42 Clever and Creative Halloween Costume Ideas For 2023

Fashion designer Edna is the most underrated character in "The Incredibles," and dressing up in her trademark A-line black dress, giant specs, and severe bob cut will give you a costume that definitely won't be overlooked.

Rather than doing a straightforward take on "The Devil Wears Prada," go for a cheeky play on the name of the movie by wearing devilish makeup and some Prada merch (or just write "Prada" on a white T-shirt — same diff).

Use anything from a little black dress to a trash bag for your universe, and decorate it with an array of colorful planets (with bonus points for scientific accuracy). The final touch is a tiara and pageant sash.

Violet Crawley from "Downton Abbey" is the queen of sass. Take inspiration from her this Halloween and deck yourself out with one of the Dowager Countess's wild hats and signature ensembles. Don't forget your cup of tea!

"Heathers" is an '80s cult classic, and you can channel the Heathers' leader with some argyle, plaid, and a croquet mallet.

If you're looking for a costume that's simple and sweet, grab a yellow dress and an umbrella to become Morton Salt's iconic label (but please don't blame us if you get bad luck for opening an umbrella indoors).

The petulant teenager of "The Wild Thornberrys" is easy to take on with ripped jeans, a cropped orange tank, and lots of snark.

We're leaning heavily into the "Barbie" love this year. Go classic by DIY-ing a Barbie box (and a Ken box, too, if you're doing a twofer costume), and dress in your Barbie best.

Cute, creative, and super appropriate for 2023, the year of "Barbie," dressing up as a shrimp on the "barbie" will win you applause for the rest of the year. Find a Barbie shirt or make your own, and keep your eyes peeled for a shrimp hat.

There's only one Queen Bey, but anyone can be a Zombie Beyoncé. Channel your favorite Beyoncé look, then use your makeup skills to transform yourself into a member of the undead.

Have a cowgirl costume from years prior? Slip the "reverse" card out of your Uno deck and you have a flirty, creative new costume for this Halloween.

A little makeup goes a long way with this comic-book-inspired look. Keep your outfit simple and focus on your face.

Go to infinity and beyond this Halloween when you dress up as Bud Lightyear. You'll need to wear a Bud Light shirt and tape Buzz's wings to your back. Cheers to a good "Toy Story" reference!

Grab a cute top, your favorite chips, and a little tape, and you're easily transformed into "Chip on Your Shoulder." Easy, funny, and creative, right?

You'll get an A+ for this creative costume idea! Just wear a cap and gown, and carry around a box of your favorite cookies. Done and done.

This costume is fit for a queen. Simply write the word "royal" on a white T-shirt, and you're good to go. You can complete your look with a small tiara and jewels if you really want to make it come to life.

Feeling sweet this Halloween? Dress up as pumpkin pi. (Not a typo.) Wear an orange shirt with a jack-o'-lantern face on it, and tape the pi logo onto your shirt. Math people will love it. Bonus points if you carry around a pie all night, giving out free slices to everyone who laughs.

We love this easy and comfy costume. Just wear a party hat with any kind of animal shirt or costume you have lying around the house, and you're done. You can make it more complicated, but really — why bother?

A french kiss doesn't have to involve lots of PDA. Style this costume with a black-and-white striped shirt, a beret, and bright red lipstick. Throw in a baguette for a tasty prop.

You can definitely make this yourself if you're crafty, or you can snag a Whoopie Cushion Costume ($38). You could stop there, but the addition of some good makeup, a gray wig, and glasses take it to the next level.

Channel "Beauty and the Beast" with this adorable costume, but rather than carrying around books, you'll be toting a Quesarito, chips and dip, and (of course) tacos instead.

Everyone will get a laugh out of this creative costume. Just draw a little yellow circle onto a white shirt and put on a pair of devil horns. Then, let this costume win Halloween!

This creative costume gives you the option of being any cereal you'd like. Cut open the bottom of a large bucket, attach straps, and adorn the front with the logo of your favorite cereal. For this Froot Loops costume, slices of pool noodles were used to make the actual cereal bits — so clever.

Tape mini cereal boxes to a shirt or dress, and cover yourself in fake blood. Use a knife as a prop to really make this costume scary.

No foreign language or culinary skills are required for this sweet and simple costume. You can go for a huge cardboard "toast" or just carry around some toasted bread to accompany your beret and striped shirt.

Channel your high school days and grab some pom-poms for this easy-peasy getup. Simply draw "go, ceiling, go!" on your T-shirt.

Remember the summer, when it seemed like the entire world was going on a European vacation? Channel that energy and go as a travel bug. All you need is a map skirt (DIY it by taping maps to any skirt) and butterfly wings (buy them, unless you're crafty). You can snag this pair of butterfly wings ($10, originally $13) on Amazon.

You make lemonade! Be the bright spot this Halloween with a shirt that says "life" and a bag of lemons.

This one works as a solo costume (just dress up as the artist, ear bandage mandatory). But it also works as a couple's costume, with the second person dressing up as one of van Gogh's iconic paintings — like "Sunflower" or "Starry Night." The paint-stroke shirts are the clever touch that really brings it all together.

This Malibu Barbie Rollerblading One-Piece ($56) is the perfect base for your Roller Blade Barbie outfit: just add bright pink bike shorts, neon yellow pads, and Rollerblades (you can buy the ones in the movie here). Or, if you're playing it safe (are Rollerblades the best idea on Halloween?), you can opt for a neon sneaker instead, like the Nike Pegasus 40 ($130), which come in a highlighter-yellow "volt" colorway.

The "Ted Lasso" fandom is still going strong, and there are so many great characters to dress as, from Ted himself (mustache and "Believe" sign mandatory) to Coach Beard, Roy Kent, Keeley, Nathan, and more.

Another DIY costume, all you need to nail this clever look are some green face paint and a green outfit — and maybe a helmet (though a green beanie will do in a pinch). It makes good use of the cargo-pant trend you bought into this past year.

This clever LED Stickman Halloween Costume ($110, originally $130) will make a big splash and is perfect if you plan to visit a haunted house or go trick-or-treating. We especially love the fact that it allows you to dress as warmly and comfortably as you like — no itchy fabrics or impractical shoes necessary.

This Octopus Hoodie ($176 and up) is spendy and only comes in kid sizes, but we love that it marries comfort and creativity. No one's going to accuse you of phoning it in on a costume this year, even though it's technically "just" a hoodie.

This creative Halloween costume is easy to make at home. Just stick some cotton "clouds" onto a blue pool floaty or piece of cardboard with a large hole cut out for your head. Not that crafty? Buy this Etsy Head in the Clouds Costume ($31) which is ready to go.

This is a relatively easy costume to DIY, but you can also buy a Franzia Costume ($10) on Etsy. If you're going to a Halloween party, make sure to bring along a good boxed wine to complete the look.

This Mona Lisa Costume Kit ($19, originally $33) is another one that lets you wear comfy clothes and still be dressed up. Go for a black or neutral outfit so all the attention is on your beautiful face, and experiment with makeup to help you really blend in. Then, just practice your smile.

In case you can't tell, we love a costume that looks really dressed up but still lets you be comfy, and a "Seinfeld" group costume does just that. Get the gang together, pick a character, and go for it — and remember, the subtle touches (Kramer's hair; Elaine's blazers; George's puffers) make all the difference.

With the popularity of "Wednesday" this past year, it's a great time for an Addams Family-themed outfit. But rather than going as Wednesday, try a Cousin Itt Wig ($70 and up) instead.

This punny Back to the Drawing Board Costume ($50) is pretty simple to DIY if you have some key pieces: a piece of cardboard or thick posterboard, binder clips, a dry-erase marker, and a way to strap it all on your back. Just beware: people will draw on you throughout the night.

With the release of Olivia Rodrigo's second album, "Guts," it's a great time to replicate her iconic cover art from her first, "Sour." A tank top, a plaid skirt, and lots of (face-safe) stickers pull the look together.

Another pun, for a group that loves to laugh. These simple Spice Dresses ($36, originally $40) make it so easy to go as the "Spice Girls" — and no one's fighting over who gets to be Posh.