The team over at PopSugar rounded up a cute infographic detailing the most popular Halloween costumes since 1993. We’ve taken a look at some of our favorites. Back in ’93, two of the most beloved Halloween costumes were none other than Barney the Dinosaur and the lovable crew of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In 1994, it was all about the Might Morphin Power Rangers and Sailor Moon. Want to go for a throwback look, in style? Opt for a stretch PVC vinyl version of one of those bold Power Rangers uniforms, or take on a Sailor Suit in latex for a fun twist.
In 1994, it was all about the Might Morphin Power Rangers and Sailor Moon. Want to go for a throwback look, in style? Opt for a stretch PVC vinyl version of one of those bold Power Rangers uniforms, or take on a Sailor Suit in latex for a fun twist.
Disney’s Toy Story was all the rage in 1995, with everyone going to infinity and beyond by dressing up as Woody and Buzz Lightyear. By 1996, everyone was freaking out over the iconic Scream costume, while in 1997, Batman and Catwoman took over the world. Funny guys Cartman and Kenny were the most popular costume choices in 1998, while Mr. Anderson, aka Neo from the Matrix was the ultimate costume choice in 1999.
By 2000, everyone wanted to have fun by dressing up as Austin Powers. Then, everyone decided to go to Hogwarts in 2001 by dressing up as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger from the wizarding world. The effervescent Spiderman took onto the scene in 2002, while Johnny Depp’s wild antics had everyone flocking to Captain Jack Sparrow costumes from Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003.
Kids at heart will love this one, in 2004, Spongebob Squarepants was the ultimate fave. In 2005, people took things to a galaxy far, far away by dressing up as Darth Vader or Princess Leia. 2006 was all about the girl power from Charlie’s Angels, which is a super fun costume to throw together with friends. Opt for matching black PVC bodysuits and slip into a pair of funky seventies style boots.
Hannah Montana was super popular in 2007, while in 2008, things got dark with The Joker from The Dark Knight being one of the most heavily used costumes. Sparkly vampire fans loved to dress up as Edward and Bella from the Twilight saga in 2009, and in 2010, Rapunzel from Tangled was just as popular.
Pop culture took over in 2011 and 2012, with instant celebs like Snooki from Jersey Shore and PSY from Gangnam style fame becoming the most popular costumes. In 2012, Disney’s Merida from Brave was a common pick, while in 2013, people went wild for Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus costumes.
In the last few years, costumes have literally been all over the place. By 2014, everyone decided to let it go and dress up as Elsa and Olaf from Frozen, while in 2015, others chose to mock Donald Trump or dress up as Left Shark and Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. We’re definitely eager to see what’s in store for 2016’s most popular Halloween costumes to date.
Written by Jade Nicolette
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Charlie’s Angels in 2006 sounds like a great group costume idea, and the suggestion of matching black PVC bodysuits fits the theme really well.
Batman and Catwoman dominating 1997 makes sense, especially with how iconic those silhouettes are for couples costumes even now.
The mix in 2015 of Donald Trump, Left Shark, and Jon Snow really shows how random and wide-ranging costume trends have become recently.
Austin Powers in 2000 being everywhere is hilarious to remember, because it really was all about exaggerated personalities that year.
Spongebob being the top pick in 2004 is such a fun reminder that cartoon costumes can dominate just as much as live-action characters.
The Joker taking over 2008 makes total sense after The Dark Knight, since that version of the character had such a huge cultural impact.
Captain Jack Sparrow in 2003 tracks perfectly, since that character’s look is so detailed and instantly recognizable even in a crowd.
The Star Wars resurgence in 2005 with Darth Vader and Princess Leia shows how cyclical those classics are for Halloween.
Neo in 1999 is such a strong visual choice, and the idea of recreating that look today with sleek materials actually sounds pretty on point.
Seeing Barney and the Ninja Turtles kick things off in 1993 really took me back to elementary school parades where half the class looked exactly like that lineup.
Harry Potter and Hermione taking over 2001 shows how quickly a book-to-film franchise can reshape costume trends almost overnight.
Spiderman in 2002 feels like one of those evergreen costumes, but it’s cool seeing the exact year it really surged in popularity.
Hannah Montana in 2007 really captures that Disney Channel peak, where kids wanted to be pop stars for a night.
Elsa and Olaf in 2014 feels inevitable, considering how Frozen completely dominated pop culture that year.
Rapunzel in 2010 being popular highlights how Disney princess trends keep evolving with each new release.
Twilight costumes in 2009 were unavoidable, and it’s funny how quickly Edward and Bella became a go-to couples look.
Cartman and Kenny in 1998 feels so specific to that era, and it’s funny how instantly recognizable those characters still are with minimal effort.
I like how you tied the Power Rangers and Sailor Moon trend to PVC and latex options, since those bold colors and fits really do translate well into modern costume materials.
The jump from Toy Story in 1995 to Scream in 1996 perfectly shows how quickly Halloween vibes can flip from wholesome to horror in just a year.
Snooki and PSY showing up in 2011 and 2012 really emphasizes how meme and reality TV culture started influencing costumes heavily.