Are you tired of wearing the same old movie character Halloween costume year after year? Sure, you can opt for a tried-and-true scary Halloween costume, but if you want your look to be a little more exciting, it’s time to embrace a 2024 pop culture Halloween costume.

From viral sensations like Moo Deng to cultural phenomena like BRAT Summer, this year’s pop culture tropes are not only delightful, they’re also inspiring – and shockingly easy to interpret as costumes for this spooky season. Some costumes, like the Secret Lives of Mormon Women, are easy to create with things you may already have in your closet or around the house. Others, like the viral one We live in time horserequires a bit more creative thinking and hard work. Whether you’re willing to go to great lengths, or are looking for a last-minute look, there’s a pop culture costume for you, just read on to find the icon that speaks to you. Do you want even more inspiration? Don’t miss our definitive list of the best Halloween costumes of all time.

Moo Deng

This pygmy hippo is an icon for good reason. She’s hydrated, her blush is good, and she just doesn’t give a fuck. Who wouldn’t want to be Moo Deng for Halloween? There are a few ways you can transform yourself into the adorable, knee-biting menace. You can choose to focus on a Moo-Deng-inspired makeup look and/or grab a gray onesie and go. The most important thing though is to remember to be bold and GLOW, because if there’s one thing Moo Deng is, it’s ~sparkly~.

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We live in time Horse

The demented carousel horse We live in time has taken the internet by storm this year, carving out a place in pop culture and my nightmares. You can create the shocking look yourself by painting a horse mask bright yellow and awkwardly crawling over your few friends.

TULIP soft textile paint in matt sunshine yellow

Thermajane fleece lined base layer pajama set

Chappell Roan

There’s no shortage of fabulous outfits to inspire your Chappell Roan Halloween costume, but in the spirit of pop culture idols, I modeled this one after her album cover The rise and fall of a Midwestern princess. (Yes, technically it came out in 2023, but given the explosion this year, I’m willing to overlook it.)

TDiooCor sleeveless party dress with one shoulder and high waist

Yuehong long curly orange wig

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CIEHER white blank satin sash

Zonon Rhinestone Letter Irons

Nubry artificial silk rose flower bouquet

Nara Smith

If TikTok star Nara Smith were to make a video of her creating the recipe for her own Halloween costume, I imagine it would go something like this: I was craving a Halloween costume, so I decided to make one from scratch. I put on my designer dress, grabbed my mixing bowl and accessories bag and got to work.

Yuxin Cinderella prom dress

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The Golden Girls of Team USA

Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera set the tone at the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning gold as a team and honestly stealing the show. You can be a general Team USA gymnast with a patriotic code leotard and a gold medal, or use accessories to make yourself a specific gymnast.

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I espresso

Sure, you could dress up in one of these Sabrina Carpenter costumes and make your pop star dreams come true on October 31, but what if you decided to get a little more creative and crazy instead? Enter, the Me Espresso Halloween Costume! The real ones will get it, especially if you use decals to spell out “Espresso” on a visor, just like what Sabrina wears in the music video!

Cuppa Joe costume for adults

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Mormon Women of MomTok

The Mormon #MomTok drama is nothing new, but Hulu’s this year The Secret Lives of Mormon Women brought them from TikTok to the small screen and introduced us to a new MomTok must-have: the extreme Swig soft drinks. The key to making this costume work is the Swig soda cup, which you have to make yourself, but other than that it’s pretty easy to pull off, especially if you already have long, brown hair.

Brat

Are Bratbut it’s completely different because you’re not really Charli XCX and this is a Halloween costume.

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Challengers

If you’ve ever dreamed of being Zendaya one day, this is your chance. Wear a white tennis dress to mimic her Challengers character, Tashi’s acting style or embodies her character’s tragic injury with the “I Told Ya” T-shirt and a knee brace.

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Raygun

She came, she saw, she did not conquer. Raygun was perhaps one of the most talked-about Olympians at the 2024 Games, which always results in a costume that sparks a conversation. All you need is a green tracksuit and maybe some yellow tape to decorate it in Raygun’s signature style. Bonus points if you can do any dance moves.

Gary Com 2-piece velor tracksuit

The Hat Depot The Hat Depot Unisex Blank Wash Low Profile Cotton and Denim Baseball Cap Hat (Kelly Green)

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Mary Todd Lincoln by Cole Escola

If you haven’t seen Cole Escola’s incredible play yet: Oh, Mary! This costume may seem a little strange to you, but if you have, then you know that this is the chicest outfit an aspiring comedian/First Lady could ever wear.

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One final tip: Some of these pop culture Halloween costumes will only be *extremely* recognizable online, so be ready to educate curious minds. Hey, no one said being a pop culture icon would be easy!

Olivia Truffaut-Wong is an editor at Cosmopolitanwhere she covers beauty, entertainment and lifestyle. She enjoys finding and testing the best skin care products, such as the best tinted sunscreens, and is always researching the best cat accessories for her fur baby. She has more than 10 years of experience as a writer and editor in entertainment and culture, and her work has been included in The cut, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, Polygon, Rushand more.