Rather be stylish than scary? Try something different with these 15 women’s Halloween costumes

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Stand out from the conventional costumes with these women's Halloween fancy dress ideas.

Ladies, the scariest time of the year is just around the corner which means it’s time to start planning your women’s Halloween costume.

We’ve all seen the cat costumes and Disney Princess outfits but this year why not try something a little different?

Here’s 15 unique and interesting womens Halloween costumes to help you stand out from the crowd. (Be sure to check out our men’s Halloween costumes too!)

15 DIY women’s Halloween costumes

1. Lola from Shark Tale Halloween costume

Shark Tale is a film for the ages and there’s no character more iconic than Lola. Her signature stripes and pouting lips make for a great womens Halloween costume.

We love the humanised version of Lola here. Use some pink wash out dye to create stripes in your hair, use red sparkly lipstick and add a pink shimmery dress to finish the look.

For more celebrity-inspired outfits head over to our 12 pop culture celebrity Halloween costumes.

Womens Halloween costume by Pinterest

2. Bride of Frankenstein Halloween costume

How gorgeous does McKenna look as the Bride of Frankenstein? The brilliant thing about this womens Halloween costume is how easily it can be DIY’d.

Use green body paint and black eyeliner to create the monster’s famous stitches. A black and white wig, combined with a white corset and white skirt will give you the bridal look.

Turn this idea into a couple’s Halloween costumes by turning your partner into Dr Frankenstien or his monster creation.

Womens Halloween costume by @cozykitsune

3. Pearl Halloween costume

@iforgotmylipbalm
pearl!

♬ pearl x act naturally – arielle

The 2022 smash horror film Pearl is a brilliant scary Halloween costume option. Turn yourself into Mia Goth’s creepy character, Pearl.

Pearl has two signature looks, one with a blue shirt and dungarees (as seen above). The other with a long prairie-style, red dress.

Both outfits need two accessories to make them recognisable as Pearl; a blue hair bow and her weapon of choice, an axe.

Womens Halloween costume by @iforgotmylipbalm

4. Shadow Man Halloween costume

Practise your dark magic skills this Halloween by turning yourself into The Princess and the Frog’s Shadow Man! This tricky fellow makes a great alternative to the typical princess outfit.

A bowler hat, cane and maroon coloured dress are a must to recreate this costume. Use some white face paint to create the skull look and bring a deck of Tarot cards to tell everyone their doomed futures…

Womens Halloween costume by Kris

5. Didi Pickles from Rugrats Halloween costume

90’s babies will love this hilarious DIY women’s Halloween costume! Become the parent of the group by turning yourself into Didi Pickles, Tommy and Didi’s mum.

A red bodycon dress, pearl necklace and big, round, green glasses are all you need. This womens Halloween costume can easily be turned into a family Halloween costume with your kids dressing as the Rugrat babies.

Women’s Halloween costume by Alisha. C

6. Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove Halloween costume

Disney’s hit animated film, The Emperor’s New Groove, has a whole cast of characters that make brilliant fancy dress costumes. Arguably, the most iconic of them all is Yzma, the villain with an amazing fashion sense.

Dress as Yzma this Halloween by wearing a red robe, statement earrings and DIYing her glittering headpiece. Card, gold paint and gold sticky gems can easily be turned into Yzma’s head dress.

Womens Halloween costume by Rachel Lee

7. Darla from Finding Nemo Halloween costume

Turn yourself into every fish’s worst nightmare… a screaming, bag-shaking child. Darla from Finding Nemo is the little girl who visits the dentist where Nemo is held in a fish tank.

She’s an easy character to recreate, especially if you use makeup to achieve her braces. Add a jumper and pink dungarees then pop your hair in bunches.

For extra costume points, carry around a plastic fish in a bag of water.

Women’s Halloween costume by Katherine Redington

8. Wilma Flintstone Halloween costume

We just know as soon as your guests see this womens Halloween costume they’ll start singing the theme tune!

Create a Wilma-inspired outfit with a white dress and chunky white beaded necklace. Alternatively, you could dress up as Wilma’s best friend Betty Rubble.

Why not dress your pets as Dino or Baby Puss? Dogs and cats deserve to join in the Halloween fun too. Check out our 22 dog Halloween costumes for more pup-friendly ideas.

Womens Halloween costume by The Today Show

9. Melanie Daniels from The Birds Halloween costume

Based on Hitchcock’s hit film The Birds, this Halloween costume is inspired by the main character Melanie Daniels.

Raid the charity shops for a 1950’s style outfit then shred it to pieces, adding fake blood along the way. Then you just need some toy crows to act as Melanie’s infamous attackers.

Womens Halloween costume by Pinterest

10. Russian Doll Halloween costume

This Russian Doll Halloween costume would also make a brilliant pregnant Halloween costume idea.

Add a floral scarf to cover your hair and a long sleeved dress. Pop an apron on and add traditional floral prints where you can.

Then it’s time for the doll make up – lots of blush, red lips and finally, white eyeliner on your waterline to make your eyes look more doll-like.

Womens Halloween costume by The House That Lars Built

Make sure you scroll through our cute Halloween costumes for more adorable ideas.

11. Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle Halloween costume

The character from the beautiful anime film, Howl’s Moving Castle, makes the perfect costume for any and all women. Sophie has both long brown hair in the film and a short blonde bob which many of you will already have!

Add a long blue dress, a white apron, a straw hat and your outfit is complete. A cheap Halloween costume to wear this October.

Womens Halloween costume from @jasminesmitt

12. Bratz Halloween costume

Bratz have a well-known passion for fashion and this makes them the most stylish womens Halloween costumes in our article.

We love how well Jasmine Brown has recreated the Bratz doll Sasha. The best part about dressing as a Bratz doll is there’s endless outfits to recreate.

This womens Halloween costume can also be turned into a group Halloween costume. Dress your pals up as the other Bratz girls; Yasmin, Jade or Chloe.

Womens Halloween costume by @jasmeannnn

Looking for more child-friendly Halloween costumes? Head over to our 21 kids’ Halloween costumes to explore more.

13. Fairy Godmother Halloween costume

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo your way through October with this magical fairy godmother outfit. This is a lovely DIY women’s Halloween costume for parents or grandparents as you’re a real life fairy godmother for your kids!

Womens Halloween costume by Maskerix

14. Winifred Banks from Mary Poppins Halloween costume

Mary Poppins is a popular womens Halloween costume idea but we much prefer the more unusual Winifred Banks.

Stand up for women’s rights with this sweet costume which consists of a blue dress with yellow ribbons, a straw hat and the all-important suffragette sash.

Womens Halloween costume by Pinterest

15. Penny Proud Halloween costume

If you loved the Proud Family as a kid then you’ll love this DIY women’s Halloween costume. Penny Proud is the 14 year old protagonist of the show and is a super cute character to dress up as.

Tie your hair in bunches, wear a pink cardigan and skirt, then add a mole to your face with a brown eyeliner pencil.

Womens Halloween costume by @lovely.leaundra

Now you’ve got your costume idea sorted, it’s time to make some snacks for your friends and family. Check out our DIY Halloween treats and bake something tasty this October.

Dress to impress this Halloween

Halloween is a time to show off your creativity and have some fun with fashion. Use our DIY womens Halloween costumes to express yourself and show off your fancy dress skills!

Discover more DIY women’s Halloween costumes

We have hundreds of fancy dress ideas here on Gathered, suitable for all genders and ages. Browse through our DIY Halloween costumes which include over 200 ideas.

the best easy DIY halloween costume ideas

Phoebe Burt

Phoebe is an experienced craft writer. As well as writing for craft websites and magazines, Phoebe is a freelance copywriter and content producer with work both in print and online. Her work spans the tech, homes, DIY and small business advice. Aside from content writing, Phoebe’s main passions are travelling and crafting (diamond painting, paint by numbers and embroidery are her favourites). She’s backpacked across South East Asia and recently hit her goal of 30 countries under 30 years old!

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