Halloween will be here before we know it, and it lands on a Saturday in 2026, aka the best day of the week to get dressed up. With the holiday on a weekend, there’s no excuse not to go out and to go full-out with your costume. Halloween is the time to express yourself through your costume. You could go with a gag one, a scary look, or a sexy outfit, but one of the biggest trends in fashion this year has been whimsy, and the whimsical vibe is perfect for a Halloween costume. Think fairytales, light colors, quirkiness, and fun.
These are costume ideas that you can make super personal and detailed, all customized just for you. If you’re looking to go simple yet cute, you can find some of these options at a place like Spirit Halloween already made and ready to go. Some of these costumes can also be made from things you can already find in your closet. There’s something for anyone on this list — whether you’re the type of person who spends weeks planning and putting together your Halloween costumes, if you’re one of those people who find theirs the day before. We all know college Halloween really lasts the whole weekend in college, so feel free to take inspiration from one or many of these whimsical Halloween costumes.
- Ladybug
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This costume was done a lot last year, but it’s for good reason – it’s an easy costume you can buy at the store fully done or throw together from what you already own with a little DIYing.
- Juliet in William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
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20th Century Fox A whimsical costume from a whimsical movie – this can also work as a couples costume if you have a young Romeo by your side.
- Princess
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This is a costume you can pull together easily. Throw on a dress from your closet and buy a plastic crown, or go all-in and create a medieval-style look complete with a hennin (aka one of those pointy cone hats).
- Fairy
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In the same vein of fairytale-inspired looks, a fairy is another classic Halloween costume that you can’t go wrong with. Take it one step further and combine the two to be a fairy princess.
- Coraline or Coraline’s Other Mother
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What’s more whimsical than button eyes? Buy the button eyeglasses (or DIY them with a pair of old shades, or even a craft eyeshadow look) and rock them two nights in a row: one night as Coraline, one night as the Other Mother.
- Mermaid or Siren
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This is another fairytale-inspired costume, but that’s where we all fell in love with whimsy in the first place. Get the true whimsy part down by going for more of a siren-inspired look than a Little Mermaid one.
- Alice in Wonderland
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Walt Disney Studios Recreate the classic Disney version or the eerie 2010 movie, and either way, you’ll have a truly whimsical costume.
- The White Witch From The Chronicles Of Narnia
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Walt Disney Studios With the new Greta Gerwig-directed Narnia series on its way, take this chance to get ahead of the curve and dress up as the White Witch (Tilda Swinton’s version) before Emma Mackey’s version graces our screens.
- Jess from New Girl
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FOX If you’re interested in a more modern approach, Jess is probably the most whimsical character of the last decade, and you can go as a group with Schmidt, Winston, Nick, and Cece.
- Taylor Swift in the “Cardigan” Music Video
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Swift’s deepest dive into whimsy in any of her music videos was with “Cardigan.” Put your hair into two low buns, don a white dress, and maybe throw on an actual cardigan (whether it’s from the merch line or not).
- Cupcake or Candy
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This is an idea you can interpret in many different ways. You can put a cherry on your head or wear a candy necklace around your neck, and as long as you lean into bright colors, it’ll be super whimsical.
- Unicorn
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Fulfill your childhood dreams and dress up as a unicorn this year, no matter how old you are.
