Halloween Costume Inspiration

Written by Cassidy Leighty 

Pictures by Macy Abernathy, Kelsey Zimmerman, Cassidy Leighty, and Hannah Shoemaker

Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins, oh my! October has always had a special place in my heart. The crisp fall weather, the delicious autumn foods, and of course, the best holiday of the year. For me, Halloween is more than just a day. I tend to spend all month celebrating by watching scary movies, decorating my house, and dressing up as many times as possible. For this shoot, I got together with some fellow Halloween lovers for some costume inspiration. We featured a variety of costumes from sweet to sinister, hope you enjoy! 

 Cassidy’s Costumes: 

  1. “ A Bad Case of Stripes”- if you’re looking for an out of the box costume, this one might just be perfect for you! “A Bad Case of Stripes” is an adorable children’s book that I drew inspiration from to create this makeup look. It’s a pretty simple look to recreate. All you need is rainbow face paint and hair bow clips to achieve this family-friendly costume. 

  2. Totally Clueless- UGHHHH AS IF! Another great costume option is to choose a character from a popular movie. “Clueless” is such an iconic early 2000s movie, I could not pass up this opportunity. Y2K private school vibes is what I went for with my collared shirt, argyle sweater, and high socks. Don’t forget to add a matching headband.

  3. “Jennifer’s Body”- Sexy + Scary = The Best Combo. Megan Fox has many famous fits from this movie, but I chose to go with the man-eating cheerleader look. Here’s a tip: you can add fake blood to literally any outfit and call it a Halloween costume. And guess what? It will be a hit every time! 

Macy’s Costumes: 

  1. Bratz Doll- Bratz Dolls are the epitome of sass and glamour. They were every fashion lover’s favorite toy growing up. All you need for this costume is some over the top early 2000s pieces and LOTS of funky accessories! Macy’s Bratz look is completed with platforms, space buns, and an animal print coat to top it off.  

  2. 70s throwback- In a crunch to find a costume? Or maybe dressing up isn’t your thing? Go with a decade throwback costume. Most people already have pieces in their closet they can put together for a convincing blast to the past. And the great thing about decade costumes is that you can add your own style to them. Macy decided to rock this iconic 70s Playboy button up, and her 70s inspired makeup pulled the whole look together! 

Kelsey’s Costumes: 

  1. Strawberry Shortcake- Kelsey looks as sweet as a... well... a strawberry! Dressing up as Strawberry Shortcake is a simple yet unexpected costume. Kelsey wore this adorable red dress and paired it with green Converse. She finished off her look with pink and green accents in her eye makeup and a precious little strawberry on her cheek.  

  2. Sassy Witch- Want to go for something a little bit darker? An easy option is a witch! All you need is something black to wear, a witch hat and BOOM you’ve got yourself a great costume! Kelsey gives off witchy vibes in this plaid babydoll dress, dark makeup, and a witch hat headband. 


Halloween costumes don’t always have to be extravagant. The most important thing is that you are comfortable in your costume and have a great time. Happy Halloween!!