How to nail your Halloween costume this year

It’s almost here, everyone’s favourite drunken holiday of the year! Fancy dress shops are bumping up their prices, the supermarkets are shoving Smirnoff offers down your throat and you’re already panicking because all your mates booked their Jagermonster tickets ahead of time and you’ve inexplicably left it for the last minute.

It’s also likely that you’re now in the middle of last minute fancy dress brainstorming, so we’re jumping to your aid with a couple of friendly tips.

Have fun with a group theme

The Rugrats, The Incredibles, Power Rangers, the Village People (bonus points if you can actually perform YMCA), that one group of people who manage to nail Halloween is a highlight to any party. Plus, think of how easy it’ll be to find your squad in Neon if you’re all suited and booted like Minions (note: we can’t guarantee you’ll pull much while covered in yellow paint, but at least you’ll have great squad snaps, right?)

Take into consideration local guidelines concerning nudity

Not quite sure if you can get arrested for wearing nothing but a man thong down the streets of Leam, but titillating as that may sound, you might want to save that experience for some other time… unless you’re into that sort of thing, in which case we won’t judge.

Go sexy AF

Halloween is arguably the one event a year where less is in fact more, so put on some angel wings, throw on some glitter where glitter doesn’t go and bravely hit everyone with your smoulder. Any little black dress can be upgraded with a creative zombie or vampire make up that has the right balance of scary and sexy. If anyone points out the skimpiness of the outfit, shrug naively and say you just really couldn’t pull off the scary look no matter how hard you tried… “It’s a struggle, really”.

Don’t be offensive

It may have sounded like great banter in your group chat, but going out in black face for Halloween is a no go in the real world. Don’t be that guy. So don’t dress as any race or culture other than your own, avoid religious costumes, leave rude stereotypes about other nationalities at home and be respectful to other people’s beliefs. Banter is one thing, being the most offensive pub crawler is another.

Don’t be another Margot Robbie

Shockingly, that Harley Quinn costume you just ordered off eBay isn’t peak creativity. All hail freedom of choice, but be prepared for a lot of jokes and party rules against this year’s sudden Harley Quinn mania. If you’re really keen on the character, play it safe and put some effort into other versions of the beloved psycho villain and not just the Margot Robbie portrayal – a swift Internet search of Harley will result in a dozen other costumes that she’s had throughout her long history of comics. So if you’re really stuck on the Suicide Squad babe, be creative and maybe have a go at Harley circa Arkham Asylum or even at the original full body harlequin costume.

Maybe avoid just using lingerie and a few props as a costume

Yes, Mean Girls said it: Halloween is that time of the year when girls can dress slutty and no one can say anything about it. While that may be a generally accepted fact, lingerie a costume does not make. While you may feel like a bombshell heading to pre drinks, one too many Jager bombs later you’ll singing a different song. Come 3.a.m you’ll be stumbling out of Vialli’s in your six inch heels, half carrying your chips, half holding on to your skirt in the freezing cold of the Midlands and at this point, sex appeal is the last thing you’re oozing. So maybe leave those lacy corsets and garters at home this Halloween.