Last year, Squid Game characters adorned in their infamous number jackets took Halloween by storm. Alongside them came the multiple variations of the Shang Chi and Crazy Rich Asians cast. The thing is, if you’re Asian American, it seems as if year after year on Halloween, our options become increasingly limited and criminally repeated. It surely could be worse (thankfully, the geisha girl days are over), but we should have more variations, right?
If you’re anything like me or the other countless Asian girls across the globe, you may be tired of seeing the same four or five Halloween costumes being suggested to us year after year. I mean, you can’t exactly dress up as Suki from Too Fast, Too Furious for all four years of college, can you? No shade at all if dressing up as a ninja or Trixie Tang from Fairly Oddparents is your thing – you do you! Halloween is all about dressing up to become something – or someone – that you’re usually not, and I’m not here to dampen any of your pre-planned couples costumes or friend group fits!
However, if you’re looking for something a bit more unique, then these ten costumes are perfect for you! This one is for my AAPI babes, let’s absolutely slay Halloween!
- Olivia Rodrigo
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This one goes out to my Filipinas! One of the first things that comes to mind when I hear the name Olivia Rodrigo is definitely a snapshot of her iconic SOUR album cover. Clothing-wise, all you would need are things that you may already have in your closet: a basic white tank and a blue plaid skirt. The next — and most important — element of this costume is also the most fun: stickers! Just head over to your local craft store and pick out some Y2K-esque stickers! Pro tip: use eyelash glue to apply them so they don’t come off during the night.
- Silvermist
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I’ve always wanted to give this costume a go, but blue (unfortunately) isn’t really my color. All you need for this costume is a light blue mini dress ($37), some cute ballet flats, and a pair of pixie wings that you can easily find at the thrift or Halloween store! Bonus points if you can get your hands on some black ponytail extensions ($15) to make your high pony akin to one of our Disney queens!
- Raya
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Speaking of Disney queens, did you know that Raya from Raya And The Last Dragon is based on Southeast Asian culture and traditions? All you need for this costume is a green midi dress or green pants and a yellow tank, a red cape that you can easily find online or in the basics section of a Halloween store, and her iconic bamboo rice hat! If you can add in a plushie of her dragon, Sisu, that would be so perfect!
- ABG
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To achieve this look, all you would need are some temporary tattoos ($7), gold hoop earrings, long lashes, and maybe some rave gear, if you’re up for it! Rave fits consist of revealing, flashy clothes such as metallic, sequined, or holographic bikini tops, matching short skirts, lace-up leg wraps or fishnets, and lots of body glitter. ABGs sometimes get a bad rap depending on which side of the internet you’re on — but I think this costume is a way to reclaim the negative stereotypes of Asian American women in society today.
- Dr. Cristina Yang
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If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy and last-minute Halloween costumes, this one’s for you! You don’t even need to break the bank by going to a professional store for nurse-grade scrubs because thrift stores carry a ton of them in excess.
- Suni Lee
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If you’re a gymnast, then you may already have this costume in your closet! If you can’t get your hands on a sparkly leotard, don’t worry! American gymnastics Olympian Sunisa Lee, better known as Suni Lee is also known for this iconic photo where she sports a white sweatsuit and her gold medal.
- Diane Nguyen
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If you also binge-watched the Netflix Original Bojack Horseman, then you’re probably familiar with the iconic — yet complicated — writer Diane Nguyen. Of Vietnamese descent, Diane is often shown in the series to be a successful author with a chaotic family life and internal monologue. To achieve her look, all you need is a white tee shirt, jeans, glasses, and most importantly, her signature green bomber jacket ($20).
- Evelyn Wang
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This costume is definitely the most simple and perfect for my last-minute Halloween goers. With that being said, it doesn’t really matter what you wear, as long as you have the iconic googly eye placed in between your brows. If you want to step it up a notch, you can use your makeup skills to craft some looks involving bruising and fake blood.
- Cooking Mama
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I absolutely loved this video game as a kid! All you need to achieve this look is a pink scarf to drape around your head, a pair of blue jeans, a white long sleeve, and of course, a long yellow apron ($16).
I hope you found a costume, or at least some inspiration, for your Halloween costume this year — you’re gonna look great!