Halloween 2025 is right around the corner and it’s time to get dressed!
In case you didn’t know, Halloween originated from the Celts, who believed this was a time when the barrier between the living and the dead blurred. To ward off evil spirits from roaming the Earth, they lit bonfires and wore costumes.
And honestly, I can’t think of anything that would ward off a spirit quite like a Labubu, so the tradition is alive and kicking!
But for every good pop culture Halloween costume, there is a bad pop culture Halloween costume. One that’s too late, too overdone, or too close to the bone.
Here, we outline the good’uns and the bad’uns, to give you some much-needed inspiration. Welcome to spooky season! Don’t f** it up!
10 genuinely good pop culture Halloween costume ideas:
David Kristianto/Unsplash
Bonus points if two people with a height difference do this as a couple’s costume, then the smaller friend/partner can tie themselves to the larger friend/partner, thus becoming their Labubu.
2. Lumon Industries employee
Apple TV
Perhaps the only good TV show costume of 2025, plus a good excuse to get suited and booted. Make Mark and Helly proud!
Claudia Winkleman hosts The Celebrity Traitors (Ian West/PA)
PA Wire
This is best done in a large group, so get purchasing those capes and lanterns. The Alpha of the group gets to be Claudia. Or whoever looks best with a tan and a fringe.
4. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban in 2023
AFP via Getty Images
One long blonde wig, one short blonde wig with bad highlights, one suit, one floaty dress, two Australian accents, you’re in for a winner.
A24
Essentially an easy win for any film boys with a really hard-won pencil ‘tache. And that’s definitely a Venn diagram that exists.
Charli xcx shared a pointed post days after Taylor Swift’s ‘diss track’
PA/Instagram
Realistically, Charli xcx is still as relevant as she was last Halloween, so we can expect a slew of Charli xcx costumes. But the most up-to-date will obviously need to feature some kind of reference to the Taylor Swift feud. Use this as an excuse to placate your Swiftie mate.
7. The Summer I Turned Pretty
Christopher Briney, Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno attending The Summer I Turned Pretty event (Steven Bergman/AFF-USA/Alamy/PA)
Brunette girl, two blonde-ish boys, you’ve got yourself a Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah love triangle! It’s like Challengers, 2025 edition.
8. Lex Luthor from Superman
Warner Bros./PA Wire
Bald men who like to wear suits, rejoice!
9. Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz
Getty
Are you naturally good looking and obscenely well dressed? Is there two of you? Great, now hold hands and pretend not to see the cameras!
10. Vampire, but specifically of the Sinners variety
Michael B Jordan in Sinners
Warner Bros
Get a bit 1930s with it! Blood pouring down the chin, cinched ‘lil retro waist, fangs out, dressed in your glad rags. Hot!
10 pop culture Halloween costume ideas to AVOID:
The Bear is to be shown on ITVX as a result of the agreement (PA/Disney)
We get it, you have nice arms and a coke problem, but this is low effort and so very 2023.
Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/© 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved
Did you just wake up from a mid-length coma? Girl, I’m so happy for you, but your friends and family should have given you a better pop culture debriefing. They let you embarrass yourself with this one.
Donald Trump
Getty Images
As a general rule, any costume that has been going since 2016 is not a particularly cool or good idea.
Liam and Noel take to the stage
Big Brother Recordings
Every year, there is a lazy straight man costume of choice that ends up being done to death. Don’t let this lazy straight man be you.
5. Anything to do with ChatGPT
Emiliano Vittoriosi
Even lazier than Oasis! Potentially the laxiest thing to exist, ever! Take pleasure in making an effort! Trying is cool! Knowledge is sexy!
6. Chappell Roan’s Midwest Princess look
Chappell Roan
Ryan Lee Clemens
That era has been and gone! Stage looks only! Sexy dragon from Shrek or bust, guys!
Warner Bros
See: Donald Trump. Suicide Squad came out in 2016. Every year since, I’ve thought, ‘Surely no one will dress as Harley Quinn this year’. Every year I am proven wrong. It’s 2025. Please, for the love of god, prove me right this time. I need a win.
Real Dubai Chocolate
Not worth it. Labubus are clearly the viral winner in this scenario, plus a far better and more flattering costume option.
9. Aunt Gladys from Weapons
Warner Bros.
I’m sorry to the gay community, but this is going to be the most overdone costume of 2025, so get brainstorming now.
10. Pink cowboy hat for any reason
Amazon
You had your chance to do this at the Taylor Swift tour, at Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, at basically any stadium tour for the last five years. Hang that pink cowboy hat up baby, you’ve yee’d your last haw.
