The Best 2016 Pop Culture Halloween Costumes That Will Earn You All the Compliments

By Alexis Parente (Text) and Andrea Cheng (Market)
Updated Oct 21, 2016 @ 3:22 pm
HBO; Netflix; Courtesy

Anyone can slip on a little black dress and throw on some form of animal ears, like a mouse (duh), and call it a costume. Perfectly acceptable, sure, but creative or inspired? Meh, not so much. But the look that will be guaranteed a hit? A costume drawn from an unforgettable moment or meme that went viral this year.

Beyoncé is the first to come to mind, with the release of Lemonade. But out of her many, many outfits from her visual album, it was her ruffly baseball bat–wielding look that left us thirsty for more. Also notable: Eleven's sweet disguise from Netflix's highly addictive (slash somewhat unsettling) new series Stranger Things. From Rihanna's public declaration of love for Drake (or $15,000 heart-shaped fur coats) to Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn, we pieced together seven pop culture-inspired Halloween costumes that are so 2016.

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Beyoncé in Lemonade

HBO; Courtesy

Do Queen Bey proud and be the baddest woman in the game by swinging a baseball bat in a twirl-worthy Lemonade-inspired number. Parked vehicles, video cameras, and innocent bystanders: Watch out.

Shop the look: Zara dress, $50; zara.com. Steve Madden platform sandals, $36-$80; amazon.com. BaubleBar cuff, $58; baublebar.com. Louisville Slugger baseball bat, $18-$48; amazon.com

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Kendall Jenner's Ripped Tees

AKM-GSI; Courtesy

Remember Kendall Jenner's bra-exposing slashed tees? She DIY-ed it, and you can, too, with a pair of scissors—because Halloween is the only time a non-Kendall Jenner can pull this off.

Shop the look: Urban Outfitter's Star Trek tee, $28; urbanoutfitters.com. Calvin Klein bralette, $39; coggles.com. Zara jeans, $70; zara.com. Topshop boots, $64; topshop.com. Topshop choker, $14; topshop.com. Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, $150; ray-ban.com.

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Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad

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Fun fact: Harley Quinn was last year's most popular Halloween costume, based on Google searches. We're betting that she'll be this year's most popular too. Outdo all the other Harley Quinns with our take on the buzziest supervillain.

Shop the look: Suicide Squad shirt, $47; jet.com. River Island bomber, $120; riverisland.com. Topshop dance pant, $20; topshop.com. Merona fishnet tights, $7; target.com. Three Row belt, $9; hottopic.com. Fenty x Puma heels, $600; puma.com. Mario Portolano gloves, $136; luisaviaroma.com. Joyous hair dye, $13; amazon.com. Target inflatable mallet, $7; target.com

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Kayne West's Met Gala Look

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How to be Kanye West in three steps: Step 1: Bedazzle a denim jacket. Step 2: Piece together a Western-inspired look. Step 3: Finish with icy blue contacts and a scowl, because "vibes."

Shop the look: Madewell jean jacket, $128; madewell.com. H&M T-shirt, $10; hm.com. AG jeans, $80, avenue32.com. SAS BeDazzler, $9; amazon.com. Shoe The Bear beige ankle boot, $122; yoox.com. Blue Manson contact lens, $21; spookyeyes.com.

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Rihanna's Fur Heart Cape

AKM-GSI; Courtesy

This one will require some craft: Cut out two halves of a heart on red paper, trim them with a feathery boa, pin them on a red puffer, and finally, put a BadgalRiRi spin with short shorts, a baseball cap, and lace-up heels. The finishing touch? A shark sticker to profess your love for Drake.

Shop the look: Patagonia red jacket, $114-$229; patagonia.com. Topshop shorts, $58; topshop.com. American Eagle tank, $20; americaneagle.com. Romwe baseball cap, $7; romwe.com. Vince Camuto pumps, $130; nordstrom.com. Marabou red feather boa, $14; mjtrim.com. Floridian Carmine red paper, $2; michaels.com. Zara velvet crossbody, $40; zara.com. Party City shark stickers, $2; partycity.com

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Eleven from Stranger Things

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Go incognito as Eleven from this year's most-talked-about Netflix show, Stranger Things. We found everything for you, except superhuman powers. Sorry.

Shop the look: Dorothy Perkins collar tee, $21; dorothyperkins.com. Modcloth lace dress, $40; modcloth.com. Leotruny tube socks, $9; amazon.com. Converse white sneakers, $55; macys.com. Yuehong blonde wig, $23; amazon.com. Fadish Taste bomber jacket, $54; chicwish.com. Eggo waffles, $3.

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Teyana Taylor in Kanye West's "Fade"

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Channel Teyana Taylor from Kanye West's music video for "Fade" and get a workout in while sipping on your Toddy of Terror with knit separates and handwraps (washboard abs not included, but we did find you a sheep to start your own herd).

Shop the look: Abercrombie & Fitch bra, $17; abercrombie.com. Pepper & Mayne knit shorts, $95; matchesfashion.com. Danshuz knee pads, $20; amazon.com. Ringside handwraps, $20; ringside.com. Melissa & Doug stuffed sheep, $60; kohls.com.

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