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55 Best Halloween Costume Ideas for Women
These popular ideas hit all the notes: cute, strong, sexy, scary — you name it.
There is truly no better time of year to let your imagination run wild than Halloween. But if you need a little help in the costume department, look no further than our list of the best Halloween costume ideas for women that will allow your alter ego to shine (whoever she is!).
Many of the looks you below go beyond your typical witch or classic vampire (although those are great too). We tried to make our round up of epic Halloween costumes for females really honor all facets of a woman by including cute, sexy, funny and clever ideas. We have iconic Disney heroines and villains, strong women who made history, outfits inspired by pop culture and even looks that could easily make a quick group costume and best friend getups that will definitely turn heads. Some you can buy months ahead of Halloween night and others you can DIY at the very last minute.
Whether you’re aiming to recreate the look of someone sweet like Glenda the Good Witch or are going for a more edgy look, like Catwoman, you’re sure to find just the costume that will convince all of your friends and everyone at your Halloween party that you have the best costume of all time.
While M3gan, the AI doll who takes on a life of her own, may look fairly innocent, she is not to be messed with. You can rock her chic look with this set that includes the dress, bow tie, striped sleeves and socks. Add a blonde wig to complete the look.
Mermaid Costume
Another look that's sure to be big this year is a mermaid thanks to the amazing new film. If you don't want to buy the whole costume, go for this DIY look instead. All you'll need is a green shirt, leggings, a green apron and gold and green metallic cupcake liners.
To make the skirt: Fold the cupcake liners in half. Starting at the bottom of the apron, attach the straight folded part of the cupcake liners with a line of hot glue, with the rounded part facing down. Alternate the two colors to fill the entire width of the apron. Glue another layer of cupcake liners while making sure they overlap the first line before repeating the process until you have covered the entire apron.
This Medusa costume, complete with an adjustable skirt and snake headpiece, will be sure to turn heads. Just make sure you don't turn them to stone.
You can embody the villainous sea witch who stole Ariel's voice with this over-the-top getup. It includes an inflatable tentacle skirt, purple mesh shirt, sequined dress and shell necklace.
Queen of Hearts Costume
In a world of Alices, you're a Mary Elizabeth Heart (that was the Queen of Heart's real name!). Luckily, you can recreate her opulent outfit with a red down and a deck of cards.
To make the collar: Wrap a large piece of paper around your neck so you can trim it down to the right size. Then, staple cards from a deck all around the paper collar, layering them for a fanned-out effect.
Everyone's favorite magical nanny can be easily channeled with this tailored jacket and a-line skirt combo. The costume also includes a hat and red cravat.
Let's do a little throwback to Jennifer Lawrence's early days as the Hunger Games star. Complete with her bow and arrow, all you'll need to do is tie your hair in a French braid.
Smartypants Costume
When you're truly down to the wire, go for this easy-as-can-be costume. Wear any pants you want, just glue some Smarties candy to them. Don't forget the glasses for an extra touch.
Harley Quinn might be a bad guy, but dressing up like her feels so good. Those blue and red accents, from hair to toe, are the perfect addition to a squad, or it makes an awesome solo costume.
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Zoë Kravitz shined as this iconic character in the new Batman, so this costume will definitely be a popular one this Halloween.
Agatha Harkness
After becoming everyone's favorite witch thanks to WandaVision, Agatha's own show, Coven of Chaos, is coming in 2024, so get ahead of the trend this year. Most of the full-blown costumes are expensive, so just get a black dress and cape, and make sure your makeup is on-point to save some money.
She's skilled in martial arts, drives a motorcycle and escaped the Matrix. Plus, her leather trench coat is a fashion moment. Do we really need to say more to explain why Trinity from The Matrix belongs in this costume category?
Malificent Costume
A no-fail idea every year, there are a few ways to go about recreating her look, but we recommend buying the horns, and just wearing your most dramatic black dress and red lipstick.
Pay homage to Miriam's journey now that the show is over in a classic 1950s dress. Available in so many colors, you just need to get a matching pillbox hat.
It'll be a whole year until Beetlejuice 2 comes out, but you will still look incredible in Lydia's iconic red wedding dress. This option comes with everything you need, including the veil!
Lara Croft Costume
After all these years, it's still a totally badass costume. What makes it even better is that it can be completed with a tank top and some khaki shorts.
She isn't perky, but she's certainly a badass. Gomez and Morticia Addams' daughter is the gothic goddess we all want to be. With her matching braids, black dress and white collar, you can take a walk in her shoes for a day.
RELATED: How to Dress Up Like Wednesday Addams for Halloween
At the end of Grease, Sandy finds her confidence (and a pretty amazing all-black outfit).
This villain may be known for her ability to manipulate, but trust us, you won't need any convincing to want to put on this costume. It comes with a green sequined mini dress and ivy head piece.
If you didn't get to dress up as the Avengers heroine last year, now is the best time to do it.
RELATED: The Best DIY 'Black Widow' Costumes to Wear for a Very Avengers Halloween
Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.
Yaa Bofah is an editorial fellow at Good Housekeeping. She is a freelance illustrator and created original cover art for The Fashion Bomb Daily’s first e-book series. She enjoys supporting philanthropic endeavors and being an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
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