5 Fashion-Forward Costume Inspirations for Halloween

So you’ve clicked on this article because you’re stumped for Halloween… Dressing up is normally a joy, but the very thought of putting on a costume sends you into fits of anxiety and indecision. Who should I be? How much is too much? Not helping matters, your closest points of reference are probably:

a) Your insanely body-confident girlfriend who flirts with indecent exposure on the daily. She secretly forces you to question how deep feminism really runs in your veins (final decision: you are 100% supportive, but won’t be doing twinsies any time soon). Halloween is pretty much business-as-usual for her, but with the addition of bunny/cat ears.

or

b) Your other crazy girlfriend who spends months faithfully recreating something she saw on Netflix/plays all the time/read in a Manga. She does this with a scary level of commitment you can’t even summon for your relationship or job, because in her universe Halloween and Comic-Con are events of quasi-religious importance.

But do not despair. There is a way to stay chic and participate in the campiest holiday of the year all at once. If you’re neither into full-on Cosplay nor the ‘sexy random animal/occupation/public figure’ school of thought, take a look at some of our high-fashion takes on fictional heroines: body glitter, face paint and prosthetics are not required.

By Ryan Sng

Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont, Rear Window (1954)

Clockwise from top left: silver-plated faux-pearl necklace, $1865, Lanvin at Net a Porter; stretch tech-jersey top, $588, Opening Ceremony at Net a Porter; suede sandals, $1229, Gianvito Rossi at Net a Porter; gold-plated pearl earrings, $195, Aurélie Bidermann at Net a Porter; wool and silk-blend midi skirt, $3220, Roksanda at Net a Porter; striped jersey skirt, $1125, Tomas Maier at Net a Porter.

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The Blue Fairy, Disney’s Pinocchio (1940)

Clockwise from top left: silver-plated cubic zirconia necklace, $265, Kenneth Jay Lane at Net a Porter; embellished gown, $43600, Valentino at MyTheresa; gold-plated Swarovski crystal headband, $726, Jennifer Behr at Net a Porter; gold-plated cubic zirconia bracelet, $289, Iam by Ileana Makri at Net a Porter; patent leather pumps, $1033, Valentino at Net a Porter.

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Cruella de Vil, Disney’s 101 Dalmatians (1961)

Left to right: textured-leather pumps, $1252, Valentino at Net a Porter; fur stole, $4039, Dolce & Gabbana at MyTheresa; printed silk satin dress, $517, Topshop Unique at Net a Porter; jersey turtleneck dress, $460, Rick Owens at Net a Porter; printed fur coat, $35860, Fendi at MyTheresa; satin-trimmed patent leather pumps, $1443, Miu Miu at Net a Porter.

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Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby (2013)

Clockwise from top left: beaded clip-on earrings, $465, Oscar de la Renta at MyTheresa; beaded cotton dress, $8655, Altuzarra at MyTheresa; rose gold-plated crystal headband, $1126, Erickson Beamon at Net a Porter; silver-tone Swarovski crystal hair slide, $1684, Jennifer Behr at Net a Porter; gold-plated ear cuff with pearls and Swarovski crystals, $235, Joanna Laura Constantine at MyTheresa; satin and suede sandals, $860, Paul Andrew at Net a Porter; crystal-embellished satin sandals, $1930, Prada at Net a Porter; faux pearl, crystal and gold-plated bracelet, $205, Kenneth Jay Lane at Net a Porter; gold-plated pearl bracelet, $135, Katerina Makriyianni at Net a Porter.

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Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis, Atonement (2007)

Clockwise from top left: white gold diamond bracelet, $23270, Tiffany & Co. at Net a Porter; silk wrap gown, $4029, Juan Carlos Obando at Net a Porter; satin floor-length dress, $2412, Jason Wu at MyTheresa; box clutch, $1565, Charlotte Olympia at MyTheresa; metallic textured-leather sandals, $1003, Miu Miu at Net a Porter; metallic leather sandals, $887, Jimmy Choo at Net a Porter.

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Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont, Rear Window (1954)

Lisa. Carol. Fremont. Grace Kelly’s first scene in Rear Window remains one of cinema’s most glamorous leading lady moments, in one of Alfred Hitchcock’s all-time best films. Spirited and adventurous (she and Thelma Ritter do all the risky snooping while James Stewart, injured and housebound, urges caution from afar in a gender role-reversal), Lisa was a surprisingly progressive heroine for the era. While the pampered fashion editor may seem a quaint and dated character by today’s feminist standards, the same can’t be said of her impeccable Edith Head wardrobe. Image: Pinterest

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Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby (2013)

Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby mostly failed to approach the biting wit and pathos of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel; chock-a-block with product placement and unnecessary stylistic flourishes, it fell victim to excess in much the same way its hedonistic subjects did. Carey Mulligan’s Daisy was a notable bright spot: vain and shallow, she is nevertheless more sympathetic than her novel counterpart. Anachronistically bedecked in Prada and custom Tiffany & Co. jewels, Daisy’s wardrobe was a gloriously heightened distillation of Roaring 20s style. Image: Pinterest

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The Blue Fairy, Disney’s Pinocchio (1940)

Swathed in sparkling layers of pale blue, the Blue Fairy is the spirit who takes pity on lonely Geppetto and brings his wooden puppet to life. While she serves at the moral core of the film alongside Jiminy Cricket, Disney’s elegant enchantress wasn’t always so demure: unaccustomed to a female form rendered so realistically in 2D, story artists watching rough cuts of Pinocchio reportedly greeted her first appearance on screen with wolf-whistles. Image: Pinterest

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Cruella de Vil, Disney’s 101 Dalmatians (1961)

One of Disney’s most memorable creations, Cruella de Vil’s long, skeletal frame and mannerisms were shaped by the genius of animator Marc Davis, who also designed another breakthrough Disney villain, Maleficent. Her simple yet striking appearance (that hair! Those red, red gloves and boots!), coupled with her clipped, Tallulah Bankhead-esque speech has made her an enduring favourite among drag-queens and animal, erm, enthusiasts. Image: Pinterest

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Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis, Atonement (2007)

Voted as one of the greatest film costumes of the 2000s, something about Keira Knightley’s slinky gown in Atonement’s fateful party scene struck a chord with audiences: the little girl and childhood friend of Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) becomes a woman seemingly overnight, a bewitching, and ultimately tragic, vision in emerald.

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Images: Pinterest

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