In 2016, it was Eleven from Stranger Things. Neither of these would work in 2018,
however: they're old hat now.
What's happened since last Halloween that you could turn into an up-to-date costume to
really blow people's minds?
There has been the reboot of Queer Eye, Rihanna's pope outfit for the Met Gala, Black Panther, the glam grandmas of Instagram, Annie and Owen from Netflix's Maniac, Michael Myers from the Halloween sequel, proudly pregnant Cardi B, The Breaker Upperers, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace... the list goes on.
Don't change your race
"Blackface", as historically known, is the phenomenon of white people painted their faces
darker for costume purposes. It was used in some 20th Century US cinema history to
illustrate both sinister and comedic African-American characters.
In 2018, we all know blackface isn't OK under any circumstances – check out the TV
series Dear White People if you want to see this theme played out with modern youth.
Needless to say, don't change your race for your Halloween costume. You can paint your
face ocean blue, alien green, or Cheetos orange. But don't make it darker or lighter than it
is to resemble another ethnicity.
Do dress sexy
The famous Mean Girls quote, "Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up
like a total slut and no other girl can say anything about it" has its roots in a mid-2000s era where slut-shaming was still widespread. Today, one hopes we've moved on from that and any person – female or male – can dress up "promiscuously" any day of the year and not be ridiculed for it.
Regardless, on Halloween, you can push the limits and dress really sexy if you want to.
This is especially good advice for people who normally are a little more on the
conservative side with their dress. You can wear lingerie or swimwear in public.
You can show legs, boobs, back, and butt. You can wear leopard print or leather or lace or other things you'd otherwise find distasteful because – guess what – Halloween is about becoming someone you're not. And nobody can say anything about it.
Don't go scary and bloody if you don't want to
Sure, Halloween (or All Hallow's Eve) is about dead people, and it's synonymous with gory
horror movies and gross, bloody faces and dismembered bodies. I personally would never
dress up in fake blood or with one of the zipper faces though (mostly because it's too much admin to take off).
If scary costumes aren't your thing, you are under no obligation to put one on. Going to a
Halloween party as something cute is equally valid, whether it's 2018's best cat meme or a Winnie the Pooh character from the latest Christopher Robin tale.
Do go as a duo (or group)
Costumes have twice the punch if they come as a set. If you're going to a party with a
partner or friend, consider going as some kind of duo – a famous couple like Harry and
Meghan will go down well, as would a great 90's throwback like Ross and Rachel from
Friends.
If you're more than two, consider a group theme. You can spend the day getting ready
together and then all emerge at the party as a crew from Avengers: Infinity War or the red-cloaked ladies from The Handmaid's Tale.
Don't go as a real-life victim
Sometimes the world seems like a really terrible place. We have hurricanes, tsunamis, and
super-typhoons, sexual assault scandals, shootings, and protests where people end up
dead.
It's completely inappropriate to dress up as any kind of victim from any real-life event, no
matter how creative you think you can be with your costume.
Yes, Halloween is about fun, fear, blood, and guts, but it's also about respect for the dead.
Make sure you have some during this tumultuous time we live in.
