Material girls, this one’s for you.
The ‘80s are swimming with Halloween costume ideas, most of which simply require you to assume the most extra version of yourself. Think: neon leggings, bright pink blush, teasing your hair until it’s near impossible to unknot. While any ‘80s Halloween costume will require a bit of commitment — and a damn good makeup remover at the end of the night — they’re sure to be instantly recognizable and, TBH, a ton of fun. And the five easy ‘80s costumes ahead are so simple, you’ll feel like a total genius when you show up to the costume party and tell everyone you barely had to pay a dime.
If you’re already a lover of bold, experimental beauty and fashion, this won’t be hard for you to pull off. After all, the ‘80s were all about neon colors, over-the-top hair and makeup, and lots of lace and fishnets. If you don’t already have everything you need in your closet, believe me when I say your local thrift shop will likely have everything you need, as will your mom’s makeup drawer. So, as you gear up for all your Halloween parties and spooky season events, get your hairspray and your windbreaker together for a totally tubular ‘80s Halloween costume.
Tina Turner is famous for so much more than “Proud Mary” — her outrageous style and stunning costumes are so easily recognizable. Tease your hair to get as much volume as possible, put on a spaghetti strap dress, and add some heels to nail this stage-ready look. If you really want to drive the Halloween costume home, make a makeshift microphone out of cardboard to go with your look and request that the DJ plays “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”
Everyone has a leotard in their closet, right? A bodysuit? Or even a bathing suit? If not, you can easily score an affordable, colorful leotard on Amazon or at GoodWill. When putting together your ‘80s workout look, lean on bright, neon colors, and don’t be afraid to pair the most unlikely ones together. Wear brightly colored leggings under your leotard, and if you don’t have leg warmers, you can cut the sleeves off of an old sweatshirt. Add a sweat band around your forehead or wrist and sleep in braids to get that ‘80s, crimped-hair look.
The best part about the ‘80s was that bold beauty knew no bounds. One look at Motley Crue or Guns N’ Roses, and you’ll see that these rock stars were truly so ahead of their time when it come to wild makeup and hair looks. Channel your inner ‘80s glam rocker by tearing up a tank top, wearing fishnets on your legs and arms, and blotting on bright pink blush on your cheeks without any sort of strategy in mind. Tease the top layers of your hair until they practically stick straight up.
Madonna’s iconic 1984 white lace look is one of the easiest costumes to throw together if you can get your hands on some tulle. Use the white tulle to create a makeshift veil, and throw on every necklace you have. Grab your oldest winter gloves and cut the fingers off to complete this ‘80s masterpiece of a Halloween costume. Of course, don’t forget to use your pencil eyeliner to draw on a beauty mark and over-line your baby doll eyes.
I seriously want to pull off this costume with my bestie. I mean, the two of you just need a blazer, a white shirt, and a tie, all of which you can get just about any thrift store for under $5 or borrow one from literally any dude with a pulse. Throw on your darkest sunglasses and make a harmonica out of cardboard to complete the look. Walk around with an emo/bluesy attitude (which you probably already have anyway), and you’ve got yourself a winning costume idea.
