Remember how Kate Gosselin was one of the hottest Halloween costumes of 2010? Who would even know who you were dressed up as if you rocked her signature blonde reverse-mullet this year? While timely costumes can be a great show of wit, they do have a short shelf life—until a decade passes and they become retro-cool again. We decided to do a rundown of 10 Halloween costumes that are SO last year. Avoid them for their out-of-date-ness or sport them ironically as a cheeky throwback.
1 . McKayla is Not Impressed
McKayla Maroney was not impressed at the London Olympics while on the podium, and the image went viral. She was a good sport about it and embraced the joke in what has gone down as easily one of the most viral moments in Olympic history.
How to get the look:
- Black athletic pants
- Grey athletic jacket (preferably Nike, but you can sharpie or sticky-felt a swoosh on yourself)
- Fake silver medal with purple ribbon
- Small bouquet of fake flowers
- Slick, tightly pulled back ponytail
- Disapproving scowl
2. Les Mis
Les Miserables took the world by storm last year. Though Les Mis has ever-present relevance in the world as a staple of musical theater, there is no doubt that rocking the costumes in the way they were designed in the film version will harken back to 2012 when it was a box-office smash.
How to get the look:
- It depends on what character you pick, but most costumes require dirt and potentially blood (hopefully fake)
- French period pieces—Maybe buy something at the costume store and wreck it!
- Crying and singing
3. Big Bird Fired
Mitt Romney during the debates made a point of his intentions to cut funding to PBS. Commentators fired back with images of beloved childhood icon Big Bird of Sesame Street, sandwich boarded begging for work. The election is over, but the big yellow bird in a somber situation was an iconic image that many turned into a Halloween costume.
How to get the look:
- Big yellow jackets or sweater, covered in yellow feather boas (potentially stuffed with small balloons for shape and volume)
- Orange Skinny jeans with pink sticky-felt stripes
- Orange Shoes
- Big Bird mask featuring his beak and yellow plumage
- A cardboard sign begging for money or work
4. Binders Full of Women
Another colorful image that sprung from an election-season quote, Mitt Romney’s Binders Full of Women were an almost instant sensation– internet commenters went nuts. Memes exploded with Binders Full of Women references. There are a couple ways to get this look, including dressing as a binder filled with women (a great group costume, if a little cumbersome), but since we value your time, we’re going to showcase the easiest.
How to get the look:
- Cut out pictures of women, whether from magazines, newspapers, or wherever. You can go with average every day women, or powerful women through history.
- Tape them to pieces of string.
- Tape the string to the outside edges of a binder. Leave room for your face so the paper women don’t block your visibility.
- Strap the binder to your head, letting the women flutter about you like a mobile of oppression and glass ceilings.
5. Jeremy Lin
Jeremy is still a cool guy, but LINSANITY was a whole phenomenon in itself, and it’s been snugly tucked away into the memory vault of 2012. Since his initial launch into the lime-light, Lin has since been contracted by the Houston Rockets, so if you’re going to really do the 2012-Linsanity look, it’s best to go for an image as him as the Knicks.
How to get the look:
- The first step is to not engage in any yellowface. It seems simple enough to not do something so degrading to another group, but a lot of limits are pushed on Halloween and some people forget themselves. This is your reminder to check yourself before you wreck yourself, people!
- Get a Knicks Jersey (or make a Knicks-like Jersey)
- Write “Lin” on the back and “17”
- Basketball Shorts
- Nikes
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6. Channel Orange
Frank Ocean’s album “Channel Orange” was a massive success and was on the lips of almost everyone, crossing over to audiences of many different musical tastes. More momentum was picked up by the album as Ocean came out as gay and Target dropped the album from their stores, according to them because Ocean violated their contract and not due to any homophobic motivations. Channel Orange was the biggest album of 2012
How to get the look:
- Cut a square of orange posterboard
- Write “Channel Orange” on it in white out, imitating the album cover as closely as possible
- Print out a “Parental Advisory” notice and glue it on
- Punch two holes at the top and tie some string to it to wear around your neck.
7. Rue from The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is still on our minds as Catching Fire draws nearer to the silver screen, but one character who won’t be with us in this installment is Rue, the little girl whom Katniss befriended, watched die, avenged, and honored with a wreath of flowers. Rue was the representation of hope, of goodness, of humanity in the first book of The Hunger Games and her death is what really cemented the idea that the whole system had to burn if the good in the world was to survive. Rue was one of the emotional centerpieces of the book, and the buzz around her didn’t die down when a bunch of racists (who also apparently didn’t read the book closely) took to the web saying her death was less tragic due to her being black in the film (it is however, hinted at in the books as well, that she is a person of color). Racists be damned, Rue is still a key figure in the dystopian trilogy and although she won’t return to the arena for Catching Fire, she was still a huge part of the 2012 Hunger Games craze.
How to get the look:
- Once again, a quick reminder not to participate in blackface. Halloween is supposed to be fun, not stupid and offensive.
- Brown windbreaker
- Brown grey V-neck tee
- Army green pants
- Outdoor boots in brown or black
- Flowers everywhere
8. Gabby Douglas
Getting back to the Olympics, while McKayla may have blown up for her meme-dom (in addition to her Olympic Level skill) Gabby Douglas made headlines not just for the gold, but for being the first woman of color in Olympic history to be titled the individual all-around champion. Gabby is still a wonderful role model for athletes and women everywhere, at only 17 years of age, but she’s not on most people’s lips anymore since the Olympic season has now come and gone.
How to get the look:
- You could go with the McKayla Maroney outfit above, minus scowl, plus gold
- Or, you could go the shiny pink leotard route
- Remember to pull your hair into a tight bun
- Don’t forget the gold medal(s)
9. PSY
Gangnam Style was an international sensation in 2012. Viral video and dance craze, it was certainly unique in that it’s not often that you hear a Korean song in American clubs or Top 40 radio stations. Though for many it was lost in translation, “Gangnam Style” was actually a parody of wealthy, superficial Korean elites. Whether or not you were in on the joke, there’s no doubt that PSY’s video was a viral sensation and you can’t deny you know the pony riding dance steps.
How to get the look:
- Black pants
- White tuxedo shirt
- Bow tie
- Brightly colored blazer (preferably electric blue)
- PSY’s signature slick hairstyle
- Sunglasses
- Swag
10. KONY 2012 Supporter
KONY 2012, aka that 30 minute internet video that we all watched and many of us cared a whole ton about for about 48 hours, after which criticisms on the organization and cause revealed some less-than-savory details that were not exactly congruent with the hopeful ideals that the video purported. It was probably the quickest and most pervasive instances of slacktivism plus nearly immediate disillusionment I’ve ever seen. Whether you’ve since decided you’re for or against the KONY 2012 campaign, you won’t ever forget those campaign visuals or the fact that somehow you watched an internet video that was longer than 4 minutes.
How to get the look:
- KONY 2012 T-Shirt
- Jeans or shorts. however you feel comfortable
- Signs or posters about Kony
- Overenthusiasm