After a year spent in the comfort of our homes, dreaming about the time when we can return to wearing larger-than-life outfits and dancing the night away, this year’s Halloween is the time to turn up! Considering all of the viral fashion moments the last few years have brought us—some being beautiful enough to take our breath away and others laughable yet borderline disastrous—there is no shortage of inspiration for material to use when making your choices for costumes.
From Camila Cabello’s purple all-over Michael Kors Met Gala look, to the sweet Maria’s dance look from West Side Story, to Bad Bunny’s short-lived crop-top phase, here is our round-up for the best costumes to show out this year.
Selena Gomez's "De Una Vez" music video dress
Not only did Selena Gomez launch her first exclusively Spanish-spoken EP last year, but created an instant viral fashion moment with the dress she wore in her “De Una Vez” music video, becoming a quick fan-favorite. The original dress is called “The Daisy,” a piece from Rodarte’s SS21 RTW collection. But to get the budget-friendly version, grab a bubblegum pink floral maxi dress, put on a pair of drop pearl earrings, add in flower clips to your hair, and you’ve got the look.
Camila Cabello's Met Gala look
This year’s Met Gala, sporting the theme “In America,” was one of the most controversial to date, putting the internet into a tailspin with its hodgepodge of attendees and questioning whether their outfits fit into the night’s theme. However, for her first Met Gala appearance, Camila Cabello exemplified American fashion and took us back to the glamorous days of the ‘70s. Paying homage to the legendary New York club Studio 54, Cabello sported an all-purple ensemble—a shimmering bralette and matching high-slit skirt—designed entirely by Michael Kors. Complete the look with a splash of purple eyeshadow and peep-toe purple heels.
Bad Bunny's crop top and rake moment
Earlier this year, singer and fashion icon Bad Bunny was spotted at the afterparty for his WWE match sporting a surprising new look: a black crop top. Needless to say, the look inspired a trend and a wave of online discourse, with thousands of Twitter users and journalists alike tracing the history of men wearing crop tops (starting with Johnny Depp’s iconic look in Nightmare on Elm Street) and calling for men to bare their midriffs. To get the refreshed Bad Bunny look, pair your black crop top with black pants, a gold chain, a rake (why not?), and don’t forget Benito’s signature black square-framed shades.
Tokischa's Billboard Awards outfit
One of the most underrated and fascinating looks from this year’s Latin Billboard Awards came from the Dominican rapper Tokischa. She debuted her collaboration with the sensational Rosalia, “Linda,” at the show, with the two even sharing a kiss on stage. However, it was her look that stole the show—a flesh-colored mesh bodysuit overlaid with a pale peach avant-garde style head veil, with rosaries covering her arms, a silver cross handing on her torso, and pale mauve knee-high boots.
La 69
At the beginning of this month, the number one trending video on Youtube was the music video for beauty influencer and now singer Jenny69’s song “La 69.” Talk about starting off with a bang —not only is this an impressive feat in and of itself, but it was Jenny’s first-ever single. The larger than life look for this music video (whose promotional photos included Jenny holding a rooster with the slogan “from a pobrecita to a bad bitch”) is an all-white ensemble made up of a large cowboy hat, a blazer top, and pants, with a rosary and a variety of chains around her neck. For a more accurate portrayal, you can’t forget about some Buchona long nails and her signature extra-long eyelashes to live the full fantasy.
Shakira "Girl Like Me" music video look
Though it was released last year, the release of “Girl Like Me,” Shakira’s low-key pop collaboration with Black Eyed Peas, is nothing short of a cultural touchstone. Who can forget the sensational TikTok dance challenge that had us all tripping over our knees in quarantine to emulate Shakira’s flawless high kicks? The look sported in the video is an ‘80s workout video fantasy, refreshed for a modern audience: a burgundy sleeveless crop top, a black high-cut bikini bottom with matching black suspenders, and red armbands. And, honestly, how powerful would it feel to tie the blue scarf over your head before running out to a post-COVID Halloween party?
Maria from "West Side Story"
One of the most coveted and beloved musical theater roles is that of Maria, the young Puerto Rican at the center of the tragic romance of the musical West Side Story. The role is set to be played by Rachel Zegler, Colombian actress and one of the most phenomenal vocalists of our generation, in Spielberg’s adaptation of the film, out December 10. To get her most iconic look, when she’s at the dance and locks eyes with the love of her life Tony, don a simplistic white dress with a red belt and a gold cross pendant, with a light, romantic makeup look.
Lil Mr. E from Foos Gone Wild
Foos Gone Wild is a meme page and now merch line that went viral earlier this year for the hysterical videos about cholo lifestyle. The elusive founder of the page, Lil Mr. E, has an unmistakably unique look. This outfit is one of the most DIY-able on the list and can be put together mostly with articles of clothing you already have. Simply grab a black or white hoodie with a black beanie underneath, some black pants with white stripes, black gloves, white socks, black shoes, a white ski mask with shades, and top it all off with a red clown nose.