Helena Stocks,

Editor (Fashion)

 

Halloween is round the corner and the question on all our minds is “What to wear?” From terrifying to trendy, there are so many ways to do Halloween this year. As mid length and maxi dresses continue to flood throughout the fashion world, it seems this year you can do scary and sophisticated, combine masks with elegant dresses or jumpsuits if you’re planning a night out, rather than following the predictable ‘wear as little as you can’ craze which is so familiar among women at this time of year.

 

1. The Witch – A timeless costume worn by young girls and women everywhere. Whether you want to go for the traditional witch hat, or simply embrace your Gothic side with black clothes, accessorize big hair and dramatic makeup, you can’t go wrong with the witch costume.

2. The Devil - Find your inner devil, as long as you’re in a red dress with red lips, horns, a fork and tail, you’ve mastered the devil look. Horns are available in most high street clothes stores this time of year and you can make a devil costume fashionable and unique by just adding your own twist. Outfits don’t even need to be completely red; use only red accessories for a subtler devil costume. Boys, invest in some red face paint and go all out. You can wear pretty much anything with the right accessories.

3. The Zombie - Whether you want to dress as a zombie cheerleader, bride or male zombie, the magic is in the makeup. Invest in some scary colour lenses and heavy eye makeup and you are half way there. To complete the zombie costume, you can wear pretty much anything, as long as clothes have rips and are splattered with fake blood; you are guaranteed to have an authentic and disturbing costume.

4. The Vampire – Think cloaks, bow ties and fangs, although this may seem like a gender specific Dracula costume idea, women can do it too. With a cloak or long dress/skirt and blood red lips, vampire costumes could be made elegant if desired. Hairstyles should be sleek and tidy. Use lots of hairspray to keep it in place.

5. The Cat - Animals are often used as appropriate costumes at Halloween and an easy one for ladies is the cat trend. All you need is a pair of ears on a headband and a tail; pair these with a black dress, or a cat-suit for a Catwoman-esque costume. If you’re saving money, a mask isn’t even necessary. Invest in some black face paint or use eyeliner and add a nose and whiskers.

6. The Skeleton - Many skeleton t-shirts, leggings and skeleton print clothes are available this year. Or if you’re feeling creative, invest in something black and get cutting and sewing to add the skeleton outline to your dress or top. Makeup can get creative with this costume too. Use face paint and draw skull outlines onto a white complexion, eventuating teeth shapes around the mouth.

7. The Ghost – The easiest costume of all, although if you’re planning a night out, maybe not the most sexy. All you really need is a white sheet, with some holes for your eyes and mouth. If you’re hoping to really hide your identity for the evening, a ghost seems like the perfect costume for you.

8. Movie Characters – There are so many film characters that people replicate during Halloween. These include The Joker, Edward Scissor Hands, Bellatrix Lestrange, Cruella DeVille, The Mask- the list is endless! Get on the Internet and see what their outfits consist of. If this is too time consuming, most fancy dress shops will have perfect costumes for your characters.

9. The Superhero - It is a common trend for people to dress up as super heroes at Halloween. Although these aren’t the scariest of costumes, it seems a popular choice among males, including Superman, Spiderman and Batman. Once again Cat Woman is a common feature within this category.

10. The Pumpkin - Last but not least, one of the most significant symbols of Halloween is of course the pumpkin. A more amusing and less sophisticated outfit choice yet one which can be made at home if you’re looking to save money. Wear anything orange and add a creepy facial expression in black and you’ve got a cheap but effective pumpkin costume. For people who want to look trendy in this get-up, make sure your dress has orange with a hint of green. You could add on by choosing green accessories.