2020 Themed Halloween Costumes
Between Coronavirus, murder hornets coming to the US, and every event you were looking forward to being online, 2020 has been.. a lot. Whether you’re keeping your festivities virtual or celebrating outdoors *with a mask*, here are some costume ideas that represent this year and honor some of those we’ve lost.
January
Joe Goldberg from “You”
Season 2 might’ve released Dec. 26, but the infamous Joe memes were all over the place in January. Get this low-profile look with any basic shirt and pants, a denim jacket, a black backpack, and of course, a navy baseball cap. Keep your cap right above the eyes to go full stalker.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
After months of speculation, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they were stepping down from their duties as senior royals in Buckingham Palace on January 8th. They officially resigned from their roles and stopped using their titles at the end of March. Meghan is easy to pull off, just get a very simple and polished look together, some nude makeup, and straight or loosely pulled back hair. For Harry, wear a navy blue suit and some colored hair spray for a ginger look (if you aren’t already one). If you happen to have a baby, even better! He’s Archie.
Kobe Bryant
It was January 26th when Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers were in the fatal helicopter crash that shocked the world. The NBA legend made an impact on millions of lives beyond just basketball with his relentless, never-to-be-defeated attitude and inspiring intelligence. Pay respect to this Lakers legend with a #24 Lakers Jersey. This may be hard to come by, so any Lakers gear also works.
February
Shakira and Jlo
Shakira and JLo performed the show of a lifetime this past February, oh, and there was a Super Bowl. 103 million people tuned in for the concert performed by the two Latina superstars at the Hard Rock Stadium and were the talk before and after the game. Wanna bring the same energy and have heads turning this Halloween? Partner with your best friend and dress as the duo. Gold for Shakira and silver for JLo.
March
Dr. Anthony Fauci
The infectious disease expert who became ‘America’s doctor’. Articulate, candid, and Brooklyn to his core, Fauci has become a rational voice of science and a public figure known around the world. All you need is a suit, some glasses, and grey hair spray to pull it off. Just look at Brad Pitt’s impersonation on Saturday Night Live!
Doctor
One of Halloween’s most classic and used costumes – aside from a cat– is more relevant than ever. Dress up as the world’s most essential worker which, bonus, already requires a mask.
WFH Zoom Call
The biggest theme of the work from home era: the employee with no pants. Hopefully you never got caught like this Good Morning America reporter who didn’t realize his no-pants look was visible in the frame. Just get a button-up for the top and (modest) underwear for the bottoms.
“Tiger King”
Did anyone not watch Netflix’s Tiger King during the depths of quarantine? Because it was pretty hard to ignore back in March. The over-the-top and almost unreal personalities that were prevalent in the docu-series would certainly make a fun costume. For Jo Exotic, any sequin and/or tiger printed shirt, a flashy belt, jeans and boots will get the outfit down. Get a fake mullet and ‘stache to complete it. Dressing up as Carole Baskin, the speculated husband-killer, is easy. Get a tiger printed flowy top and a flower crown, like this, and a long blonde wig.
April
“Money Heist” Season 4
Netflix’s hit show from Spain, Money Heist, is the heist drama you didn’t know you needed. Part 4 came out April 3rd and its fifth and final season comes 2021, so there’s plenty of time to catch up if you aren’t already on board! The signature look of the robbers actually serves as a symbol of the show’s theme—resistance towards “the system”. Red coveralls with a grey T-shirt underneath (or a matching red hoodie and sweats), black boots, and a Dali mask. You can find the jumpsuit and mask set on Amazon.
May
Murder Hornet
The Murder Hornet is the world’s largest hornet, and appeared in the US for the first time early this year in Washington State. While it would take multiple stings to kill a human (though it’ll hurt like heck) their presence threatens the health of our bees which are one of the most important factors in our food production. Murder Hornets decapitate bees, feed it to their baby hornets, and take the hive as their own... Get any bee patterned attire and pair it with a fake weapon, like this. Just be sure not to bite anyone’s head off in the process.
Baby X Æ A-12
CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and an all around business magnate, Elon Musk along with musician and partner, Grimes had their first child together, named X Æ A-12. The baby’s name was later changed to X Æ A-Xii because California forbids numbers to be used in names. The naming of the couple’s baby spurred a frenzy of memes and jokes that the child was a cyborg or android. Get your partner and a fake robot baby to dress as the whole family or go solo as baby X.
June
SpaceX
Elon Musk at it again for June, as his “space transportation” company successfully launched and deployed 60 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to someday enable the colonization of Mars… His suits were dubbed as “space tuxedos” so you’ll have to get your creativity going to recreate this one.
July
Any look from “Black is King”
Beyonce‘s visual album Black Is King was filled with a multitude of out-there looks throughout the short film. Any one of them would make for an amazing Halloween look, but this one might be the easiest to pull off. Get a leopard print jumpsuit and matching gloves, sparkly oversized sunglasses, and heels.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
AOC has emerged as one of the most influential political leaders since her first election to congress, where she became the youngest-ever politician in the House of Representatives. In July, she took to the floor with an impassioned speech about Rep.Ted Yoho (R-Florida) calling her a F– B– after a heated debate over a crime bill. In this pretty powerful clip, where her words ended up going viral in a TikTok challenge, AOC sends a strong message about standing up to the misogynistic culture. Her signature look can be achieved with a bold pantsuit, red lips, hoops, and slicked back hair.
August
Black Panther
Chadwick Boseman, who passed in late August from colon cancer, was an incredible actor, director and producer with a NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was the first African American to headline a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie as T’Challa in Black Panther, which became one of the largest superhero movies in history. His portrayal of a black superhero has inspired thousands across the world and they can dress up as their favorite hero or one of his allies. You can also throw this claw collar over a black long sleeve.
September
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka, just 22 years old, won her second U.S. Open title. This tennis champion also uses her platform to fight for justice of Black lives, sporting a different mask for every match with the names of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and more. To channel the look from her win, you’ll need a purple Nike visor, a tennis racquet, and a purple/green tennis dress or skirt.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The late Supreme Court justice was a feminist icon on and off the court. Her style reflected her sophistication, so your costume should do the same. Wear an oversized, long sleeve black dress or order a robe for a more realistic depiction, and put a white lace handkerchief in the front of it. Pull your hair back into a bun, and complete your costume with a pair of reading glasses.
Among Us
Among Us is an online multiplayer deduction game that has exploded in popularity among kids, teens, and young adults over the course of the pandemic. The game involves crew mates, who must complete objectives in the game silently, while the impostors attempt to kill everyone without getting caught. As of September, the game received a whopping’ 100 million downloads across all platforms. The characters of the game can be easily recreated using colored body suits and astronaut helmets or hazmat suits such as this. (perfect for some COVID Halloween activities).
October
Eddie Van Halen
The legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen died after a long battle with cancer on Oct. 6th. His signature Frankenstrat overalls may be hard to find but you can get your hands on red overalls like these and paint some white stripes if you really want to go for it. And if you don’t already have the hair for this look don’t hesitate to get yourself one of these 80’s rockstar wigs. Guitar or not, you can pull it off!
Joe Biden and/or Kamala Harris
With election day coming up, get your partner or friend and dress up as this power-duo. For Kamala, like Maya Rudolph’s already-iconic SNL interpretation, get a blazer, costume pearls, and some Converse sneakers to become “America’s cool aunt”. For Joe, get that blue or navy suit together, some grey hairspray, and a pair of aviator sunglasses.
We hope this gave you some unique costume inspiration. Have a safe Halloween!
