27 Funny Halloween Costumes for Women

Anyone can show up as a witch or a cat. Getting a laugh takes a bit more nerve, and it pays off better: the funny costume is the one people stop to photograph, the one strangers comment on at the bar, and the one your friends are still bringing up in November.

These 29 ideas run from groan-worthy puns to full-commitment ridiculous. Some are clever enough that people need a second to get the joke, others are obvious from across the room, and a good number are cheap, quick builds from cardboard, a plain tee, or whatever is already in your wardrobe. Scroll through, find the one that made you laugh first, and go with that. If it’s funny to you on a screen, it’ll be funnier in person.

Perry the Platypus

The bill is what sells this one. A blue bodysuit and gloves get you into platypus territory, and the brown hat points straight at Perry, but that flat orange beak across the face is the part that turns a generic blue costume into the character people know right away. Without it, this would look like a morphsuit with a wig and hat.

The size matters too. The beak needs to sit wide across the center of the face, and the hat needs that plain fedora shape, not a floppy costume hat. I’d also keep the blue from head to toe as close in tone as possible. When the gloves, wig, and suit all stay in the same bright range, the orange bill lands harder.

Two Bananas and a Monkey

The monkey gets away with very little: a brown tank top, denim shorts and a headband with two round ears. Her friends carry the costume in padded yellow tunics that curve down to a dark tip at the hem. Once all three stand together, nobody has to explain the joke.

I’d change the banana colors so they don’t match. Put one friend in green, leave one yellow and cover the third with brown spots, and you get a ripeness chart with a monkey choosing between them. This also helps a bigger group, since every extra person can be a different stage of the same fruit.

Forky Costume

Pick a Forky costume if you like a costume that is more silly craft project than dressed-up outfit. The big eyes on the white sweatshirt are the point, so this works well for someone who wants people to know the character right away without a lot of explaining. The white tulle skirt adds the spork shape and gives it more size, which helps if you are walking around at a party or wearing it for work.

This is also a good choice for someone who wants to stay covered, wear leggings, and move around without fussing with a dress. It is easy to make bigger or smaller depending on how bold you want the face to be.

I would pick a different idea if you need to sit in tight chairs all night or walk through packed rooms, because the tutu takes up space. If you hate craft foam, glue, or anything hanging from your shirt, this one may feel like too much.

Group Minion Costumes

Minions are easy to pull together from things most people already own. Each costume here is a yellow t-shirt, blue jeans, and black suspenders, with a yellow beanie on top. Black gloves and a pair of goggles pushed up on the hat finish it off.

If you don’t have suspenders, black ribbon or wide elastic pinned to the waistband works. Any yellow knit hat will do, and sunglasses can stand in for goggles.

Ketchup and mustard

A ketchup and mustard pair lands best at a house party, block party, or bar night where people will get the joke fast. The tall bottle shapes and big front labels read from across a room, and the bright red and yellow stand out in porch light, patio light, or a crowded kitchen. For photos, stand side by side all night.

Giant Carton of Fries

A red box with a curved front and a row of yellow tubes is enough for anyone to know what you are. Start with the carton: a cardboard box wrapped in red duct tape, with the front cut down in a wide curve to your chin and an arm hole on each side.

The fries go on last, fixed to the inside of the back panel. Cut them to uneven lengths and mix in a few tan ones, since matching yellow tubes look like a fence. Wear red underneath so the box runs straight into your legs.

Giant Clog Costume

A giant foam clog is funnier when the scale is a little too big, with the face set inside one of the round holes and the legs coming out through the foot opening. Black looks close to the real shoe, but a bright color would make it feel more like a cartoon prop. Use thick foam board so the curved toe and heel strap hold their shape.

Hot Dog and Condiments Trio

Three people have to show up for this one, and that’s the first thing that goes wrong. A hot dog without the ketchup and mustard is just a person in a bun, so decide early that the group will stay together all night.

Height is the next problem. The bottles come with a tall hood and a white cap, which puts them a head above the hot dog. Put the hot dog in the middle and the three shapes step down and back up, which looks planned. Put it on the end and it looks like the short one in the group.

Sleeves are the third. These costumes are tubes with armholes, so whatever you wear underneath is what shows. Black long sleeves and black leggings on all three keep the arms from competing with the labels.

Sitting is hard in a bottle, and a padded bun doesn’t bend much either. I’d plan on standing for the party and take the photos before anyone tries a chair.

Diet Coke can

The oversized Diet Coke can is what makes this one land. It needs that tall silver tube shape with the big red lettering running down the front, because a plain silver dress would just look like a shiny shift with a wig.

The black sleeves disappearing under the can help too, since they make the body read as one clean cylinder. I’d trim the neck opening a little smoother, but the scale and the printed logo are the part you cannot leave out.

Stacked poop emoji trio

Three poop emoji costumes on three friends become one tall emoji once you stack them for a photo. Each costume is a foam tunic with a pointed hood, so underneath you only need a black long-sleeve top, black leggings and black boots. Matching base layers matter more than you’d expect, because any color at the arms or legs breaks up the brown shapes.

Line up by height before anything else. The shortest person kneels at the front. The middle one sits up on her shoulders with her legs hanging forward, and the tallest stands close behind so her hood ends up on top. Get the middle person settled first, and have the top person step in last. Then everyone throws their arms out wide and holds still for the shot.

Feathered Pumpkin Witch

With an orange boa around your shoulders, this works best at a house party where people are sitting on couches, walking through the kitchen, and taking quick photos near the snack table. The feathers give the costume size without needing a full skirt or mask, so you can still eat, talk, and move through a crowded room.

The small witch hat keeps it tied to Halloween, and the white front patch with the jack-o-lantern makes the joke clear from across the room. Wear it over an orange sweater or dress, then add dark lipstick if you want the face to match the costume. I would use it for candy duty, game night, or a casual office party.

Kermit and Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy is a blonde curly wig, a pink pig nose and ears, and a hot pink dress under a sheer pink robe trimmed in feathers. Long pink gloves and a small sparkly purse finish it.

For Kermit, a green fabric head mask goes over a plain dark suit and tie. If you can’t find a mask, a green hoodie works.

Carrot costume

A carrot costume lands best on someone who likes broad, easy-to-read humor and does not mind taking up space. The shape is big through the middle, the orange fabric is bright, and the green leaves on top make the idea clear at a glance. This one works for a party where people are moving around, taking photos, and spotting costumes from across the room.

It is less useful for anyone who wants to sit for long stretches, carry a bag on the shoulder, or layer a jacket over the top. The body looks bulky, so narrow doorways, crowded bars, and car rides will get old fast. I’d also pass on this if you hate costumes that shift around your face, since the head opening sits close and can slip a bit lower than you’d want.

Pregnant Fiona and Shrek

A pregnant Fiona gets funnier when her Shrek has a bigger belly than she does. His padding has to be clearly larger, so stuff it fuller than seems sensible and buckle a belt under it to keep it from sliding by midnight.

Face paint is where this usually goes wrong. Green paint rubs off onto velvet, and a long green velvet gown shows every smudge at the shoulder you’ll lean on for photos. Set his paint with powder and spray. Fiona can leave her face bare and clip the ogre ears into a red braided wig.

I’d also pick a greener paint than this one, which came out closer to yellow.

Fried Chicken Costume

Start with the bird shape before you worry about the food joke. Wear a white sweater or top, then build up the body with white feather boas or strips of feather trim stitched or pinned across the chest and sleeves. Add pale shorts or leggings under the feathers so the costume has cover when you move.

The step that matters most is the head. Make the mask tall, feathery, and a little wild, with a yellow beak in the middle. That is what makes it look like a chicken instead of a pile of feathers. Yellow tights with black shoe covers finish the legs.

If you want another person in on it, put them in a white suit with a black bow tie and give them a small cardboard bucket marked Kentucky Fried Chicken. The prop explains the pairing without much talking.

Bunch of Grapes Costume

Two people in matching balloon grapes make a better pair costume than a solo one, and the colors are the reason. One wears purple balloons and the other wears green, so together they look like a mixed bunch from the same vine. A small green stem sticks up from each head, and that’s the only other piece you need.

This one belongs outdoors or at a party with plenty of floor space. Balloons cover the whole front and arms, which makes doorways and car seats a squeeze, so I’d wear it to a street parade, a neighborhood walk or a backyard get-together where you can stand and mingle. Inflate everything the same day and bring a few spare balloons in a bag, since a cluster this size will lose one or two before the night is over.

Tina Belcher

The glasses are the part that makes a Tina Belcher costume land right away. A light blue tee and a dark blue skirt put you in the right area, but without those thick black frames, it just looks like a plain casual outfit with tube socks. Tina’s face is simple on purpose, so the glasses need to be a little oversized and very square.

The other detail that holds it together is the hair shape. You want a blunt black bob that sits close to the head and cuts straight across the forehead. That clean outline matters more than finding the exact shade of blue for the shirt.

Then add white knee socks with red stripes and black high-top sneakers. I’d make the skirt a little looser than the one here, since Tina’s shape is less bodycon and more flat A-line, but the color blocking is right and that is what people notice first.

Cruella With a Black Cat

Most of the joke in a Cruella costume comes from the wig, split down the middle with black on one side and white on the other, and from red gloves that run past the elbow. Add a friend dressed as a black cat, with drawn-on whiskers and ears on a headband, and the pairing gets a laugh because Cruella is better known for going after spotted puppies.

The coat is where I’d put the most thought. A thin spotted fabric hangs loose, swings when you walk, and stays light enough for a sunny afternoon outside, worn open over a black top and leggings. The same print in faux fur changes the character quite a bit. It gets bulkier and much warmer, and it looks closer to the fur-obsessed villain from the films. I’d pick fur for a cold night outdoors and the thin version for a crowded party inside, where a fur coat would come off within the hour.

Pam and Tommy

Pam starts with long blonde hair, a black baker boy cap, ripped jeans, and something shiny on top. A silver sequin jacket gives the costume its loud part, but a metallic shirt, glitter cardigan, or thrifted party jacket will land close enough. Add a small black crossbody bag and white sneakers if you want the more casual side of it.

For Tommy, use a red plaid flannel over a black T-shirt, light jeans, and a backward red cap. A little dark liner for facial hair helps if you are building the costume with what you already own. Rubber boots, a belt clip, or a random tool can push it more into rough garage territory.

Statue of Liberty Tourist

A Statue of Liberty costume where she’s also a tourist on the sidewalk is the idea here, and it works because the dress does most of the talking. A pale green tiered tulle gown, a star crown, a foam torch held overhead, and a folded magazine in the other hand are all you need. Gold flats keep you walking comfortably.

This is right for someone who likes a costume with a bit of a story and has a friend willing to play photographer. The friend with a camera and a city sweatshirt is what makes the joke land, so it’s a better pick for pairs than for solo party-goers.

Pick something else from the list if you’re headed to a crowded bar or a house party. A full tiered skirt takes up a lot of room, and the torch needs a free arm for the whole night. I’d also pass on it if you’ll be on stairs or public transit, since all that tulle catches on everything.

Taco and Belle

A taco-and-Belle pair works best when the woman takes the yellow gown and the other half of the joke is obvious at a glance. Start with an off-the-shoulder dress in bright yellow, then add long gloves and loose curls. The one step that matters most is the color. If the dress is pale or gold-brown, the joke gets lost.

After that, make the taco half big and flat, with tan shells, red filling, and green ruffles so the shapes read fast. I’d keep the taco shell a little narrower so both costumes move better side by side.

Miss Trunchbull and Matilda

Miss Trunchbull was a hammer thrower, and the costume only lands if people catch that. Two black balls hanging from chains around the neck make the point at once. Without them you have a gray sweatshirt, a wide leather belt and lace-up boots, which could pass for a gym teacher or someone headed out on a hike.

Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are mostly color blocking, so the clothes can come from a drawer. For Mermaid Man, use an orange tee, purple shell shapes, green tights, black shorts, yellow gloves, and a belt. Barnacle Boy needs a red tee, white tights, black shorts, blue gloves or socks, a neck scarf, sunglasses, and a paper sailor hat.

Queen of Hearts and White Rabbit

Costumes for two work best when each person gets a different silhouette. Here the Queen is all fitted bodice and short tulle skirt, while the Rabbit is just a blazer, a red polka-dot bow tie, and a tall black hat with ears on top. Make the hat the one loud piece and keep the rest of his outfit normal.

Red tights with a heart pattern tie her look to his bow tie.

Gru and Smurf pair

This one lands best for the woman who wants a costume that is dumb in a very specific way and knows that is the joke. One person goes full Gru with the black coat, long nose, and dark brows. The other commits to a Smurf with blue tights, a red hat, and a white beard. The fun comes from how wrong the pair is together.

It works for two friends who do not want to spend the night explaining a deep cut. From across a room, people will get both characters fast. It also helps if you are fine wearing face makeup or a tight base layer, because the blue look needs real commitment.

Pick something else if you want to sit, eat, and move around without thinking about your costume. The belly shape and beard can get annoying after a while. I would also go lighter on any face paint that sits near the eyes.

Full Body Carrot Costume

A giant carrot gets a laugh before anyone has to explain it, which makes it a good pick for a party where you won’t know most of the guests. The orange tube covers you from the top of your head to your ankles, so whatever you wear underneath doesn’t matter. The leafy green top adds about a foot of height that people can spot across a crowded room.

It works best at events where you’ll mostly stand around: a house party, an office contest, or a group photo with friends dressed as other vegetables. I wouldn’t take it trick-or-treating. The body narrows toward the hem, which shortens your stride, and with your arms tucked inside you can’t hold a drink or a bag. I’d cut two small arm slits at the sides first.

Banana Costume

A banana costume gets awkward when the shape is too flat or the face hole sits too low. Look for a body that has enough stuffing to hold the peel shape, with arm openings you can move through. The black tip helps the joke land, so it should stay upright instead of folding over.

Wear dark sleeves and leggings under it if the sides gape. I would also test sitting, steps, and car doors before leaving the house, because a long yellow tube can turn into a problem fast.

Giant Nerds Candy Couple Costume

Two people can fit inside one pair of these red inflatable candy clusters, each wearing a round tube around the torso with colored pom-poms glued across the front. The “Nerds” label is clearly visible on each one, and the pom-poms in purple, green, yellow, orange and pink stand in for the tiny candy pieces.

This is a costume for the street, not the party. You’ll want it for trick-or-treating, a neighborhood walk, or a block party where there’s room to move, because the wide round shape takes up more space than you’d think. Doorways, car seats and crowded kitchens will all be a fight.

Dark pants and boots keep the eye on the candy, and I’d wear black from the waist down for the same reason. Take it outside for photos too. The bright red looks best against grass and pavement, and a jump shot suits it.

Grown-up Pippi Longstocking

Those mismatched knee socks give this away fast, so start there and build the rest around them. Put on one striped sock in one color mix and the other in a different stripe pattern. Add black clogs or plain dark shoes, then a denim pinafore or overall dress over a red-and-white striped shirt. The clothes should look a little kid-like without turning into a school uniform, and the bib front on the dress helps a lot.

Hair matters most. Part it down the middle and make two braids or pigtails that stick out from the sides instead of falling down. Use wire, pipe cleaners, or light stuffing tucked into the braids if your hair needs help holding the shape. Then add freckles with brown eyeliner and draw them across the nose and cheeks.

A stuffed monkey on one shoulder finishes it. I’d leave off the watch, since modern pieces pull the costume away from the story.

Miss Piggy With a Kermit

Most Miss Piggy costumes go wrong by leaning on the pig and forgetting the diva. A full pink bodysuit with a curly tail gets you a farm animal. People recognize her by the glamour: a big blonde wig with volume at the crown, a string of pearls, pale gloves, a feather boa, and something shiny in pink or purple. A satin skirt knotted at the hip carries more of the character than any snout.

Keep the snout and ears small. A little nose on elastic and a pair of felt ears on a headband are enough. A nose that sits over your upper lip will make talking and drinking a chore all night.

If you bring a partner as Kermit, a green tee with a pointed felt collar and green sweatpants will cover it. Make sure your pink is louder than his green, since she always takes the spotlight.

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