Stay au naturel and stress-free this spooky season.
I consider myself a pretty creative person, but I’m thrown for a loop every single year when Halloween rolls around. Dressing up for Halloween is all about transforming yourself into your fave celebrity, movie character, or creepy critter, but the fun of transformation has its limits. For me, those limits start and end with wigs. I love going all out with my makeup and styling my hair, but dealing with a wig is not something I’m going to do, even for my favorite holiday. Using your natural hair as Halloween costume inspo simplifies things right off the bat and helps you avoid spending money on a wig that could end up a mess by the end of the night. Brunette Halloween costumes are definitely the way to go over all that noise.
Truly, the last thing I ever want to mess with on Halloween is a wig. Good wigs can be expensive, and you probably don't want to break the bank for a single night of fun. However, cheaper wigs — ugh — are the worst. They get sweaty and tangled, and I usually wind up taking them off pretty much immediately. All-in-all, wigs just are not worth it. That’s why finding a Halloween costume that goes with your natural hair color is sometimes the only way to celebrate spooky season. While you metamorphize into whatever Oct. 31 has in store for you this year, let your natural hair run free. From creepy to classic to phoning it in, these brunette Halloween costume ideas are crowd-pleasers that will also keep your scalp happy.
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Lydia Deetz from BeetleJuice
When it comes to a campy, creepy classic, Lydia Deetz, as portrayed by Winona Ryder in the 1988 cult classic movie Beetlejuice, is the only way to go. The angsty teen has so many great, gothic looks, but my personal fave is her red wedding ‘fit. All you need is a few yards of red tulle to pull it off. Well, the tulle and some hair gel to really get her pointy bangs.
While Ryder’s character has a lot of iconic looks throughout the movie, her wedding dress is one of the best. The red, the ruffles, and the gloves all make it a winner. To make recreating that costume easy, you can buy Leg Avenue’s Beetle Bride Costume. It comes with a veil, gloves, and a pretty accurate dress.
Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service
Halloween is all about witches, so why not dress as one of the most famous good witches out there? Kiki, the adorable delivery girl from Kiki’s Delivery Service is a super easy costume to recreate. All you need is a black dress, a big red bow, a broom, and a helpful, if sarcastic, sidekick cat.
Kiki’s black dress is pretty loose so she can stay comfortable during all of her airmail deliveries, so ASOS’ Smock Midi Dress fits the bill. It shares a similar bodice and length with Kiki’s dress and once you add a red bow, everyone will clock your character right away.
Olivia Rodrigo
Who doesn’t love a pop culture Halloween costume? When it comes to the pantheon of 2022’s pop culture icons, there are few as major as Olivia Rodrigo. Luckily, she also has a pretty easy style to recreate. All you really need is a plaid skirt, crop top, and platform shoes to steal the singer’s look.
Pastel Goth’s Plaid Mini Skirt is a perfect starting point for your Olivia Rodrigo costume. It looks like it could’ve come right out of the Sour singer’s closet and has maximum re-wear potential.
Serena Williams
In honor of her retirement, dressing up as Serena Williams makes for a perfect costume. Her ability to bring glam to the tennis court means you can dress both comfortably and fashionably this Halloween.
You can’t just toss on any old tennis dress for this costume. You have to go with something stylish. The backless detail and bow on Halara’s Backless Dress combine athletic style with a touch of femme sweetness, the perfect combo for a night out as the tennis legend.
Samara Morgan from The Ring
If you’re going for screams, Samara Morgan from The Ring is an iconic option. When it comes to Halloween brunettes, this pint-sized monster is one of the most creepy. Just make sure you practice your twitchy, glitchy crawl well in advance.
To look like the littlest Morgan, you just need a cottagecore nightgown like this Lace Trim Maxi Dress and some DIY determination. Simply smear your nightgown in dirt, makeup, or dye to give it that “I’ve been trapped in a well” look.
Raven from Teen Titans
Get your nerd on by dressing up as one of my favorite cartoon superheroes: Raven from Teen Titans. The human-demon hybrid was the coolest person on TV when I growing up, and she remains iconic to this day. Also, she wears a cape. Enough said.
Since her outfit does have a lot of moving parts, it’s probably easier to go the route of buying a costume outright. This version of Raven’s ‘fit comes with a bodysuit, cape, and boot covers for a full cosplay look.
Lara Croft from Tomb Raider
Lara Croft is an ingenious costume because she’s super recognizable and her costume is basically casual separates. All you really need is a tank top, cargo shorts, and some thigh holsters.
Throughout all of her iterations, cargo pants or shorts are a Croft staple. All the pocket options on BLVB’s Bermuda Shorts totally make them Tomb Raider-approved.
Spinelli From Recess
Childhood characters get a lot of praise on Halloween, so taking it all the way back to Recess will definitely earn you some cool points. On Recess, there was no one quite as hardcore as Spinelli. Her leather jacket and combat boots made her a style icon and channeling her Bikercore energy will have you causing mayhem in no time.
Honestly, I don’t like buying things just for Halloween. I much prefer shopping for costume ideas that I can and will wear again, like this orange beanie from Amazon. Add a pair of pigtails secured with red hair ties, a leather jacket, and some striped tights, and you’ll be the toughest gal on the playground.
Sadly, trench coats can cost a pretty penny and it’s hard to find one that really matches this signature thief’s crimson-inclined style. Luckily, there’s a Carmen Sandiego Costume on Amazon that includes her coat, hat, and yellow scarf. In this getup, you definitely won’t be freezing this Halloween.
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