We’re still a couple weeks out from Halloween, which gives you plenty of time to forget about it entirely and panic on October 30 when you still have no idea what your costume should be. Chances are you won’t have time to find an exact replica of Margot Robbie’s Rollerblading Barbie outfit, and bedazzling your body à la Beyoncé’s Renaissance cover sounds painful. So, what’s a procrastinating partygoer to do? Fear not, for I come offering inspiration for lazy, last-minute Halloween costumes that don’t rely solely on corny wordplay. One can only be a Freudian slip so many times.
To truly be a lazy and/or last-minute costume, you should be able to re-create it with things you have at home. With that in mind, here are 19 costume ideas that require minimal effort and (hopefully) no last-minute trips to the store.
There is truly no way to do this costume incorrectly. Do you have jeans, a skirt, multiple tank tops, assorted jewelry, some scarves, a belt, a random bag, no shame, and maybe a hat? Wear them all at once, and you too can look like an early-’00s Disney Channel star.
It’s comfy! It’s easy! It’s an excuse to wear sweats on Halloween and call it a costume! Carry around a couple baby dolls and dodge questions about if you’ll ever drop a new album to really sell the look.
Will you be the only Barbie at the Halloween party? Absolutely not, and that is the point. Repurpose the outfit you wore to the Barbie movie, add a thematic prop if you’d like (e.g., a sash that says “President” for President Barbie, a cowboy hat for yee-haw Barbie), and spend your night greeting everyone, “Hi, Barbie!” If you need another accessory, find someone dressed as Ken or J. Robert Oppenheimer.
The girlboss is dead, long live the girlboss. In honor of her #dailygrind, wear your girlboss-iest outfit — a pantsuit and “the future is female” tee are preferable — and slap on some zombie makeup. Bonus points if you carry around a notebook, tumbler, or tote bag that says something like, “Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.”
Do you have a dog? Do you have any business casual clothes and a pair of sneakers? Are you ready to assume the posture of a dog trainer, run-walking with leash taut? Just slap a fake number on your upper arm, and you and your prize-winning pup are ready to prance around on Halloween.
An homage to Jenna Ortega’s role as Wednesday Addams! If you’re not sure what to do with that fake shirt collar you got a few years ago, now is its time to shine, baby! You’ve probably already got everything else to complete the costume: an A-line black dress, the ability to put your hair in two braids, and a look of disdain and malaise.
If you don’t feel like rewearing your Eras tour outfit — which is also a solid last-minute costume option — dress as Taylor in her NFL era. All you need are black shorts, a white tank top, a windbreaker for the sports team of your choosing, and a lanyard. Boisterous tight end optional.
The perfect lazy Halloween costume for a lazy Halloween couple! One of you wears a red dress, slicked-back bun, and a Rhode lip tint. The other wears gray sweats and the attitude of a disgruntled tween. If you’re going solo, re-create Hailey Bieber’s nepo-baby T-shirt using a plain white top and legible penmanship and say you left your husband at home with a sitter.
Do you have a suit and two friends who also have suits? Congratulations, you’re Boygenius!
There will inevitably be more than a few Queen Elizabeths out and about this Halloween. However, you are not a heathen (read: You don’t have time to get a matching skirt-blazer-hat set) and could go for a more tasteful homage to the monarchy. Put on some bike shorts, a big sweatshirt, tennis shoes, white socks, and a tiara if you’ve got one. Voila! The people’s Halloween costume.
To dress as a member of the SAG-AFTRA strike, DIY a protest sign and pair it with whatever outfit you’d like. Then, donate whatever you would have spent on a costume to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which helps support union members who otherwise can’t afford rent, health insurance, and other basic needs.
Wear your most Republican-looking skirt suit and shamelessly vape all night. Bonus points if you get someone else to dress up as Beetlejuice.
Spooky! To re-create this iconic look, you’ll need a blue hoodie, black shorts, and a face full of sunscreen or white face paint. If you’ve got a surfboard, great. If you want a more manageable accessory, carry around a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Yes, chef! For this costume, wear a white tee, black pants, a blue apron, and the thousand-yard stare of a man who doesn’t know if his beef shipment will get to the restaurant in time for opening.
TikTok has recently enlightened us all on how frequently men apparently think about the Roman Empire. (Or, more likely, the 2000s film Gladiator.) This means you can spend October 31 in a bedsheet toga and gold crown/headband, asking every man you see how often they think about you.
Transform into Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval with a mustache, nails painted white, and a black suit with one too many shirt buttons undone. To really drive the point home, put on a name tag that says “worm with a mustache.”
Wear a striped short-sleeve button-up, jeans, and a name tag that says “Juror #6,” and ta-da! You are America’s unwitting reality-TV sweetheart Ronald Gladden.
Do you have a rugby shirt and trouble flirting with your crush? You’re halfway to dressing as Rachel Sennott and/or Ayo Edebiri’s characters from Bottoms, baby! Just add a bandage to your face, maybe fake a bloody nose or a black eye, and spend the evening asking hot people to join your fight club.
If all else fails, dress hot and put a pumpkin on your head.
This post has been updated.
