For those of you who felt as though you were robbed of your Halloween celebrations last year, start dusting off those decorations as this year will see the return of huge spooky 'dos with friends and family, eerily-themed food and drink and, of course, the biggest fancy dress moments of the year.
Halloween presents the opportunity toget creative with face paints and elaborate outfits, and now, as we RSVP to parties and events this year, you'll want to make an impact. But great costumes require careful planning and it's all too easy to leave it too late tothink of anything funny or clever.
This year, celebrations are back on - so the incentive to dress up and mark the occasion is even bigger. However, it is understandable if you're not quite as prepared with your costume this year.
Rather than buy something new, why not create your Halloween 2021 outfitfrom the contents of your wardrobe - or at the very least, from mainstream fashion items that you know you’ll wear again in the future.
It’s actually not as tricky as it sounds. For a start, there are plenty of scary characters who look distinctive in ‘normal’ clothes - Killing Eve’s Villanelle is one of our team favourites. Just browse through the horror movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime for a little inspiration.
If you’ve got a steady hand and a box of kids’ face paints, your ‘costume’ could even be largely make-up - an ashen-faced vampire requires next to no skill or effort, just drape a long black coat over your shoulders if you don’t have a cape.
Of course, we can all do better than that. Here are the best Halloween costume ideas that can be created from the contents of your existing wardrobe.
If you have a black dress...
Layer a little black shift dress over a white blouse and braid your hair into pigtails to emulate the look of The Addams Family’s sullen daughter, Wednesday, memorably played by Christina Ricci in the early Nineties. An oldie but a goodie, this costume will remain a classic for years to come. If Wednesday isn't exactly your vibe, why not try out a long-sleeved black maxi dress and go as Morticia...
If you have a blue dress and an apron...
Alice in Wonderland is a great place to find a variety of fancy dress ideas for Halloween. If you're all about main character energy, Alice's outfit can be easily recreated with a white apron over a simple blue summer dress, and you can add the usual fake blood as your spooky accessory. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you could try different characters out too - there's definitely contemporary looks for the Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts dying to be tried out. Think fitted tailoring and a tulle skirt you, perhaps, have discarded at the back of your wardrobe.
If you have a faux fur coat...
A faux-fur coat and a can of coloured hairspray are all you need to become everyone's favourite villain. Cruella de Vil from Disney's classic 101 Dalmations has long been a Halloween fancy dress favourite but you could step it up a notch and take inspiration from the latest live action film, with Emma Stone serving us countless iconic looks in various little black dresses and striking gowns.
If you have a red tracksuit...
A perfect Halloween costume if you're Money Heist obsessed - but also on a bit of a budget. Should you have a red tracksuit (or jumpsuit) lying around the house, this is exactly what you need to look the part as Netflix's favourite criminal masterminds. If you're feeling creative, you could make your own mask for the occasion - or simply draw on the iconic moustache with an eyeliner pen. We'll leave that up to you.
If you have a white shirt dress...
No, it's not the most original of costumes but if you're looking for a minimal effort, DIY fancy dress look for Halloween, a nurse never fails. You can go all out with your makeup and emulate The Joker's style from The Dark Knight - or keep it minimal with a little bit of fake blood. Either way, pop on a white shirt dress - anything with a collar and some buttons will do the trick and you're off to a great start.
If you have a red bodysuit...
While everyone else will opt for the classic devil costume, should they find any ounce of red apparel in their wardrobe, why not go the extra mile and dress up as the Scarlet Witch from the finale of WandaVision? The extra red accessories should be easy to source around Halloween time and your red cape can easily be make-shifted from a bed sheet.
