How Media Effects Halloween

The media has always had a large impact on our lives, and Halloween is no exception. The October holiday is an excuse to dress up as whatever and whomever we want. Many Halloween inspirations are taken from the characters we admire and the fake worlds we immerse ourselves in every day. Whether it be a celebrity look, a tv show reference, a favorite book character, or even a costume seen on our favorite influencer years prior, Halloween is the perfect time to take their looks and make them our own.

Every October 31st we see costumes inspired by different trending characters in the media. In 2021 we saw celebrities wearing costumes based on their favorite television characters. For example, Hayley Kiyoko dressed up as 067 from the internationally known show Squid Games, and Lizzo dressed as Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian. With Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, and Shaun White donning a group costume from Queen’s Gambit, a 2020 show release that went viral in early 2021, the media’s representation in Halloween costumes did not end there. When it comes to dressing up as famous faces, Hailey Bieber dressed as Brittney Spears from the ‘Oops I Did It Again’ music video while the court proceedings were happening surrounding Brittney’s conservatorship.

With Spooky Season upon us, costume planning is beginning we have already seen costume ideas motivated by popular movies and television shows. We are likely going to see references to these productions in costumes this year given the popularity of series this year like Stranger Things and The Crown as well as movies like Elvis and the comeback of Top Gun. In recent years, social media platforms such as TikTok have begun to influence what costumes will be seen on Halloweekend. Surprisingly, even current events have impacted what people are wearing, in both good and bad ways.

When it comes to men's costumes this year, we believe there will be a surge in Top Gun references. This costume is simple and will undoubtedly be very well-liked. All you need is a mustache, a jumpsuit, a white t-shirt, and some aviator sunglasses to perfect the look!Although a little more work, Elvis costumes will surely be seen everywhere. Even if they could be harder to portray, the costume may still be successful given the popularity of the most recent film.

This year’s women’s costumes will draw influence from a variety of well-known figures. There will certainly be a wide range of media-inspired women’s costumes, from witches to royals. We anticipate seeing royal family attire, particularly tributes to Diana especially in light of the success of The Crown and the extensive media coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. Based on the continued popularity of the television program Euphoria, these costumes are a trend that will not go away anytime soon. There will be versions of the Euphoria costumes for years to come due to the show’s first two seasons and the numerous costumes that were inspired by the show last year. Not to be forgotten is Bridgerton. Who does not want to dress up in a gorgeous gown and a crown? As another season of the beloved Netflix series Bridgerton comes, the show’s chokehold over media trends, including Halloween, is unlikely to fade anytime soon. The legendary reproduction of the famed Hocus Pocus trio is one of this year’s most anticipated costumes. The popular witches’ costumes are guaranteed to be seen this season as the movie’s sequel premiers on September 30th.

While we see a lot of popular individual costumes inspired by media trends, couple costumes are no exception. Ones that we predict to see include Batman and Catwoman with the new Batman movie with Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravits. If you and your partner are looking for a more dramatic look, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, inspired by the popular Elvis biopic, are sure to blow others out of the water.
October 31st is the perfect time to be whoever you want to be, dress up as whomever or whatever creative media trend you can think of, and go all out. From Princesses to Superheroes, Minions, to Witches, there is no limit to the Halloween costumes we will be seeing this year. Who knows, you might even see some of your favorite celebrities dressing as these characters during Halloween too!