Pop Culture Halloween Costume Ideas 2017

1 Salt Bae

We were just days into 2017 when we were introduced to Turkish chef Nusret Gökce aka "Salt Bae," whose dramatic seasoning technique quickly made him a viral internet sensation. Salt Bae's flick of the wrist became synonymous with "doing the most" and became the perfect way to add something extra to any conversation.

What to wear: A low-cut white t-shirt, black pants, a black belt, a long brown wig, and round-frame sunglasses. You could sprinkle salt around all night, but in the spirit of Salt Bae, why not be extra and use silver glitter instead?

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2 Beyoncé's Pregnancy Announcement

People around the world collectively pissed their pants when Beyoncé posted the pregnancy announcement to end all pregnancy announcements via Instagram on Feb. 1. Looking like some sort of heavenly wood nymph goddess of flower arrangements, the singer proclaimed that she and her family had "been blessed two times over" — and it look about two seconds for her artfully crafted photo to be re-created and parodied.

What to wear: A burgundy bra and blue boy shorts, a fake baby bump, and green tulle to wear as a veil. Pop on a curly wig and be sure to carry around lots and lots of flowers.

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3 And the Subsequent Unveiling of Beyoncé's Twins

Beyoncé continued with the "mother of Mother Earth" theme when she shared the first official photo of her newborn twins, Sir and Rumi Carter, in July.

What to wear: Swath yourself in as much purple and aqua silk you can find. (Oh, you can only find polyester and tulle? That's OK, too.) Add an elaborate flower crown to mimic Queen Bey's backdrop and cradle two baby dolls in your arms.

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4 Princess Charlotte's Temper Tantrum

Image Source: Getty / Chris Jackson

The royal family embarked on a tour of Poland and Germany over the Summer, and before departing from Hamburg on their last day, Princess Charlotte decided she was O-V-E-R, over it. The 2-year-old lost her sh*t a little bit on the tarmac, stomping her tiny feet and crying before throwing herself on the ground in hysterics. Kate Middleton kicked into mom of the year mode and stayed totally calm in front of the cameras while helping Charlotte get it together.

What to wear: A pink babydoll dress with white ankle socks and red Mary Janes, a short blond wig with a red bow, and a royally cranky demeanor.

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5 Petty Prince George

Image Source: Getty / Samir Hussein

While his little sister was crying, Prince George remained as cute and charming as ever; he was basically watching Charlotte freak out like, "Oh, dear . . . I suppose I'm the favorite child now!" His adorable actions while checking out the plane's controls made for a perfectly petty reaction photo.

What to wear: A plaid button-down shirt tucked into blue shorts with a black belt. Add ankle socks and black leather shoes, a blond wig, and "Who, me?" expression.

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6 Nicole Kidman's Bizarre Oscars Clap

During the Oscars in February, Nicole Kidman was captured by cameras applauding for her fellow actors' big wins, but her odd way of clapping quickly caught the attention of people of Twitter. Nicole's weird, robotic clapping style made her fingers look extralong, which drew comparisons to the Grinch or a goblin — as it turned out, Nicole was clapping so awkwardly because of the very, very expensive Harry Winston rings she was wearing and "terrified of damaging."

What to wear: A gown worthy of the red carpet, obviously. A blond wig swept back, red lipstick, and as many cocktail rings as you can find. Proceed to press your palms together but whatever you do, do not let your fingers touch.

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7 "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" Leonardo DiCaprio

Image Source: Pacific Coast News Online

Leonardo DiCaprio debuted a new way to hold on to his belongings while walking with friends in NYC over the Summer, and we're sure it won't be long until the look hits the Fashion Week runways. This might be one of the easiest-ever costumes to put together — and you don't even have to be a Oscar winner to rock it.

What to wear: A gray t-shirt and plaid boxers under a pair of baggy cargo shorts. Pull your baseball cap as low as you can, and — this part is very important — fill a purple plastic bag with items of your choice, then tie the handles around one of your belt loops. You are now completely free to text models, Martin Scorsese, or Kate Winslet.

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8 The "White Guy Blinking" Meme

Hot on Salt Bae's heels, this GIF of video game website producer Drew Scanlon made the rounds in February after a clever Twitter user used it to describe the perils of biology class.

What to wear: The best part about this costume is that it really doesn't matter what you wear, since we never see Drew's outfit in the viral video. All you have to worry about is have a blond wig and facial hair, raising your eyebrows, and blinking with a bemused look on your face.

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9 Rihanna at the Met Gala

Image Source: Getty / Jackson Lee

Rihanna's showstopping, avant-garde Comme des Garcons look at this year's Met Gala landed her on best dressed lists across the globe, with many arguing that she was one of the very few celebrities to actually follow the theme. Copying her look for Halloween won't be easy, but we'll be damned if you're not the belle of every ball.

What to wear: Layers and layers and layers of round, multicolored petals and shoes that will take you an hour to put on.

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10 Zombie Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" video was packed with references and callbacks to her former selves, one of which was from the video for "Out of the Woods" — only this time, Taylor was in a cemetery instead of the forest. She's trying pretty hard to be scary these days, but this particular look was basically made to be Halloween costume fodder.

What to wear: A baby blue dress covered in dirt (you might as well add some fake blood, too). Wear a blond wig (also covered in dirt) and keep telling people that the old you can't come to the phone right now because she's dead.

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11 The "Roll Safe" Head-Tapping Meme

The "Roll Safe" meme was perfect internet fodder: FYI, Reece Simpson, aka Roll Safe, is an aspiring rapper played by actor Kayode Ewumi for a YouTube mockumentary called Hood Documentary. A moment from the first episode went viral for obvious reasons and is bound to have people cracking up.

What to wear: A black leather jacket (preferably open, with nothing underneath) with a gold watch and chain. You're also going to need a fake mustache. This costume is nothing if you aren't tapping your head while looking straight into the camera.

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12 Sloane Stephens

Image Source: Getty / Tim Clayton - Corbis

Serena Williams sat out this year's US Open in order to give birth to a future US Open champion, and 24-year-old Florida native Sloane Stephens slid in like, "Don't worry, I got this." A wonder woman in her own right, Sloane sprinkled some #blackgirlmagic over the court like Salt Bae and went on to dominate the tournament (even beating Serena's sister, Venus) and take home the trophy.

What to wear: A peach-colored dress and matching visor, a long braid, and a winning smile. Carry around a tennis racket and, of course, a giant silver trophy.

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13 The Gay Babadook

Image Source: Getty / Tara Ziemba

The Babadook went from horror movie monster to gay icon this year, hitting a fever pitch when Netflix (accidentally?) added the 2014 horror film The Babadook to its LGBT movie section in June. The "gay Babadook" was one of the most popular costumes during Pride Month (just see YouTube star Miles Jai at the RuPaul's Drag Race finale taping, pictured here). The artist behind the Babadook spoke out about the character's newfound cult status, calling it "awesome" and "bizarre."

What to wear: Any variation of black, head-to-toe, whether it be a three-piece suit or fishnets and booty shorts (we don't judge). Add a floor-length coat, a long, stringy wig, and a giant top hat. Paint a terrifying smile on your face and wave around a rainbow flag.

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