Through the years, costumes have evolved based on societal trends and interests of the time period. From scary to trendy to cute and cozy, this year’s top costumes are a direct reflection of what we’ve been streaming and gaming in 2025. Whether you embrace nostalgia with throwback style costumes or more creative DIY trends, this Halloween is all about embracing the viral sensations of the year.
It is an undeniable fact that Halloween costumes have embraced the trends of the era. From the 1980’s through the mid 2020’s, here’s a look at how costume styles have changed:
Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons
1980s– Pop icons and big hair were all the rave of this era with costumes ranging from Madonna, to Michael Jackson, and Prince to other popular music or pop culture icons. Care bears, gremlins, and Beetlejuice were also among the most popular costumes. Freddy Krueger and ET were also top choices of the era.
1990s– Shows and movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Adams Family, Beetlejuice, Powerpuff Girls, and Ghostface from Scream were among the most popular costumes of the time. Celebrities/groups like Brittany Spears, The Spice Girls, and N’Sync and Backstreet boys were also trendy costumes at this time.
2000s– With reality TV becoming increasingly popular, celebrities like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians were popular costumes at this time. In TV and movies, trick-or-treaters donned costumes resembling the Cheetah Girls, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story, and Mean Girls, and Transformers. Political Halloween costumes like Barack Obama and John McCain were occasionally sported as well.
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2020s– In recent years, clever trick-or-treaters started to favor DIY costumes while also experimenting with ‘throwback’ costumes from the 90s. Trending shows like Tiger King, Cobra Kai, and Stranger Things influenced costumes along with movie sequels like Hocus Pocus reviving the Sanderson Sisters costumes.
2025– The most popular costumes of this year would definitely be K-Pop Demon Hunters, Wicked characters like Elphaba and Glinda, M3GAN, and even Wednesday Adams. Minecraft characters and Labubus are also expected to be popular this Halloween. In terms of pop culture, expect to see Taylor Swift-inspired showgirl costumes as well.
Overall, whether you believe costumes have gotten more generic or creative through the years, there will always be an assortment of throwbacks, current trends, and amazing creativity among those who celebrate Halloween and we look forward to seeing the top styles this year!
