As strange as it sounds, sometimes it feels like we’re friends with our favorite television characters: we actively care about the drama in their lives, spend an hour with them once a week to catch up and cannot wait to see them once summer is over. Instead of dressing up as a sexy nurse (for the fourth time) this year, honor your favorite leading ladies by dressing up as them for Halloween. But with so many great TV shows, it’s hard to choose just one character to emulate. As always, we’re here to help!
1. Red Coat from Pretty Little Liars
Season after season, we are still obsessed with this ABC Family drama. If it’s possible, this past mid-season finale has left us with even more questions (spoiler alert, collegiettes). Is Ezra “Board Shorts”? Is Alison still alive? Who really is “Red Coat”?
We don’t have any answers for you; however, we do have a solution for your annual dilemma—what to be for Halloween. With a red jacket, black leggings, a black shirt and black pumps, dressing up as this mysterious character will be a sartorial piece of cake. Think you’ll be mistaken as Little Red Riding Hood? Cut an “A” out of an old T-shirt and pin it on your jacket. Though “A” and “Red Coat” are not the same person (or are they?!), this addition will tell onlookers you’re not the Big Bad Wolf’s arch nemesis. Create loose waves with a curling iron, add a red lip and you’ll give fellow PLL fans quite a scare.
2. Crow Eater/Old Lady from Sons of Anarchy
Just because you get amazing grades and are involved in several extracurriculars doesn’t mean you don’t have a wild side. Unleash your inner bad girl this Halloween by dressing up as a groupie of our favorite motorcycle club, SAMCRO. Pair your favorite ripped jeans with a distressed tee and your dad’s old leather jacket. To make this outfit look even more bada**, add a large pair of gold hoops and a red bandana. For SAMCRO-approved locks, spritz some volumizing spray on your hair and use a curling iron. Just watch out which motorcycle guys you go for; we hear Otto is bad news.
3. Olivia Pope from Scandal
“I wish I was a gladiator in a suit,” says virtually everyone who watches Scandal. For one night, your dream will come true. The key to channeling your inner Olivia Pope is sporting ladylike threads and accessories. Wear a feminine shift dress with a cozy coat, a pair of modest pumps and a set of white gloves. Top off this look with a structured bag and a patriotic flag pin. As for the beauty front, stick to natural makeup and straighten your mane. And if you force your friend with benefits to dress up as the President of the United States, all the better. Love this ensemble? You can wear this outfit again to your internship—just nix the gloves and pin.
4. Selina Meyer from Veep
From her very, um, vibrant vocabulary to those classic one-liners, it’s very easy to feel like you’re Selina Meyer. So why not dress up as this charismatic veep for Halloween? Unless you’re a business major or value a power suit, you probably don’t have a fitted blazer and matching pencil skirt around. Don’t freak out; just borrow a suit with a skirt from your roommate, your big sister or your mother. With a pair of conservative pumps, an American flag pin and soft curls, you’ll be this VP’s doppelganger. Go the extra mile by asking your BFF if the President called. Of course she’ll say no, but it’s okay—Meyer doesn’t get calls from the President, either.
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5. Piper Chapman from Orange Is the New Black
Unless you’re living under a rock and/or have limited access to your Netflix account, you know that Orange Is the New Black is this year’s breakout show. So dressing up as the show’s protagonist is a no-brainer, right? Since you probably don’t want to splurge on an orange jumpsuit, you can buy an inexpensive pair of orange leggings and a matching top. Stay warm on Halloween night by sporting your boyfriend’s brown jacket. Throw on a pair of TOMS—as Piper says, “They’re great and come in lots of colors”—and make your own identification card with a simple “Hello, My Name Is” label. As for hair and makeup, keep it very natural; you’re supposed to be in prison, after all! Have your friends get in on this costume—who wouldn’t want to be Taystee for Halloween?
6. Carrie Mathison from Homeland
Ever since Anne Hathaway’s hilarious portrayal of the Homeland character on Saturday Night Live, you’ve probably been dying to do your very own Carrie Mathison impression. So why not unleash your inner CIA agent this spooky season? Simply pair a black shirt with some black trousers and straighten your mane.
So how do you take this look from something a typical collegiette would wear to something a crazed special agent sports? Add your dad’s black cross-body satchel and a pair of handcuffs that you picked up from your local party store. To get into the Mathison state of mind, listen to some smooth jazz while you get ready. But be warned, collegiettes; too much jazz music may leave you creating extravagant, conspiracy-induced bulletin boards.
7. Carrie Bradshaw from The Carrie Diaries
We’ve seen Carrie Bradshaw as a fabulous, sexually frustrated adult, and this year, we saw her as a naïve teenager in The Carrie Diaries. Dress up as television’s symbol of glamour this year. This costume is all about colorful threads and feminine hues, so pair a full, printed skirt with a tee and cropped jacket. The key to making this ensemble something you’d see on The Carrie Diaries versus what you’d normally wearing is mixing funky colors and patterns together a la the 1980s. Score those iconic Carrie curls with a curling iron and loads of hairspray. By the end of the night, you’ll be so in character that you’ll probably find yourself sitting by your window and asking rhetorical questions about love.
8. Hannah from Girls
If you’re a collegiette, there’s a 97 percent chance you are obsessed with Girls: you secretly think Shoshanna is your spirit animal and you just want Hannah and Adam to live happily ever after already. Since we have to wait a few months until the third season premieres, pay homage to this television show by dressing up as Hannah. Even though you’re clearly a Shoshanna, don’t we all wish we were as witty and hilarious as Lena Dunham?
This year, break some fashion rules by sporting a pair of jeans with a yellow mesh top (because it’s Halloween night, baby, and you’re alive); however, please wear a bandeau underneath. Complete this costume by scrunching some gel into your hair for a stylish bedhead and drawing tattoos on your arm with a washable marker. Start the night right by getting ready to Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own,” because we know that’s exactly what Hannah would do!
What are you going to be for Halloween this year? Sound off in the comments below!
Calling all collegiettes: Send your best Halloween costume photos to halloween@hercampus.com or Instagram/tweet them to us at @HerCampus with #HCHalloween to be included in our Halloween slideshow!