42 Iconic Costumes to Inspire Your Halloween Plans

Every editorial product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission.

The most iconic Halloween costumes from films, TV, and pop culture have also become increasingly stylish over the years, oftentimes even projecting onto the latest trends. Elle Woods's well-known looks in "Legally Blonde" would now easily pass for the Barbiecore aesthetic; Cher Horowitz's yellow plaid from "Clueless" has trickled into our everyday wardrobes; and Blair and Serena's schoolgirl uniforms in "Gossip Girl" are pretty much the epitome of dark academia.

But these outfits also persevere as the greatest because people from all over the world have re-created them Halloween after Halloween. Despite the newer series and phenomenons we've been recently presented with (think: "House of the Dragon" and "Euphoria"), it's still never been cooler to dress as Reese Witherspoon's Elle, Gwyneth Paltrow's Margot Tenenbaum, or Diane Keaton's Annie Hall.

The best part about all 42 of the costumes gathered here is that they are easy to re-create using clothing you probably already own. Sure, you may need to pick up one or two added accessories, such as the properly colored tie for Hermione Granger or purple opera-length satin gloves for Jessica Rabbit, but for the most part, you won't need to break the bank.

Ahead, see an example of the simple basics you'd need to pull off Elle Woods — if you don't have a few of them on hand already — then scroll for inspiration to channel 41 other iconic characters with just as much cultural significance on Halloween night.

— Additional reporting by Nikita Ramsinghani, Aemilia Madden, and Lauren Harano

01

Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington

02

Mia Wallace From "Pulp Fiction"

03

Cher and Dionne From "Clueless"

04

Romy and Michele From "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion"

05

Frida Kahlo

06

Regina George From "Mean Girls"

08

Black Swan

09

Bert and Ernie

10

Holly Golightly From "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

11

Beyoncé in "Blow" Music Video

12

Björk

13

Elle Woods From "Legally Blonde"

15

Miley Cyrus

16

The Princess and the Frog

17

Cinderella

18

Lady Gaga

19

Dorothy From "The Wizard of Oz"

20

Marilyn Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch"

22

Harley Quinn From "Suicide Squad"

23

Daenerys From "Game of Thrones"

24

Blair and Serena From "Gossip Girl"

25

Margot Tenenbaum From "The Royal Tenenbaums"

26

Kelly Kapowski From "Saved by the Bell"

27

The Spice Girls

29

Pink Ladies From "Grease"

30

Wednesday Addams From "The Addams Family"

31

Vivian Ward From "Pretty Woman"

32

Britney Spears

33

Maleficent

34

Joel Goodson From "Risky Business"

36

Bonnie and Clyde

37

Rachel Green From "Friends"

38

Elaine Benes From "Seinfeld"

39

Bride of Chucky

40

Melanie Daniels From "The Birds"

41

Annie Hall