Is YOUR 2022 Halloween costume tacky? Stylist reveals the dos and don’ts

By William On Oct 28, 2022

There are only a few days left until Halloween and many fans of the holiday hope their costumes will impress at spooktacular parties and get-togethers.

Luckily, for those who want to look trendy and not look “tacky”, a UK-based celebrity fashion stylist has unveiled the ultimate guide to themed wear for October 31.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Ellis Ranson shared the dos and don’ts of Halloween ensembles — including dumping the “basic” fake blood, scary witches, and cute cat outfits for trendy Barbie, Elvis Presley, or even Kourtney Kardashian’s bridal look.

The American A-lister, 43, donned a white form-fitting mini dress when he tied the knot with Travis Barker in Italy in May 2022.

Barbie, meanwhile, is having a resurgence thanks to Margot Robbie’s 2023 film about the character — and Elvis Presley is expected to be a popular costume this year after Austin Butler’s portrayal of the singer in 2022’s Elvis.

Here, Ellis and celebrity stylist Rochelle White explain what not to wear this spooky season – as well as the stylish ensembles that will turn heads…

DO NOT

ADD FAKE BLOOD TO ANY LOOK

Demi Lovato was a convincing albeit cheerful Zombie, but exaggerated fake blood is a cliche according to style experts

In 2019, Nicola Peltz wore a skimpy black bikini top, angel wings and fake blood on her face to a Halloween party

DO NOT USE LAST YEAR’S OUTFIT AGAIN

“Don’t reuse the entire costume from last year,” Ellis said. “Halloween is one of those events where you can go all out.

“Of course you can still be sustainable and shop smart, but it’s one night of the year when you can dress completely differently.”

She advised people to swap outfits with their friends to avoid repeating ensembles from previous years.

Ellis said, “Don’t just add fake blood to any look…it doesn’t count as a Halloween outfit and it can end up looking tacky.”

Instead, she suggested getting creative and “looking into your own wardrobe and crafting something you never thought you’d wear on Halloween.”

The stylist continued, “Don’t spend a fortune, you’ll be amazed at what you can make on a budget.”

She cautioned, however, “This doesn’t mean you look like daytime. A good Halloween outfit just needs preparation.’

Echoing Ellis’ point, celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL, “Get creative with makeup. Platforms like TikTok are a great source of creative makeup ideas.

“Nowadays it’s much more than a little fake blood on the face.

“Think contact lenses, face paint, wigs and accessories, which can be used to create a custom look that’s all yours or to create a movie character.”

GO FOR THE SCARY WITCH OR A CAT

American star Kendall Jenner wore a witch costume in 2018 (left), while English actress Denise van Outen wore a cat look in 2021 (pictured right)

Ellis suggested that “basic” ensembles like a cat or a witch are no longer enough to impress at parties.

She said, “Halloween has changed from previous years, now it’s more about how creative and unique you can be and no longer just being a scary witch or a cat.”

Admittedly, cat and witch costumes used to be firm favorites with celebrities, including Kendall Jenner and Denise van Outen.

American star Kendall wore a witch costume in 2018, while English actress Denise wore a cat look in 2021.

DOS

CREATE ICONIC LOOKS AGAIN

Speaking to FEMAIL, Ellis Ranson shared the dos and don’ts of Halloween ensembles — including wearing trendy Barbie (Margot Robbie as character, right) or Elvis Presley (Austin Butler as singer, left)

Kourtney Kardashian wore a white form-fitting mini dress when she tied the knot with Travis Barker in Italy in May 2022

TRY THE GOTHIC TREND

“Look at the trends,” Ellis said. ‘The gothic trend is all the rage and designers are emphasizing it on the catwalks.

Versace embraced the goth bride with black veils, detailed chokers, deep purple leather and hooded cut-out dresses, while Dior presented black Victoriana ruffles through floor-length skirts, netted gloves and Addams-style braids on Wednesdays.

Ellis suggested the best way to embrace Halloween was to recreate some of the iconic looks from the past year.

“Think of something current and Google the best Netflix series of the year or the hottest celebrities and recreate their looks,” she said.

Pinterest is great for finding some of your favorite styles. Can you recreate Travis and Kourtney’s wedding look? I think Dolce would be fine with it. I also predict we’ll see a lot of Elvis Presley and Barbie.”

LEAVE SOMETHING TO THE IMAGINATION

Rochelle said: “Get creative with costumes, platforms like TikTok have made being creative with Halloween outfits a thing.

“The days of skimpy outfits aren’t as popular as they used to be. There is a rise of full costumes like Pennywise from IT, where people go all out to impress.

‘Leave something to the imagination. You can be creepy, creative and sexy without showing it all. A little teasing is better than full on the skin. Skip the naked costumes.’