23 Of The Best Costumes People Chose For Halloween This Year So Far

Halloween isn’t just for kids. It’s a license for grown-ups to unleash their creativity and embrace the bizarre. With the spooky season in full swing, we at Bored Panda couldn't resist putting together a list of our favorite costumes of the year so far. From intricate body paint to gravity-defying wigs, these folks utilized everything at their disposal to bring their fun ideas to life. So continue scrolling to check out their final looks, and feel free to take notes for next year!

Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls may be frightening, but Americans spend a lot of money on making the night so memorable. In fact, consumers in the United States spent a record $12.2 billion in 2023 after spending $10.6 billion on Halloween in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). In 2024, they are expected to lay out $11.6 billion, falling short of last year.

However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Many economists believe the increase in spending around the spooky season has a positive effect on the economy. To oversimplify, increased spending can lead to higher gross domestic product (GDP), helping to jump-start economic activity and lead to potential job growth.

72% percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year, consistent with last year’s record of 73%. Top holiday activities include handing out candy (67%), decorating the home or yard (52%), dressing up in costume (49%), carving a pumpkin (43%), and throwing or attending a party (29%).

Discount stores (37%) remain the top destination to buy Halloween items, followed by specialty Halloween/costume stores (33%) and the internet (33%).

Consistent with last year, total spending on adult costumes is expected to reach $1.8 billion, while spending on children's costumes is anticipated to hit $1.3 billion. Interest in pet costumes also remains steady and is projected to reach $0.7 billion.

Many have been planning their Halloween look for quite some time now. In fact, 76% of adults already knew their costume in mid-September, which remains in line with 75% last year. It makes sense—if you want to make an impression and reduce the stress of last-minute scrambling, you have to do your homework.

5.8 million adults are going to dress up as a witch, 3 million as a vampire, 1.6 million as a cat, 1.5 million as Batman, and 1.4 million as a pirate.

However, as this list shows, some are going against the grain. Geena, who became Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, is one of them.

She said it's not necessarily the amount of money you spend that can make your costume stand out. "The best Halloween costumes have a clever or funny element that makes the observer go 'ah haaaa, I get it!'" she told Bored Panda.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic Halloween movie that inspired this Sally Stitches costume," she said about the idea behind her look. "The character designs in Tim Burton movies are always fun to look at and recreate. Paint is my favorite way to add an element of illusion to a costume."

"I painted my Sally costume in 7.5 hours. I started by using grey body paint to outline the shapes and general details. Then I layer my colors together, using darks and lights to create the illusion of a long, thin neck. Lastly, I use bold black linework to pull the costume together and make it pop."

Geena is the perfect proof that if you dare to set your DIY spirit a little loose, your Halloween costume can be impactful even without a big budget.