Gone are the days for those to be dressed as a simple witch, ghost, or vampire. With online shopping sites such as Pinterest, Etsy, or Halloween Costume stores, I can't help but feel that the ante has been upped from Halloween pasts. A good Halloween costume is relevant and humorous. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get into character. When someone isn't afraid to put himself or herself out there and fully commit to their costume, their costume stands out from the crowd. When you wait until last minute, your costume becomes harder to pull off or put together. You risk paying premium prices for mismatched costumes or pieces that you didn't want to begin with since the other sizes are sold through. If your mind is stuck in indecision, below are the top 10 Halloween costumes that I'm predicting will be popular, based on trends from 2014. If you're still on the fence after reading the list, check out this fun Halloween Costume quiz I found that may help the indecision.
#10 Orange is the New Black
This popular Netflix show isn't the most glamorous, but it's a lot of fun. Dress as popular characters themselves, or create your own character. Remember to wear orange and talk about the days of betrayal.
#9 D List Celebrity Drama
Reality TV has made it's name in pop culture for years now. Our country is still infatuated with shows such as Real Housewives or Big Brother. The Jersey Shore costumes of the characters were popular for years. In recent news, Teresa and Joe Guidice from the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Solange and Jay-Z, among other celebrities all made 2014 headlines. Research the news; pick a relevant couple, and dress/act the part.
#8: Comic Book Heroes
From Marvel Comic movies to Fox's new Gotham Series to the WB's series based on The Flash, Comic Book Heroes are here to stay. Online costume stores offer a variety of heroes such as Batman, Captain America, the Green Lantern, or even Wonder Woman.
Go with a group and each person can dress as a different character for a fun theme. Or, for those on a budget, make your own hero, rock a cape, and give yourself a back story.
#7: Spiderman
Spiderman is a classic and his story has not gone out of style. I kept him separately because the Spiderman costume has been ranked as the most popular for 4 years and is still going strong. Don't forget the silly string for your "web".
#6: TMNT
Another superhero theme and great for groups! Are you seeing a pattern yet? These aren't your 1984 cowabunga DUDE pizza-eating turtles though. The spring version revamped the same four turtles fighting the evil and crime in the world with a "slight" upgrade (they even tweet). Slather your face and body with green paint and wear a wrap fabric eye mask. There are a variety of costumes where any gender (even your pup) can get in on the crime fighting action.
#5: The Lego Movie
Don't ask me why...I don't get it. The Lego Movie took over cinemas early this year in a BIG way. This may be one of the more Pinterest worthy/crafty costumes of the year, because the best of these outfits will be the homemade ones. Think outside the box and create your costume from everyday trash such as cardboard boxes to cement form tubes to toilet paper rolls. The more creative, the better!
#4: Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen and other characters from the popular book/movie series have continued to top the lists for the past years. With a new movie hitting theaters every year around Halloween, it's hard for this theme to not be relevant.
Who hasn't had that dream of wearing a leather dress running for your lives in the woods while shooting down bad guys with flaming arrows? Or, if you'd rather a citizen of The Capitol, find a long grey wig to rock and be President Coin.
#3: Game of Thrones
I bet you're probably thinking that some of the best scenes or moments in Game of Thrones doesn't involve clothing at all. So how can you pull off this theme without getting a ticket for indecency? HBO is known for their ornate costumes, and their medieval/period costumes should be considered some of the best costume designs. If you're playing royalty, plan on rich fabrics such as velvets or leather, and of course a crown or a sword!
For the theatrical type, how about being a Whitewalker?
#2: Maleficent
If you want something relatively budget friendly, why not be the anti-hero from Sleeping Beauty? Angelina Jolie's character Maleficent was a blockbuster win and popular in the early spring. Dress in all Black, and purchase a cape and horns. It's easy and still dramatic!
#1: Characters from Frozen
Are you really surprised by the top choice? Frozen has taken over 2014 by storm! Even if you don't have children, you probably have heard the song, seen the characters, and know who Anna and Elsa are! As any Disney movie, get a group together and go as a variety of characters. From a talking snowman, to a reindeer, to even the main characters, have some fun with it!