Fast & Easy Last Minute Halloween Costumes

What’s scarier than that horror film you watched last night? Finding yourself midway through October and realizing you still don’t have a clue what to wear for your Halloween parties! We’ve got 10 easy costume ideas to get your inspiration going.

It happens to the best of us. We think we’ve got plenty of time to come up with a killer Halloween costume and then – Boom! – you’re looking at the calendar and realizing, nope, you don’t have much time at all.

Deep breath. We got you. Our editors have put together ten fun, quirky and downright fun costume ideas that are easy to put together faster than you can say “are there any snickers left?”.

Time’s a wasting, so let’s get right to it, shall we?

#10 – VELMA FROM SCOOBY DOO

The real brains of Mystery, Inc., channeling the smart, witty and cool-under-pressure Velma requires just a couple of quick items. First, her ubiquitous orange turtleneck sweater and red mini skirt combination. We found this super cute red velvet mini at Windsor for a total steal (Editor’s note – worried it won’t arrive in time? Windsor has over 300+ brick and mortar stores across the country. Just pop in and pick it up in no time.) For the orange sweater, socks and red ballet flats, we headed over to Target and found all three. All that’s left is grab a pair of thick blue-blocker glasses from Zenni (which offers Rush delivery if you need).

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#9 – WEIRD BARBIE

If you like getting crafty, this next costume is definitely for you. Take an inexpensive fuchsia dress and go to town with some fabric paint. Next, add some fun snakeskin boots (which you can wear all winter long with your non-costume wardrobe). Finally, if you have short blonde hair, you can easily replicate Weird Barbie’s crazed hairdo with hair gel, or just grab this disheveled wig from Target. Extra points for carrying a high heel in your right hand and a Birk sandal in your left while asking random folks if they’d like to “know the truth about the universe”.

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#8 – CARRIE BRADSHAW

With Season 3 of “And Just Like That” coming soon, we’re all feeling nostalgic for our favorite SATC girl. Bring back all the feels with her iconic first look. We found this frothy, pink adult tutu at Target, along with a simple white tank. Give your hair some proper 90s lift with a comb headband, and of course our OG fashionista look wouldn’t be complete without some sexy, strappy heels.

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#7 – MARIAH CAREY

Bring the Queen of the Y2K back to her full, butterfly top glory! Start with this gorg golden crop top from Windsor (and we found it on sale. YW!). To this we add 90s style bootcut, frayed hem jeans from Joe’s Jeans and some barely there silvery heels. Oh, and don’t forget a healthy dose of bronzer to truly achieve our golden girl’s full look.

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#6 – RED FROM “US”

Ready to get a little scary? Jordan Peele’s 2019 masterpiece of horror “Us” had us all checking our front yards for The Tethered. Bring Adelaide Wilson’s doppelganger to life with just three items. First, the red jumpsuit (which is still available at Spirit for under thirty bucks), then a single fingerless glove for holding that all-important weapon of choice – old fashioned scissors.

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#5 – SARI FROM “COCAINE BEAR”

The unofficial Mother of the Year prize for 2023 definitely goes to Carrie Russell’s character Sari. This divorced mom and full time nurse wanted nothing more than to try and have a normal relationship with her tween daughter. Of course all that goes out the window when she has to come to the rescue of aforementioned daughter and daughter’s friend while coming face to face with a 500 pound killer bear on a narcotic-induced rage. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she also has to contend with a homicidal drug dealer and his goons. Yeah, that’s a lot. Luckily, cosplaying our spunky mom is pretty easy. All you need is a pink jumpsuit, the classic beige Mom Purse and of course, a snuggly little bear toy to carry around.

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#4 – YELLOWJACKETS

Another fun and creepy costume that’s immediately recognizable and easy to put together (with just a little DIY). The Yellowjacket’s Antler Queen. First, a varsity jacket that comes approximately close (this one from Target does the trick). Then to bring this frightening visage to life, don a white balaclava (or ski mask) a pair of antlers (which we found on Halloween Costumes) and finally, the DIY bit – cut the top off a cotton mesh grocery bag and cover your head, antlers and all. Congratulations, you have now become one of the most feared females of 2023.

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#3 – REY

Rey’s costume may seem pretty tricky, but channeling the last Jedi can actually be pretty easy with just a few items you probably already have around your house. Start with a simple gray tank top and add a pair of grey capri pants (these cargos look great but you could use capri leggings just as well). Next, you’ll need a long scarf, preferably grey or black (if you’re channeling more “Rise of Skywalker” Rey). We found this grey Pashmina wrap at Target for under $20. Put the scarf over your neck and then create a crisscross in front, using a belt to secure it in place. Add another, looser belt to hang down on your right hip. For her arm wraps, use athletic wrap (we found these at Target for $1.59 each). All that’s left is to put your hair up in a bun and you are ready to take on the Empire.

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#2 – SHARON TATE

The (nearly) ill-fated Sharon Tate from “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” has one of the easiest costumes on this list. A simple black turtleneck is paired with a white mini and some killer white go-go boots. For extra credit, grab a brown covered book (or get this journal we found at Target). Part your hair in the middle and keep the makeup natural.

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#1 – BRIDGET & THE LUDICROUSLY CAPACIOUS BAG

It was the scene that launched a thousand memes (maybe more). Even if you’re not a fan of the show “Succession” you know about the Ludicrously Capacious Bag. Poor Bridget couldn’t catch a break, from using ‘the wrong towels’, to trying to snap selfies with a crowd of haters, to that unfortunate choice of bringing an unnecessarily massive bag to Logan Roy’s birthday party. But hey, Team Bridget fans love her social blunders. She’s relatable to us all. Putting together this look starts with THE bag. No, we’re not advocating you put down three grand for the real Burberry fellow (unless you want to). But this massive plaid tote from Target understood the assignment completely. Pair it with a flouncy black and white floral dress and feel free to use your own smartphone as the final prop.

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