2016 Halloween Costume Trends

Don't know what to dress up as this year? Value Village costume consultant Vivian Lam shares her budget-friendly ideas

Value Village costume consultant Vivian Lam reveals how to create trendy Halloween looks on the cheap

Deciding on a Halloween costume can be a difficult task. And with the holiday just around the corner, most people are panicking to pull together the perfect look at the last minute.

What’s hot this year? Pop culture—as always—is a big inspiration. From Olympic athletes, Pokémon GO, Suicide Squad and more, Halloween 2016 is about celebrating icons on the screen and across the Internet. 

Costume consultant Vivian Lam from Value Village’s South Vancouver location shares her eight favourite Halloween looks for this year and how to create them…

 

Looking for Hallloween makeup ideas? Click here for our step-by-step video tutorials…

Audrey Hepburn

“With a love for all things nostalgic on the rise, throwback costumes like Audrey Hepburn have been hot this year. For this timeless costume, take a little black dress that you already own and pair it with black heels and big sunglasses. We have new black gloves, princess crowns and fake cigarette holders that will add the finishing touches to this classy costume choice.”

Joker

Suicide Squad had mixed reviews, but it gave our Value Village team some great costume inspiration. Harley Quinn is a good route for women, but men can put together a Joker look that’s as green and mean as all get-out. We pulled his signature green and purple garb from the gently used racks and combined it with a bright green wig and white makeup for an authentic look. All you have to do after that is come up with a few catch phrases and practice your maniacal laugh!”

Holiday Tree

“With holiday advertisements and products being released earlier and earlier each year, why not follow the trend and get into the holiday spirit during Halloween? Start by taking a green dress, add some touches of red with a bandana, scarf or a cardigan sweater, and then finish by pinning small ornaments from the decor section to your outfit.”

Panda

“Everybody loves pandas, especially when they’re walking around at a Halloween party. This costume is about as simple and inexpensive as it gets. All you need to find are black pants, a black long sleeve shirt and a white vest or sweatshirt that you can cut the sleeves off of. Then take one of our new panda hats and some black makeup to put on your nose. Bonus points if you can find some bamboo to chomp on during the night.”

Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen

“Viral internet sensations are always a good place to turn when you want a timely costume that will get a few laughs. Look no further than this year’s meteoric rise of the Pen-Pineapple-Apple Pen earworm for an example. Start by searching for a yellow pair of snakeskin patterned pants and a matching shirt before hunting for a leopard scarf to drape over your shoulders. Next up, grab some white shoes, an inexpensive gold chain and sunglasses to top of the look. The only piece you might need to buy new is the wig! Word to the wise—the women’s section tends to have more animal prints, so guys, don’t be afraid to shop in other parts of the store.”

Prince

“With David Bowie and Prince both passing away this year, you can pay tribute to them with a costume worthy of a true rock star. For a Prince costume, head to the racks to find a frilly white shirt and some fitted black pants before adding the finishing touch: a loud, purple and preferably velvet jacket.”

Witch

“Every year our Value Village team continues to see classic costumes like witches and vampires be top sellers. It’s really easy to DIY a witch ensemble, but we also have this new exclusive version. Grab your broomstick and remember that every witch (both good and bad) needs the perfect matching hat, shoes and fun accessories to help conjure up a little magic.”

Zombie Bride

“Zombies are a tried-and-true option because you can never run out of variations. Take any costume or normal outfit and “zombie-fy” it by ripping it up, adding fake blood and dragging it through the dirt. One of our favorite zombie looks at Value Village is the undead bride. We keep a stock of donated wedding dresses all year long and pull then out during Halloween so there’s a ton of different designs and styles for our customers to choose from.”