Before anyone starts yelling at me, “Not niche at all!!!,” I’d like to defend myself: I’m doing my best here, alright? I’m a 20-year-old college student who wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween for religious reasons, so this 2026 Halloween will be my first ever. To say “I’m excited” would be an understatement. I’m practically bouncing off the walls with exhilaration. Okay, enough about me. Here are a few costume ideas — steal one or use them for inspo!
- Skylar Storm
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There’s a storm coming — Skylar Storm. If you know what I’m referencing, you know ball. Skylar Storm in one of the main leads from the superhero comedy sitcom Mighty Med. She’s a super-duper cool alien-who-looks-like-a-teenage-girl superhero with pink highlights in her hair and 24 different kinds of powers. She’s the perfect costume if you want to pull from an underrated Disney XD show while still looking awesome.
- Carmen Cortez
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Spy Kids has to be one of my favorite movies ever. There was nothing I wanted more than to try those tasty, color-coded packets. Most importantly, I longed to be Carmen Cortez, who is, in my opinion, the coolest spy to exist. Anyone could recreate one of her classic outfits, but I’ve always adored her sci-fi pink robot suit in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. It’s pink, futuristic, and creative — everything you could ever want in a Halloween costume.
- Claudia de Lioncourt de Pointe du Lac
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If you’re anything like me, you love vampires (more specifically, gay vampires) and gothic drama. Interview with the Vampire perfectly balances both genres. Claudia de Lioncourt de Pointe du Lac has some of the most iconic looks in the show. A bonus of dressing up like a vampire is getting to casually ask people if you can bite their necks.
- Alice (Battle Armor Version)
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Dressing up as Alice in Wonderland has been done countless times (and for good reason!), yet I’ve never seen anyone replicate her White Knight battle armor from Alice in Wonderland (2010). Straying away from Alice’s usual blue dress may be the move this year. Bonus points if you have a pet rabbit willing to participate in a photoshoot.
- Wishbone-inspired sailor
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As I’m writing this, Conan Gray is blasting in my headphones, which leads me to my next costume idea: a sailor. More specifically, a Wishbone-inspired sailor. You may not know what you’re doing in a submarine, but you’re going to look absolutely alluring. It’s also a costume you can put together pretty quickly. Go to your local thrift store and pray to the thrift gods.
- The Antler Queen
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I, in fact, will be dressing up as the Antler Queen. If you haven’t watched Yellowjackets (which you should), here’s the very short rundown: a girls’ soccer team crashes in the wilderness on their way to nationals and turns to cannibalism to survive. The Antler Queen is a cult-leader-ish figure, and you have a lot of freedom with the costume because there are three throughout the series, each with a different look. As long as you have antlers, you’re set.
- Lucy Gray Baird
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Last but not least, Lucy Gray Baird. Her colorful dress from The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is perfect if you want a costume that is both pretty and whimsical.
That concludes my very serious and incredibly important Halloween research. Hopefully, one of these costumes inspired you or, at the very least, gave you a sense of what you don’t wanna do. Have the happiest Halloween and take lots of photos! Most importantly, have fun being someone else for the night.
Signing off,
Maritza