Every Halloweekend, the typical group costumes throng the streets: The Scooby-Doo Gang, “The Wizard of Oz” cast and the fairies of Pixie Hollow. And this Halloween was no different. We get it; with limited budget and time constraints, it’s hard not to fall for what’s tried and true, even if it comes off a little uncreative. But if you’re itching to stand out from the crowd next year, the TV Beat has done some Halloweekend observing and has your back with this list of TV-inspired, not-so-basic (yet somewhat effortless) looks you can try with your friends. See you all next year!
— Senior Arts Editor Morgan Sierdaski and TV Beat Editor Michelle Wu
“Charlie Brown”
Every year, we ring in autumn with one of its coziest hallmarks: putting on Charlie Brown jazz music. Comforting, nostalgic and reliable, it’s hard not to think of fall without also thinking about the charming and iconic cast of “Peanuts” characters. How best to pay homage to (arguably) our childhood favorite fall episode — “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?”
Initially a comic strip, it became an animated show in the 1950s, and the characters are illustrated in a retro, minimalist style. From Charlie Brown’s (Peter Robbins, “Charlie Brown’s All Stars!”) signature yellow polo with a zigzag pattern to Linus’ (Christopher Shea, “Shane”) striped red T-shirt to Lucy’s (Sally Dryer, “Charlie Brown’s All Stars!”) simple blue dress and matching bow, you may already have many of these items in your closet. If not, these everyday essentials shouldn’t be too hard to find at the thrift store. Or, get crafty with a do-it-yourself tutorial. Even Snoopy’s (Bill Melendez, “Charlie Brown’s All Stars!”) costume shouldn’t be too difficult to recreate: A set of floppy dog ears and a red scarf will do! If you really want to be extra, you can even consider perching a little Woodstock (Bill Melendez, “Charlie Brown’s All Stars!”) on your shoulder.
TV Beat Editor Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
“Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir”
Intrigued by all the animal costumes on the racks at Spirit Halloween, but don’t want to just go as basic zoo animals, beanie boos or party animals with your friends? Look no further than to reference “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir,” a show where Parisian teenagers transform into animal-themed superheroes with unique abilities to save the city from akumatized villains. Perhaps this Halloween, you can save some trick-or-treaters in style!
With easy-to-find animal costumes, especially for Miraculous Ladybug (Cristina Valenzuela, “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir”), Cat Noir (Bryce Papenbrook, “Blue Exorcist”), Rena Rouge (Carrie Keranen, “Star Wars: Visions”) and Queen Bee (Selah Victor, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), this is the perfect last-minute idea for any group scrambling to come up with something creative. You don’t need much to add on to these outfits either — just a simple customized domino mask will do!
TV Beat Editor Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
“Love Island USA”
Peacock’s biggest hit and a summer staple since 2019, “Love Island” takes viewers on a rollercoaster of friendship, romance and drama every day for six weeks. Originally a British series of the same name, “Love Island” revolves around contestants, called islanders, coupling up and surviving elimination to try to win $100,000. Between Iain Stirling’s (“Buffering”) iconic narration, host Ariana Madix’s (“Vanderpump Rules”) charisma and unpredictable Islanders, “Love Island” has all the ingredients for record-breaking reality TV.
Ignoring Ann Arbor’s typical October, 50 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, there’s no better time to relive summer, and no better way than a “Love Island”-inspired costume. Whether you choose to be season six’s PowerPuff Girls or season seven winners Amaya Espinal and Brian Arenales, it only takes a few items to enter the villa yourself. Throw on a bikini or swim trunks, a mesh cover-up or linen button-down and a necklace microphone (which you can make yourself with a pom-pom and yarn), and you’re set to be Halloween’s newest bombshell!
Daily Arts Contributor Julianna Laban can be reached at laban@umich.edu.
“Pokémon”
Fun, recognizable and all-around iconic, it’s a surprise that I don’t see more “Pokémon” costumes perusing the streets each year. The classic ’90s anime has no shortage of characters to dress as, from the titular creatures to trainers like Ash Ketchum (Rica Matsumoto, “Perfect Blue”) or Misty (Mayumi Izuka, “The Vision of Escaflowne”). And of course, there’s my personal favorite squad: Team Rocket.
With the number of redesigns these characters have undergone, it’s easy to put together a recognizable costume. For Ash, it’s as simple as a white T-shirt, jeans, red baseball cap and blue jacket, accompanied by a Poké Ball (which can be made with a foam ball or folded paper) for effect. For Misty, pairing a high side ponytail and red suspenders with a yellow tank top and jeans — and of course, a Poké Ball — is all that’s necessary. Team Rocket can be as elaborate or simple as you like. Simply fix a red paper R to a white shirt, snag some white pants and black gloves, and grab some pale yellow clothes and cat ears for Meowth (Inuko Inuyama, “Tokyo Godfathers”). Now you’re ready to catch ’em all!
Senior Arts Editor Morgan Sieradski can be reached at kmsier@umich.edu.
“Teletubbies”
In the bygone era of ‘90s children’s television, few shows are as unnerving as the Teletubbies. This British children’s TV show was created in 1997 and has honestly terrified me since I first watched it as a kid in 2008. As the Teletubbies possess an energy both nostalgic and uncanny, these make one of the best group costumes you can do.
After all, it’s easy! Just coordinate different color tops, get some cheap headbands and tie a pipe cleaner in your Teletubbies’ respective colors in the shape of their antenna. And don’t forget the rectangles on your stomachs! Add the Sun Baby for your fifth person if needed (and double any halo behind the head for an angel costume later). A perfect costume for both four- and five-person groups looking to invoke a sense of ’90s nostalgia.
Daily Arts Writer Eilene Koo can be reached at ekoo@umich.edu.
“The Penguins of Madagascar”
The search is over: The perfect four-person Halloween costume already exists, and the answer lies in the 2008 hit animated series “The Penguins of Madagascar.” Ingeniously simple but gloriously iconic, dressing up as these four penguin spies will make you the life of the party. All you need is a black tuxedo and some cool sunglasses. Pair that with optional secret-agent-style ear pieces, and you’re set to be a gang of international penguin masterminds. It’s hot. It’s sexy. It’s modern. It’s the penguins of Madagascar.
Because the costumes are identical, the energy that you exude is of the utmost importance. Consider where you land in your friend group. Are you the strategic leader, Skipper (Tom McGrath, “Madagascar”)? Or the brains of the operation, Kowalski (Jeff Bennett, “Curious George: Go West, Go Wild”)? Perhaps you’re the erratic loose canon, Rico (John DiMaggio, “Transformers: Rise of the Beast”). Nobody really wants to be the baby of the group, but someone’s gotta be Private (James Patrick Stuart, “Gettysburg”). Behind the simplistic tuxedos lies a deeper philosophical question: Who are you, really? Look behind the penguin beak and reflect inward. This isn’t just a Halloween costume anymore: It’s a lifestyle.
Daily Arts Writer Ana Torresarpi can be reached atorresa@umich.edu.
“Winx Club”
This could go one of two ways: capture the magic of the glitter-gloss original series, or capture the more down-to-earth, edgy look of the modern reboot. Ideally, you’d have the energy to make the first option a reality, but there’s no shame in taking the easy way out. No, really, everything else is hard enough — it’s okay to make Halloween costumes a low priority. Do what you have to do.
It’s not too late to scrounge together the accessories that make up the iconic imagery of the original “Winx Club” girls. And, you do have to accessorize; it’s integral to the characters, right? I’m talking floral necklaces and elbow-length gloves, arm cuffs and headbands, color-coordinated high heels (go-go boots, even?). Any of these are welcome alongside a bright frilly skirt (or long pants if you’re going the tech-genius Tecna route) and a Y2K top. But, most important — and I mean vital — to the realism of this cartoon fairy sisterhood come to life are the sparkly wings matching the color palette of each of its members.
If that sounds a little too whimsical for you, there’s always plan B: the reboot. This one’s a lot easier; you probably have all the parts in your closet already. Your goal is to put together a generally color-coded outfit that conveys a mysteriously magical quality. Jewel tones are your friend here; emerald greens and ruby reds are the edgy counterpart to the cartoon’s bright outfits. And, even if it’s a last-minute situation, wear your live-action Winx costume with pride — it’ll definitely keep you warmer than the mini skirts and wings.
Daily Arts Writer Mina Tobya can be reached at mtobya@umich.edu.
