Best Halloween costume ideas for women
Here's our round-up of the ten best Halloween costume ideas for women in 2019
If you're not keen on the classic three options available to women at Halloween (sexy cat, sexy nurse, or sexy witch) - and who could really blame you? - we've got a whole lot of ideas for film and TV-related Halloween costumes that will make your friends gasp with horror or almost die laughing, and will definitely win you the prize for the best costume.
Below we've picked our favourite female characters for you to dress up as on Halloween this year, but don't feel like you're constricted to these. There's no reason you shouldn't dress up as a male character either - it's 2019, and even Disney's swapping round its characters' genders, so we can't see why you shouldn't give it a go.
But first, here are our top ten picks for female characters to dress up as from film and TV.
Cruella De Vil
Thanks to the hype surrounding the upcoming release of the new live-action film Cruella that tells the origin story of the character, this classic Halloween staple is sure to be more popular than ever. Individualise the ready-made costume with your own fluffy coat to stand out from the crowd.
Price: From £18.72 on Amazon.
Orange is the New Black
The series may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't let the women of Lichfield out of prison for a night by dressing up as them for Halloween. A great option if you've got a squad night planned for Halloween, you can print out your own security tags to go with your orange jumpsuits. You can start with the main Orange is the New Black stars Alex and Piper, but beyond that there are countless prisoners to choose from and so there really is something for everyone here.
Extra points for drawing on your own tattoos and picking up the classic Alex glasses to personalise the look.
Price: From £12.29 on Amazon.
Anne Lister
Anne Lister is celebrated today as a feminist power-icon and LGBTQ pioneer, but she was the stuff of nightmares for those who wanted to maintain the status quo during her life. Inspired by the BBC's portrayal of the real woman in Gentleman Jack, this topical and original costume is sure to turn heads. Take this simple Gentleman's outfit and add a ladies' curled brown wig and a cane and you'll be good to go.
Price: From £24.49 on Amazon
Rose (aka Sin Rostro) from Jane the Virgin
You might have something suitable in your wardrobe already, but if not, this dress is a look-alike to the L'inde Le Palais tropical print piece worn by Rose in Jane the Virgin.
Secret criminal mastermind, drug-lord and seductress, she's a great contemporary choice to dress up as for Halloween - and is also a great bet if you want something you can wear to work and then to a Halloween party without looking odd at either. For the wig (the one part of the costume we strongly suggest saving for after work), you can go cheap and cheerful or full commitment, depending on your budget.
Price: From £6.88 (including delivery) on Amazon
Ghostbusters
The Ghostbusters movie might have been a flop, but your Halloween costume won't be. Perfect for a girls' night out, this costume also works as a couples costume (one of you CAN dress as a ghost) or whole family look (kids as ghosts, adults as ghostbusters). With that kind of versatility, this one's a tough to beat.
Price: From £36.07 from Amazon
Maleficent
With a second instalment of the franchise coming to screens soon, Maleficent is a villain-turned-hero who'd be worth consideration for her instantly recognisable style alone. OK, so we're never going to look as good as Angelina Jolie in the outfit, but a girl can dream. Extra points if you make your own prosthetic cheekbones using liquid latex - but that's only for the truly dedicated.
Price: From £26.49 on Amazon
IT
Pennywise isn't technically a 'she' but an 'it', but nevertheless is a strong choice if you want to be completely unrecognisable on Halloween. Why would you want that? So you can make a total fool of yourself at your Halloween party, of course. Your embarrassing dancing will be totally forgotten if no one can recognise you at the time, let alone in photos online afterwards. You're welcome.
Price: From £39.07 on Amazon
Daenerys Targaryen
The icy-haired badass from Game of Thrones has a variety of instantly recognisable outfits, but we like this elegant blue cape and dress combo. It's elegant but cheap, and all you need to add is a wig and you're good to go.
Price: From £26.99 on Amazon
Jessica Jones
Pair ripped grey jeans with a black leather jacket (which you can buy on Amazon if you don't already have one) and a black wig and your Jessica Jones outfit will be done. Cheap and easy, this costume won't look out of place in normal life or at your Halloween party.
From: £6.10 on Amazon
A Handmaid
If you found The Handmaid's Tale TV series as terrifying as it is intended to be, why not dress up as a Handmaid yourself this Halloween? A politically relevant outfit, you can use this look to show how incredibly literary you are - but don't forget to pretend you've read the book (or, you could actually read the book - your choice!).
From: £36.99 on Amazon
