbie for sure. Though doubtful I’d easily find a size 13 green snakeskin cowboy boot.

And Finally…What my true hope, my dream, and wish is… Is that this 2023 Halloween Costume winner extraordinaire will be Allan.

Dear, sweet, striped shirt Allan. I hope he is this year’s Where’s Waldo of 2023 Halloween costumes. At every house party, club or bar you stumble in, I hope there’s one yellow, blue and red striped adorable guy, just waving. In the corner alone. Happy as a clam. Because every party deserves an Allan.