‘Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘Odyssey,’ Bad Bunny ‘Grass People’ Inspire Top Halloween Costumes

When the doorbell rings on Halloween night, gird your loins. Miranda Priestly may be at the door.

The Meryl Streep character in “The Devil Wears Prada” movies inspired one of this year’s top Halloween costumes. A silver bob, sunglasses and faux fur do most of the work, but the look really comes together with a subtle sneer and a few icily delivered lines. And if you’re cosplaying Andy Sachs, the chunky sweater is not just “blue,” but specifically cerulean. “That is all,” Miranda would say.

Halloween falls on a Saturday and gets the full weekend treatment this year, extending the chance to play dress-up and pretend to be someone — or something — else. The National Retail Federation estimates Americans will spend $4.4 billion on costumes this year, but its survey also showed they are being frugal, with 52 percent of adults and 62 percent of parents with children saying they are keeping costs low by repurposing costume items.

We searched websites such as Yahoo Shopping, Billboard, Real Simple, Halloween costume businesses, and social media for looks that can be cobbled together cheaply.

Bad Bunny’s ‘Grass People’

Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican singer and songwriter known as the king of Latin Trap and equally famous for his fearless fashion, is also topping the Halloween costume charts.

For inspiration, rewind his Super Bowl LX show with about 380 performers dressed as grass to represent Puerto Rican fields.

Grass people costumes are out there, but they can cost about $80. DIY hacks use items found in your closet or local home improvement and craft stores. Nobody said becoming shrubbery was effortless. You’ll need a green or brown hooded sweatshirt and matching pants, fake grass mats, artificial turf strips, green raffia, fake grass garlands, a hot glue gun, and copious glue sticks.

Greek Mythology Has A Moment



Even Homer is having Halloween, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

Skip the sword-and-sandals clichés for this year’s top looks. Odysseus is all weathered linen, battered leather and aged bronze, the look of a man who has had a very long trip home.

For Athena, start with a simple off-white linen dress or loose tunic, add a matching shawl or cloak, and keep everything spare and unadorned; the look in “The Odyssey” is less gleaming goddess than quietly imposing divine presence.

Back In The Danger Zone

The announcement last spring that Maverick will be returning to the danger zone in “Top Gun 3” is inspiring aviator costumes. Just pair a brown leather bomber jacket with a white T-shirt, straight-leg blue jeans, aviator sunglasses and rugged leather boots.

The fourth season of “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+ is an easy closet-and-thrift-store DIY. Start with a tan zip-front jacket, layer it over a navy polo or quarter-zip, and add khakis or navy joggers and white sneakers. Then add the pieces that make it unmistakably Ted — gold aviator sunglasses, a whistle on a lanyard and that big brown mustache. Bonus points if everything looks just a little rumpled.

Also back is Michael Jackson, whose “Thriller” costume is trending again, thanks to the biopic “Michael.” The trademark red-and-black jacket and red pants are especially popular.

‘Obsession’ And The Dark Side

Nikki Freeman’s red-and-black party look from the psychological horror movie “Obsession,” with leather shorts, boots and optional fake blood, is already showing up on costume boards and TikTok.

For anyone whose Halloween wardrobe begins and ends with black, this is a good year. “Vamp romantic” is a top Pinterest pick, and Halloween Express expects classic vampire costumes to sell well this year, according to the lifestyle publication Real Simple.

Specific goth looks, like Wednesday or Morticia Addams, are also getting a boost due to the popularity of Netflix’s “Wednesday” series, and Halloween Express also rates the Addams Family as a top idea for groups.

‘Scooby-Doo’ An Easy Hack

When looking for lighter-side costumes, another pop culture bump comes from “Scooby-Doo: Origins,” Netflix’s Mystery Inc. live-action series about the creepy mysteries the gang solves in a town where supernatural chaos runs rampant.

This one’s super easy to replicate — for every character but the titular Great Dane — with an orange turtleneck and red pleated skirt for Velma, a purple dress and matching headband for Daphne, a green tee for Shaggy, and an ascot for Fred. For Scooby, either take your real Great Dane or other dog in a costume to a pooch-friendly party, or convince a fifth person to cosplay the dog in a onesie.

“Toy Story 5” aliens are the low-effort group option, revived by the latest movie. Just put on a blue shirt, green bottoms and a three-eyed headband.

America’s Dear Dolly

Halloween costumes always leave room for sweetness, a little antidote to all those creepy zombies and dark demons. Disney characters are sure to be popular again this year, but if it’s the real thing you’re hoping to replicate, look no further than America’s dear Dolly Parton, a superstar in music and pretty much everything else.

She is almost certain to make a few appearances from the great beyond. For angel Dolly, dig out the wings from some long-forgotten costume, pile on the rhinestones and sparkle, tease a blond wig toward the heavens, and, if needed, enlist a little or a lot of help in the chest department.

Or skip the afterlife entirely and go as Dolly in full earthly glory and live Halloween out loud: fearless, bedazzled and impossible to miss in skintight pants and a fringed Western shirt.

Also On Patch

• You Can Literally Explore Dolly Parton’s Head In These Corn Mazes
• Where And When To See Peak Fall Foliage Where You Live And Travel
• Uptick In Rabies Cases Prompts Nationwide Health Advisory: What You Should Know