2023 Pop-Culture Couple and Group Costume Ideas!

This year was full of iconic shows and movies that took over the internet! This Halloween, let’s dress up as some of our favorite characters with some of our favorite people!

Halloween is coming up! If you don’t have a costume, check out some ideas inspired by this year’s cultural icons, television shows, and movies!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

The announcement of pop-star Taylor Swift dating Chiefs football player, Travis Kelce has taken over the media. It would be no surprise if Swifties and Chiefs fans dressed as the famous couple this Halloween.

You can dress as Taylor cheering him on at the game with a white tank top, red windbreaker, black jean shorts, and of course, red lipstick. To dress as Travis, all you need is a Chiefs jersey and maybe some shoulder pads, and a Chiefs helmet

Ellie and Joel – The Last of Us

The series based off of the apocalyptic video game premiered on HBO in January. We all couldn’t help but fall in love with Ellie and Joel, whose relationship evolved from being antagonistic to a deep father-daughter-like attachment. When surviving an apocalypse, they don’t put too much effort into their outfits, so luckily, neither do you!

Ellie

Ellie’s signature outfit throughout the show is a baseball shirt, blue jeans, red Converse, and a backpack with the iconic red sweater you can get from Amazon. You can find more resources for this outfit here

Joel

Ellie’s protector, Joel, has a tough exterior not only psychologically but fashionably. His waxed trucker jacket is waterproof and keeps him warm. This is definitely a necessity in case of an apocalypse. Under this industrious jacket, Joel wears a green, army-like flannel that can easily be found on Amazon. He also wears tall and chunky work boots and gloves. It’s needless to say that you’ll be extra warm this Halloween. You can find more inspiration for his outfit here

Ariel & Prince Eric/ Ursula – The Little Mermaid

The highly anticipated live-action version of the classic Disney princess story, The Little Mermaid, debuted this summer. Hailey Bailey blew her performance as Ariel out of the water, leaving audience members captivated by her romance with Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). I wouldn’t be surprised if couples wanted to use Halloween as an excuse to recreate their love story.

Ariel

You can find the exact Ariel outfit with the mermaid tale from Party City. If wearing an actual tail is too uncomfortable, you can always wear flannel mermaid paints or a long green skirt with a purple halter top. You can always look on Pinterest to find more cute inspo. 

Prince Eric

As the Prince of the seaside, Eric often sails in the ocean wearing classic sailing attire that includes a flowy long-sleeve, tight tan pants, and a light blue vest. You can also use one of his other outfits including darker pants, a red sash on the hips, and black boots. 

Ursula

However, if you’re going out with your bestie on Halloween, those in their villain era can dress as the movie’s antagonist, Ursula, played by Melissa McCarthy.

You don’t have to paint your entire body purple unless you want to! Any black or purple dress or corset will do, paired either with a black skirt, pants, and boots. And you can’t forget the necklace that holds Ariel’s voice. You can find the costume at Party City or Spirit Halloween. 

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy – Renaissance Tour

Dress like the mother and daughter who performed their hearts out on the summer Renaissance Tour. Their main looks involved anything silver or chrome, and Blue Ivy can’t forget her sunglasses

Oppenheimer and Einstein – Oppenheimer

The film released this summer centering around the director of the Manhattan Project embodies a 1940s vintage aesthetic. To dress like Robert Oppenheimer played by Cillian Murphy, you only need a tan suit, a brown fedora, and perhaps a pipe. To make a joint costume, you can add the other well-known genius from the movie, Albert Einstein. Einstein is seen wearing a gray sweater with a dark gray coat and a black fedora. You can even wear a gray wig if you want to go full out!

Mabel, Oliver, Charles – Only Murders in the Building

Dress up as your favorite murder mystery team from the Hulu series, Only Murders in the Building!

Mabel

Mabel, played by Selena Gomez, acts as the “hip” one of the group with Martin Short (Oliver Putnam) and Steve Martin (Charles). She wears bright-colored outfits that pop on camera. The outfit that most embodies her character involves a yellow beanie, a yellow sweater, red headphones, Doc Martens, an orange furry coat, and some plaid pants

Oliver Putnam

To dress like the old-time Broadway director in the series, Oliver Putnam, all you need is a trench coat and some classic long silk scarves, preferably purple with a black turtleneck and black pants. 

You can find more inspiration for his costume here.

Charles Savage

Charles is more reserved than Mabel and Oliver, wearing more gray outfits paired with his fedora of course. You will pass for Charles by wearing a collared shirt with a sweater on top, and some glasses

You can find other ways to dress up like Charles here.

Shiv and Tom – Succession

The season finale of the hit HBO MAX show, Succession, came to an astonishing and riveting ending this year. The iconic toxic relationship between the married couple, Siobhan Roy and Tom Wambsgans, left viewers on the edge of their seats. Dressing like this couple means serious business.

Tom

Throughout these four seasons, Tom has been dedicated to fitting into the Roy family. He tries a bit too hard to look sharp and serious. To mimic his character, one can’t go wrong with a simple black suit and tie, perhaps with polished shoes, and perfectly gelled hair. You can even dress more casually with a vest and button-up shirt. You can find some more inspiration for other accessories here

Shiv

You can take Shiv Roy in multiple different directions, and either way you’ll be warm, comfortable, and look like a total girl boss.  Her iconic look involves a black long-sleeve turtleneck with plaid pants, along with a gold necklace, and black pumps

You can find more costume inspiration for other succession characters here

Barbie and Ken – Barbie

We cannot get enough of Barbie and Ken played by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. We will not be surprised if we see couples dressed as Mattel’s image of a couple. You can dress in the classic pink cowboy and cowgirl outfits or their roller skating outfit from Party City. You can also dress up as Ken from the “Kendom” – with his fur coat, biker gloves, headband, and sunglasses

There is also the iconic Barbie Gingham pink dress with the sun hat found at Spirit Halloween.

Teen Vogue also has other great DIY suggestions for the many looks in Barbie

Alan

You can easily become Ken’s best friend, Alan, by wearing any multi-colored striped shirt with some blue shorts and sandals.  

Weird Barbie

Weird Barbie wears an awkward-fitting and oddly colored pink dress found on Etsy or Amazon, which also comes with yellow leggings.  

Mario and Luigi – Super Mario Bros

The Super Mario Bros Movie premiered this past April, starring the two iconic brothers from the viral video game. This is a great and easy outfit to do with your partner, best friend, or your own sibling!

All you need is some denim overalls, and either a red or green long-sleeve shirt depending on your character. You can also buy a set of their hats, gloves, and even some mustaches! 

Hope this inspired you to have fun this Halloween and dress as some of your favorite characters this Halloween!

About the Author

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Hannah Shemtov

Hannah Rose is a senior at Emerson College where she studies broadcast journalism and psychology. She has executive produced multiple television news outlets at her school, and interns at AfterBuzz and the Heal Squad. Originally from Los Angeles, California, Hannah winds down with a good film or binge worthy TV show.