Part of BFF-hood is being able to easily concoct a killer Halloween costume with little hassle — after all, you and your best friend obviously have a lot of common interests, and love dressing up for a party. However, sometimes we need a little inspiration to think of creative best friend Halloween costumes that need little explanation at the party. After all, you want to show up in something that's unique, and represents your friendship to a T.
There are certain friends who have probably created a list of ideas since November 2019, and others (ahem, like me) who seem to forget about Halloween until they start seeing pumpkins and decorative gourds for sale at the grocery store. While I fail to prioritize the holiday, it is without a doubt one of my absolute favorites. I mean, you don't normally get a chance to dress up like anything other than "decently prepared 9-5 office worker" throughout the year, so it's definitely a time to show the world what I'm made of, whether or not it fits in the realm of "sexy." And, well, that's another positive about opting for a best friend costume — not only does your BFF know that you tend to shove these things aside until last minute, but they've probably picked up the slack and have no problem throwing something together regardless of how much time you have to prepare.
Here are a few of my favorite costumes (most of whom are best friends — or at least very closely linked) that you can start working on today, to be completely costume-ready with your best friend by the time that party rolls around.
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1. Cher And Dionne
As if! While Cher and Dionne rocked a ton of amazing outfits in Clueless , plaid is probably your best bet for pulling this costume off and having it be recognizable. Pair a matching plaid skirt suit with a pair of knee-highs and you're good to go.
2. 2 Broke Girls
If you and your bestie just can't get over the antics of Max and Caroline, you should consider dressing up in their signature Williamsburg Diner attire. You can totally piece the look together yourself, but if you're not crafty with a sewing machine, Amazon also sells the outfit — currently selling for about $20.
3. Peanut Butter And Jelly
Nothing goes together as good as peanut butter and jelly. Chocolate and peanut butter keeps trying to edge its way up there in terms of food friendship, but it'll never win. (And I bet the friendship that peanut butter has with chocolate makes jelly a little... jelly. Why did I say that. That's totally a Dad Joke.)
Anyway, I digress! PB&J is a classic costume, and you can simply make it with poster board and colorful shirts, or with these painfully accurate costumes over at Amazon. Suddenly I'm hungry.
4. Ann Perkins and Leslie Knope
When I had to think of ultimate TV besties, my mind went straight to Ann and Leslie. If you're a blonde and a brunette (or not against wearing wigs), this might be a winning combo. Ann mostly dresses pretty basic, in simple colors, and flowery patterns on occasion. Think Ann Taylor Loft, or L.L. Bean.
For Leslie, you'll want a solid blazer, or even a pantsuit. She's definitely into bolder patterns that make a statement. Dress your most powerful.
5. Calvin And Hobbes
Probably one of the greatest comics of our time (sorry, Garfield), and quite possibly one of the best fictional, on-paper friendships ever. Even better, this costume is pretty easy to copy. For Calvin, you'll need some signature blonde spikes (or a wig), and a red and blacked striped shirt. Black shorts would pull it off completely.
For Hobbes, you have the ability to go full-on tiger, which is fun. A striped orange and black shirt and some face makeup will get the point across, but if you have more time on your hands, why not try buying something furry?
6. Enid And Rebecca From Ghost World
My BFF and I were talking this weekend about how the film Ghost World pretty much defined our entire high school experience. If the movie and the famous Daniel Clowes comic spoke to you too, Enid and Rebecca might be a solid duo to emulate this Halloween.
You can find Enid's Raptor t-shirt here on RedBubble, and Rebecca is pretty easy — in fact, I'm pretty sure I accidentally dressed up like Rebecca a few times this year. You should be able to pick up a long-sleeved green tee and a black skirt almost anywhere.
7. Rick And Morty
Isn't Rick and Morty amazing? All hail Dan Harmon!
While dressing up as costume characters is always a little daunting, this duo is pretty simple and fun. For Rick, the most difficult part might be the hair — otherwise, a lab coat, a blue shirt, and brown pants is all you need. Lab coats (like this one!) are surprisingly easy to find online:
If your friend is sporting a cute pixie, she'll be able to portray Morty perfectly.
Yellow shirt, jeans, and maybe — maybe — a way to play "Feels Good" by Tony Toni Tone on repeat.
8. Batman And Robin
This combo is never played out. The best part about superheroes? You can always add one in, if another friend wants to join. But regardless of whether or not Super Girl or Catwoman makes an appearance, everyone knows that there's no bond stronger than that of Batman and Robin.
9. Mario & Luigi
Mario and Luigi have each other's back. When Mario eats dirt on a level, Luigi is right there to try and get him even closer to the Princess. Isn't that what best friendship is all about?
The best part about Mario and Luigi is that mustaches can totally be optional. Feel like rocking a 'stache? Go for it. Want to remain adhesive-free? Everyone will still know who you are. Really, besides Christmas, red and green are pretty much dedicated to these two.
10. Jess And Cece from New Girl
Thanks to Instagram, I realized that an insane amount of friends look exactly like Jess and Cece. So, if you're one of those (lucky, lucky) people, congratulations! Costume complete.
If you need a few more props, Cece is often seen wearing black — so a black cocktail dress would be the perfect ensemble. Jess seems to have a J.Crew-inspired wardrobe, with a little bit of Modcloth rolled in. Fun prints would be a good bet. And of course, if you and your bestie are both sporting bangs, you're ahead of the game.
11. Taylor Swift And "Becky"
If you're a fan of Tay or Tumblr, you might have heard this story. If not, you can hear all about it above. It was a cute little moment made even better when Taylor herself acknowledged it, meaning that she totally is up to date on the Internet and her Google Alerts.
What's needed for this costume? One Taylor Swift costume, and one Taylor lookalike, donning this shirt, available on Etsy for just $15.
12. Spongebob And Patrick
They might be, perhaps, the most adorable besties that Nickelodeon has ever seen. And again, since they're cartoons (and non-human cartoons at that), you can probably interpret this costume idea in a variety of different ways. You can fashion Spongebob out of a box, or find a shirt bearing his expressive face, and your Patrick can go heavy with the magenta makeup. Or, consider a pink wig and a pink tank, with some green shorts.
13. Piper & Alex from Orange Is The New Black
Sure, Piper and Alex have their moments. Mortal enemies, lovers, best friends... well, they've had every title available. They also make a great, cute costume for you and your best friend. All you need are some orange or khaki prison scrubs, a pair of glasses for Alex, and a mountain of bad ideas for Piper.
Similar to the superheroes costumes, more inmate buddies can be added at any time.
14. Wayne & Garth
Forget about Shrek, Wayne Campbell was one of Mike Myers' best roles ever. And even though this comedy duo has technically been off of SNL for a bunch of years, Mike and Dana Carvey still aren't afraid to take their characters out of retirement for a special occasion. Plus, obviously both movies are timeless, but that should have gone without saying.
For Wayne, all you'll need is a black t-shirt, and the hat bearing your iconic local access television show. Garth is all about the band t-shirt, flannel shirt, plastic frames, and (unless you or your bestie is a blonde) a wig.
15. Bridesmaids
If you and your bestie have been in weddings prior to, this is a great chance to get an extra use out of your David's Bridal-esque gown. If both of you were in the same wedding, even better. Otherwise, you can think of a good theme or two, like '80s bridesmaids or '70s bridesmaids, or anything that'll inspire you to finally get that puffy sleeved monstrosity you saw at Goodwill the other week. You loved it, but you just didn't know why.
Also a good choice? Zombie bridesmaids. Especially since your Halloween pictures will look absolutely nothing like the ones taken by a professional photographer.
16. Facebook And Twitter
Or, Instagram. Or Tumblr. But probably not MySpace, right?
If you and your friend have differing social media preferences, this costume could be a lot of fun. You can screenprint or sew your logo on a comfortable tank top, like the girls above, and finish off the costume with a few thoughtful props.
17. A Legends Of The Hidden Temple Team
Surely you have a favorite team, right? Mine was the Green Monkeys, whom I represented on Halloween back in 2010. Unfortunately, I can't find any of the photos right now. Literally, it took me like 15 minutes of scouring through old photo albums. So just trust me when I say it was cool. But it would have been way cooler with a friend, so please let me live through you.
I bought all of my materials from My Party Shirt, including the "legendary" gold helmet, and ended up wearing the t-shirt so much after Halloween that it eventually fell apart based on multiple (like, 9000) washes.
Note: I read an AMA on Reddit once from an actual contestant. Supposedly they were matched with partners at random. But in my head, they were totally best friends, who met years ago with the one goal of exploring the temple and piecing together the Shrine of the Silver Monkey.
18. Abbi & Ilana from Broad City
Abbi and Ilana are some of the funniest female besties to come on the scene in recent years. (It's OK, Tina and Amy. We still love you.) Since they're typical New York girls, pulling together an outfit shouldn't be super difficult.
If you're feeling daring, you might want to try recreating Ilana's "white power suit," complete with stain.
Props can include a ton of Bed, Bath & Beyond 20 percent off coupons, and a few knockoff handbags.
19. Ghostbusters
In celebration of Paul Feig's all new, all-lady Ghostbusters coming out soon, why not bust some ghosts with your best friend this year? If you're running out of time to assemble your own, grab a general costume online.
20. Each Other
If you and your friend rock two different styles, now is the perfect time to show your appreciation and, maybe, see the world from their shoes for the night. If you have a lot of mutual friends, the costume is sure to be a hit. And likewise, you and your best friend can guarantee that nobody else at the party would have the same idea.
In short, your costume is already at your friend's house.
