This year is not the year to go out and buy a boring prepackage costume for Halloween. It’s also not the year to get lazy about dressing up and coming up with Halloween costume ideas at the last minute. No, 2016 has been far too eventful in terms of world news and pop culture to let the opportunity for an iconic 2016-apropos Halloween costume slip between your fingers.

Halloween Costume Ideas for 2016

1. Presidential Candidates

This is a given. The world is submerged in the general election, so it’s no wonder dressing up as Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump would make the cut. Grab a wig and a suit and harness yourself with the candidates’ respective mannerisms.

2. Bill Clinton and the Balloons    

Keeping up with politician-themed costumes, dress up as Bill Clinton! If you remember Bill’s cute, someone strange affinity to the falling red, white, and blue balloons at the DNC, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Dress in a suit and stick red, white, and balloons to your body. Toss them around wherever you go to really get into character.

3. Harambe

Some of you may think this idea is tasteless, some of you may see the humor in it. Either way, it’s relevant. Dress up as a gorilla and carry around a doll.

4. Brad & Angelina

This year was the year that Brangelina realized its fate. If you are going to a Halloween party as a couple, have your significant other dress up as Brad and you as Angelina. Look disgusted at one another all night long.

5. Evil Clowns

Creepy clowns are sweeping the nation by showing up in random cities for no apparent reason. It’s confusing, weird, funny, and eerie all at once – perfect for Halloween! Dress up as a clown, but make yourself look a bit threatening.

6. Harley Quinn

The “Suicide Squad” movie raked in $300 million at the box office. The Harley Quinn character played by Margot Robbie snagged the most attention for her quirky style, which includes blue and pink makeup, pigtails, red and blue shorts, a tattered white t-shirt, fishnet stockings, boots, and a choker.

7. Beyoncé

When Beyoncé’s Lemonade came out, the whole world seemed to immerse itself into the beautifully poetic masterpiece that inspired as much as it entertained. The video sequence for “Hold Up” put us all in envy. Put on a long yellow dress and a blonde wig and equip yourself with a bat. It’s a fuss-free costume everyone will recognize.

8. Pokemon Go

I know next to nothing about Pokemon Go, except that it’s apparently very popular. If you’re a fan, I assume you know exactly what to wear, so I’ll leave the idea here and the creative activity up to you!

9. Ghostbusters             

If you are hitting the town as a group, dress up as the Ghostbusters. Put on a khaki jumpsuit, a backpack, gloves, boots, toy guns, and a Ghostbusters symbol cutout. #squadgoals

10. Simone Biles

In her first Olympics run, Simone Biles took home five gold medals in 2016. Forget fictional superheroes; instead, dress up as a real-life inspirational role model, Simone Biles. Slip into a red or blue leotard and then adorn yourself with patriotic symbols (think: paint, hair ribbons, etc.). And of course, make five faux gold medallions to wear around your neck.

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The year 2015 is on its way out, and has been quite the source of inspiration to all of us – food, fitness, and beauty trends are ablaze. But this month, the inspiration we get from 2015 for Halloween costumes is all that matters. The following 5 Halloween costume ideas are inspired by this year’s biggest people and events.

You can’t deny it: the most clever, envy-worthy, and funny Halloween costume ideas are often those that are relevant to the times, drawing on current pop culture topics and trends, political events, TV shows, and movies. The key to winning the Halloween costume popularity contest is to go beyond the classics (you can do better than the French maid, ladies), and to reflect who or what is in, right here and right now. From the presidential race to celebrity fails to viral sensations, the material we have to work with from 2015 is overwhelming, at worst.

5 Halloween costume ideas that keep you relevant

1. Ariana Grande and the Doughnut

Remember the doughnut incident? Ariana Grande was recorded licking a doughnut on the display counter at Wolfee Donuts in California. The video went viral and, well, now you’ve got yourself a potential Halloween costume. If you are going to a Halloween party as a couple, one of you needs to dress up like Ariana Grande and the other like a doughnut. For the Ariana ensemble, you’ll need to pull together a costume with all of the singer’s signature garments, such as matching cat ears, a romper, and knee-high boots paired with a dark ponytail wig and a mic. The doughnut costume is pretty straightforward – make or purchase it. If representing the theme solo, dress as Ariana Grande and carry a doughnut around, occasionally giving it a lick.

2. Cookie and Lucious from “Empire”

“Empire” has got to be the greatest television series to emerge in 2015. It follows the family drama and power struggle among music industry mogul Lucious, his ex-wife Cookie, and their children. If you’ve watched the show, you’ve likely yearned to have the opportunity to dress as fabulous as Cookie or as suave as Lucious. To pull a Cookie, put on heels, an animal-print dress, and a fur coat – the more outrageous, the better. For Lucious, put on your slickest suit and top it off with a fedora.

3. Donald Trump

No one is being talked about more than billionaire and presidential candidate, Donald Trump. Love him or hate him, it’s hard not to mock his style and mannerisms. Halloween is not the time to be politically correct. Instead, it’s the perfect time to showcase just how honed you are at replicating Donald Trump’s smug pout, squinted and probing eyes, and side-combed hair. All you need is a suit and a Donald Trump wig. When you talk to people, point at them aggressively in the face. It’s your turn to do the firing.

4. Gay Marriage

One of the most historic and celebration-worthy events to have happened so far in 2015 is the legalization of gay marriage in the United States. Use Halloween as an occasion to celebrate all over again. Deck yourself out in rainbow pride gear with a same-sex friend or significant other. You can also dress up in wedding gowns or tuxedos to emphasize the costumes even further.

5. Taylor Swift Squad

The you-can’t-sit-with-us crew of the year award goes to Taylor Swift and her close-knit celebrity entourage, including Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham, Karlie Kloss, Cara Delevingne, and Lorde, among others. Gather your girlfriends and have each one of you channel her own Hollywood starlet who is on the squad. Dress in coordinating outfits, just like they do in the closing scene of Taylor’s “Bad Blood” video.

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Ariana Grande image, Donald Trump image, Taylor Swift image from Shutterstock

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 It happens every year. You just start to notice that the days are slightly cooler and that the leaves are beginning to change and BAM, the next thing you know, it’s almost Halloween—and you need to come up with Halloween costume ideas. 

But who has time to go shopping or to sew anything? And spending money on a costume for one evening is annoying (and some of those costumes are really wasteful). Wouldn’t it be nice to put a costume together from stuff around the house? And that doesn’t necessarily look totally last minute…even though that’s exactly what it is!

Whether you are like the week-of-Halloween-last-minute or the day-of-Halloween-last-minute, we’ve got great, silly, classic and (importantly) comfy Halloween costume ideas below.

1. Static Cling – Wear all back and safety pin various articles of clothing, socks, washcloths, etc to yourself to depict static cling.

2. Raining Cats and Dogs – Dress up in your rain gear and affix stuffed cats and dogs to your umbrella, rain hat and/or slicker.

3. Risky Business – Show up at your neighbor’s Halloween party sans pants and don a oversize blue oxford shirt with white tube socks and a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses (pull your hair back) to channel that classic 80s flick. (Yes, wearing bike shorts under the button-down is recommended!)

4. Target Team Member – Most of us own khakis and a red shirt. Add a name tag and a headset and it will give you an excuse to be super-friendly and welcome people to the store—or party. Just don’t stop at Target on your way home!

5. Annie Hall – Borrow a vest and a tie and add baggy khaki pants to go as that iconic Diane Keaton heroine.

6. Rockabilly Chick – Roll up your jeans, find or borrow some Chuck Taylors and a plaid shirt, and roll your hair up in a bandana. Match it with a super red lip and lots of black mascara.

7. Lumberjack – Wear some work boots, a red plaid flannel shirt, a knit cap and yell timber every so often. If you do elect to carry an axe, consider a toy one!

8. Bats in the Belfry –  Cut out some bats from black construction paper and use wire or pipe cleaners to affix them to a black headband. Simple, fun!

9. Little Red Riding Hood –  Wear a red hoodie and carry a picket basket for a modern interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood.

10. Skeleton -Use this tutorial to take a plain white tee and turn into a sexy spooky cut out tee. Wear it over all black leggings and cami.

11. Minecraft – Craft a Minecraft blockhead from a cardboard box reclaimed from the recycling bin and covered with some construction paper to replicate that pixelated retro look.

12. Private Eye/Press –  If you are lucky enough to already own a khaki trench coat and a fedora, you’ve already got a cool costume. Add a “press pass” for a retro reporter look instead.

Top Image: SevenLittleRabbits

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