By Nicole Horton
“Sexy pizza rat” is a popular costume after the meme went viral. Courtesy of Twitter
With Halloween quickly approaching, like many, I am unable to come up with an idea for a costume. Whether you are interested in dressing up as one of the most-buzzed about politicians, athletes, reality TV stars, superheroes or memes, you have many fun and socially relevant costume options. You can put in as much (or as little) effort as you want with DIY or purchase online.
Tom Brady (don’t forget a deflated football)
The New England Patriots’ “deflategate” scandal was a major sports event in 2015, leading up to the Pats’ Super Bowl win and Brady fighting a three-game suspension early this season. It ended up getting much more publicity than warranted, although the Patriots were minimally affected by it, but now you can don a Brady jersey and carry around one or more deflated footballs. It is topical and simple, what else can you ask for? Warning: New York Jets fans may want to stay away from this costume, even though it is mocking in nature.
Donald Trump
Luckily, both men and women can dress up as the most talked about and controversial presidential hopeful. A hair piece is absolutely necessary, but you get bonus points for carrying around signs or saying Trump’s most quotable lines, such as his biggest initiative (the wall, of course) and saying, “It’s huge!” For women, the “sexy Donald Trump costume” has been generating buzz online, proving that you can sexualize any costume. Hint: it involves shorts and a form-fitting blazer.
Hillary Clinton
One word: pantsuit. If you really want to be authentic, you should be deleting emails on your phone.
“Real Housewives” or “Bachelor” contestant
For either, all you need is a sparkly dress. Of course, you must tailor your “Real Housewives” costume to the location of your choice, such as more voluminous hair and a spray tan for New Jersey, and a blonde wig and your best jewelry for Orange County. A glass of wine practically attached to your hand is an ideal accessory. As a “Bachelor” contestant, all you need is a rose to complete your costume. If you are feeling silly or want to show off your acting chops, you can declare that “I’m not here to make friends” or get emotional about not getting a rose (so you will have to hide it for a bit).
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
Celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary with any one of the movie’s notable looks, including her casual street look, Kentucky Derby polka dot dress and matching hat or red formal gown. Her niece Emma Roberts has shown that she was also inspired by her aunt’s role when picking out her Halloween costume. There are costumes sold along with numerous DIY tips online.
Lauren Conrad’s mermaid (or a simpler version if you are not the unofficial Queen of Pinterest)
Last year, Conrad posted a DIY tutorial on her website of her Halloween costume, inspiring some women to channel their best Ariel from The Little Mermaid, while scaring others with visions of shells falling off or sticking to their fingers. If the tulle seems like too much work, a long, sparkly skirt is a good alternative for a tail.
Star Wars
With the new installment coming out in December, there will definitely be a lot of lightsabers and masks around.
Cecil the Lion
The lion that captured the public’s attention is a popular topical costume this year. Some find it offensive, while others say it is just a lion costume, like a Wizard of Oz throwback. “Pretty Little Liars” star Ashley Benson was criticized for sharing a pic on Instagram of her dressed as the lion. However, a number of people will probably take it further and dress up as the hunter-dentist, with bloody scrubs and a rifle.
Pizza Rat
One of the most-talked about memes lately can be purchased at Halloween stores or can be recreated on your own. Since it was recently revealed that there was a second rat that lost out to the pizza, a friend can dress up with you. Oddly enough (and maybe unsurprisingly to some) there is also a “sexy” pizza-loving rat produced by Yandy.
“The Dress”
A bodycon number of the optical illusion that took over social media is already said to be a big seller at costume stores. It is half black and blue on one side and gold and white on the other. Well, at least this costume prompts only harmless debate.
Caitlyn Jenner
This is not a surprise with the constant media coverage surrounding Jenner’s transition. Most of the costumes are similar to Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover look. Costume stores in NYC are torn about selling a costume of the transgender TV star and past Olympian, with some storeowners reasoning that people can easily assemble a costume on their own, but others protesting that it pokes fun at someone’s sexual orientation. Regardless, you are bound to see it at some point.
