Fashion, colourful hair and make-up have always been part of the K-Pop package and no one does it better than the multi-talented acts. Finding a K-Pop-inspired Halloween costume can be a bit daunting though and that's why I come to your rescue. No Halloween is perfect without dressing up as your favourite K-Pop idol. So, here’s a round-up of fun and easy Halloween costume ideas inspired by K-Pop idols that will surely stand out from the crowd.
1. Red Velvet’s “Dumb Dumb”: The Goal Is To Be Distinguishable Only By Color
Red Velvet's Dumb Dumb offers so many themes you can go with: be it RV's take on Pippi Longstocking, pairing multicolored tights with shorts or those jeans that everyone was talking about. When Red Velvet was asked on the New Yang Nam Show about their most unique concept yet (among their string of crazy concepts), Wendy said “We promoted wearing jeans that were ripped from the thighs to the ankle […] I thought something went wrong with our outfits. It was really unique.” Yup. Wendy knows what’s up! Red Velvet’s jeans from Dumb Dumb had fans wondering, for sure. Many, myself included, actually fell in love with these Red Velvet-esque jeans, and if you ere too scared to rock a pair, Halloween gives you a perfect opportunity to have some DIY fun with your old denim pants and scissors.
At first glance, it looks like the girls are wearing normal denim shorts. Upon closer inspections, however, you see their jeans are actually full-length in the back.
Shorts in the front, jeans in the back. What more versatility could you ask for?
2. f(x)'s "Red Light" Witches For All Wicked Witches Out There
This was the first time SM Entertainment’s experimental girl group took on a dark concept, making it the best (and newest) option for Halloween costumes. To tell you the truth, every look on f(x)’s Red Light music video could be a great costume (revolutionist? yes please!). But the most striking and memorable one is definitely the all black witch-like ensembles à la American Horror Story: Coven. Why be a sexy witch when you can be an editorial-yet-easy-to-wear one?
It doesn’t get more dramatic than the one eye lined, the eye-patch, or the porkpie hat. And bonus points if you include a burned book!
3. Girl's Generation's "Flower Power" Flight Attendants For Everyone Who Wants To Look Fly
Girls’ Generation are among the girl groups with the most iconic costumes. Sightings of fans cosplaying their Genie, Run Devil Run, or Mr. Taxi music videos are very common at K-Pop events. But one that is definitely pushed to the back burner (maybe because it’s a Japanese single?) are their flight attendant costumes for Flower Power.
Channel your inner Barbie with these futuristic stewardess costumes. Because if you’re going to wear a metallic dress, it may as well be on Halloween. But other than the dress, everything else about this costume would be toned down. The girls’ styling is very minimal while still being their signature feminine chic selves.
So if you’re going to be SNSD for Halloween, go for the less tried options.
4. Block B’s “HER” Because A Crew Of Grown Adults In Animal PJs Is Actually Quite Spooky
Mid-October is here. The temperature cuts in half. With Halloween quickly approaching, it's crunch time. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm personally feeling lil tired and lil lazy. And cold. Very cold. So I figure, the best way to essentially wear pajamas on Halloween without it seeming like a total cop-out, is to rock a onesie. Snuggly? Check. Warm? Check. Easy? Check. And because onesies are made in the form of just about any animal imaginable these days, the options are pretty vast. Plus social proof is there too. Block B, INFINITE, ASTRO, ZE:A, AOA, KNK, EXO, Dal Shabet, 2pm, ShiNee, GOT7, B1A4, Big Bang, Super Junior, BTOB, Amber and Onew all did it. If you are a low effort person who wants to keep warm, go look for that long-forgotten onesie.
5. Orange Caramel’s “Catellena” Because Nothing Says 'I Love Food' Like Dressing Like Food
Any foodies in da house? This one is for you. Orange Caramel is a group known for their quirky-weird overly-cutesy costumes, so the choices for Halloween are endless. However, “Orange Caramel on X video” is kinda expected. So how about Orange Caramel as sushi pieces, seen in Catallena? The looks are very DIY friendly, given that they use print dresses to simulate the shrimp, mackerel and salmon. The rice piece could easily be a pillow with smaller ones attached to it. And if you want to take it to the next level, be Catallena herself as an octopus. These costume picks are innovative and the accessories give the ensemble a Harajuku-like vibe. Even if your friends don’t know you’re doing an Orange Caramel costume, they’ll definitely get the sushi reference.
6. 2NE1’s “I Am The Best” Look For When You Need An Outfit That Screams “I Come From Future” At The Top Of Its Lungs
Halloween is terrifyingly fun, but the costumes can get a little repetitive: zombies are dead, vampires suck and mummies are so passé. If you’re looking to make a costume that’s out of this world, go check out The Matrix Meets K-Pop aka I Am The Best MV. The first thing you notice is 2NE1's unique and avant garde wardrobe. The four outfits are fluid, yet encompass elements of each member's personal style and the silver material adds a futuristic theme to the pieces. What is most notable about 2NE1's style isn't just that it is crazy and outlandish, but they manage to make it look fashionable and edgy. What might look ridiculous on other celebrities manage to look good on them, and it is quite a hard feat to accomplish. Are you up for a challenge?
7. REPLY 1997 Students For All Broke Students Out There
The sexy schoolgirl is one of those standard, prepackaged, ready-to-buy costumes. But just as people have reinvented it to fit their desired theme (Hogwarts student sans robes, Britney’s Baby One More Time), this can also happen with your favorite K-Drama.
Reply 1997 was ahead of the game when they foreshadowed the ‘90s revival trend. And since regular student uniforms won’t be as meaningful by themselves, add the ‘90s pieces that made the drama’s poster stand out, such as Shi Won’s puffy hair pieces or the guy’s hair parted down the middle or any H.O.T memorabilia as accessories.
8. Crayon Pop’s “Bar Bar Bar” For Those Planning On Bar Hopping
These five gals show you another (read fun) side of K-Pop with their addictive video of Bar Bar Bar. To re-create their famous athleisure look, all you need is polo shirts, tracksuit pants with skirts and shoes of the same colour. The most important part is to throw in a scooter helmet. Add it with a pair of white winter gloves or run past a local pharmacy to buy a pack of medical gloves. For the finishing touch, you can leave you hair down or style it in multiple ponytails.
Next step: Gather your girlfriends and start practicing the signature jump dance!
9. SHINee’s “Dream Girl” Because It’s Colorful, It’s Vibrant And It Definitely Doesn’t Look Weird At All
Shinee's back. And you can be their dream girl or dream boy if you get decked in bold colours and various patterns. Black and white stripes, polka dots, zig zag patterns, gingham, tartan – you dream it, you wear it. The bolder, the better.
10. HyunA’S "Red" Golden PLAYBOY Bunny To Channel Those Can't-Look-Away Vibes
The colour red has often been considered as a chromatic symbol of strength, boldness and sexuality. If you want to turn into a strong, sexy and confident bunny, I suggest taking inspiration from HyunA's comeback track Red. Don't forget to go after metallic gold everything from bunny suit, bunny ears to a metallic gold mask and rock, you guessed it, a red lipstick. And if you truly want to get into HyunA's Red character, better start practicing the splits, twerking and get yourself dudes in Speedos for some gentle spanking.
11. B1A4’S Pizza Delivery Boy AKA Building Costume Around Everyone's Fave Food
Just as Orange Caramel, B1A4 is also known for it’s kooky music videos. Consequently, their looks also follow down the path of the quirky cute. Take for example their music video for Solo Day.
If you have an eye for fashion, the Moschino bag he casually sports caught your attention almost immediately. But you don’t have to break the bank to buy this purse in order to recreate Sandeul’s pizza delivery boy. The outfit itself and accessories are pretty doable, while the purse and pizza boxes are a cool DIY craft waiting to happen. Also, if Halloween isn’t really your thing but you feel the pressure to dress up, this pick suits you given that it’s very easy to recreate. Plus, you can incorporate (read eat) pizza into your costume.
12. Girl’s Day’s “Tilt My Head” For When Turning Heads Is Too Basic...
Raise your hand if you'd like to see Girl's Day's reaction to Tilt My Head? While some call Tilt My Head (from terrible autotune to questionable costume choices) TRAGIC with capital WTF, this MV is my guilty pleasure. While I'd NEVER EVER dare to wear Tilt My Head outfits outside of Halloween festivities,
For this Halloween costume, you’ll need to sport a coloured top or jumper with a mesh tulle skirt. This look is inspired by their Bboom Bboom music video. Spice it up with coloured hair and you’ll definitely resemble the K-Pop idols in no time. Grab your friends to re-create the Momoland look.
13. BIGBANG’s “Fantastic Baby” Will Draw Compliments If You Can Handle The Hair. BIG IF.
Despite G-Dragon’s personal style being high fashion and avant garde, for the regular public, his music video and everyday ensembles make the perfect costumes. Whether it’s black and white or full-on technicolor, GD has done it all and he's done is so well. So if you want to be BIGBANG’s leader for Halloween, I recommend going with the group's signature song.
BIGBANG has done a great job in modernizing and pushing urban street style forward. GD in Fantastic Baby reminds us all that fashion can be fun and exciting and you should not be afraid of mixing textures with patterns and bold colors. If you are up for this challenge, I highly recommend watching the below video or reaching out to our Soju queen Shirin who mastered this look perfectly back in 2016.
Dressing as GD is all about being the center of attention, and this Halloween outfit will definitely have people looking.
BONUS: Park Jinyoung’s “Pants” AKA Are You Brave Enough?
Only for the bravest of the bravest.
PSA: Do you want to rock a K-Pop themed Halloween costume this season? Then join us and other local K-Poppers at our next meetup with collaboration with Vancouver Art Gallery.