Halloween Costume Trends: How To Create Sustainable Fancy Dress

The leaves are falling and the pumpkins are being carved, which can only mean one thing… Spooky season is here! 

But as the witching hour approaches, it’s not just the ghosts and ghouls we should be afraid of.

Halloween has soared in popularity over the years, with more and more people dressing up as their favourite characters on All Hallows Eve. New research from Statista predicted a whopping  £607 million would be spent in the UK last year for Halloween alone, and according to research by UK charity Fairyland Trust, an estimated 7 million Halloween costumes ended up in landfill in 2019. What’s even more horrifying is that around 83% of material used to make the Halloween outfits is plastic. 

But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. 

Here at Wave, we’re on a mission to help you reduce plastic consumption, and Halloween is no exception.

Inspired by search data, we’ve researched to predict some of the most popular costumes you want to consider this Halloween, providing tips on how you can recreate these outfits sustainably from some of the UK’s leading fashion experts.

Read on to find out how to reduce your Halloween waste, while still putting together a spooktacular costume to celebrate!

Halloween Costume Inspiration

Just like when Harley Quinn costumes dominated Halloween in 2016, this year we can expect to see the latest on-screen characters of 2022 influencing the UK’s Halloween costume ideas. 

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our top 5 predictions!

Cruella De Ville

 An all-time favourite from the classic animation to Disney's live-action adaptation,  it seems Emma Stone’s performance has left a lasting impact with Cruella continuing to be a must-see on Halloween!

Daenerys Targaryen

The launch of House of Dragons and the long-lasting love of Game of Thrones fans means people continue to rekindle their love for the Targaryen family. We can’t think of a more iconic character to dress up for Halloween than the Mother of Dragons herself. 

Looking for a couple’s Halloween outfit? Why not get your other half to go as Jon Snow to achieve the ultimate power duo look?

Stranger Things

The fourth season of Stranger Things has had a huge influence on the UK. Not only did it get Kate Bush back in the UK charts, but it has meant Halloween continues to see a surge in 80s theme fancy dress!

Wednesday Addams

It’s not Halloween without one of the most iconic family members making an appearance, is it? 

The Netflix Wednesday series brought a resurgence of the UK’s favourite moody teenager continuing her reign as a simple but effective Halloween costume. The simple look of Wednesday Addams is a super easy costume to recreate, and we’re sure to see her other relatives make an appearance this year.

The Sanderson Sisters

After waiting nearly 20 years for The Sanderson Sisters to return, Brits continue to make the most of the nostalgia with three of the most recognisable witches inspiring costumes across the UK. Take your pick for a classic look that will never go out of spooky style.

How to Create Halloween Costumes Sustainably

Reduce, reuse and recycle is the perfect phrase to remember when thinking of how you’re going to create a fancy dress look. The Halloween trends we’ve predicted can all be recreated easily and sustainably. For instance, a little black dress is a wardrobe staple, so dig it out of your closet, pop a white collared shirt underneath, braid your hair and voila! You’ve created your Wednesday Addams look in seconds, without spending a penny. 

The best ways to enjoy Halloween while reducing waste are to create your outfits from clothes you already own or to get hunting in charity shops. Here at Wave, we’re big advocates for thrifting and charity shops are a great way to create environmentally-friendly Halloween costumes. 

We caught up with some of the UK’s leading sustainable fashion experts, who provided expert tips on charity shopping to help you when you’re thrifting. 

Tips to Consider When Charity Shopping

Oxfam Festival Shop Deputy Manager, Megan Brown, is the Queen at creating fancy dress costumes from charity shop finds:

“One top tip would be to not restrict yourself to 'gender' – I think this is of course becoming more popular now, but some of my favourite shirts and blazers are from the 'men's' section in charity shops. 

Also, clothes that are donated to us at Oxfam constantly circle – meaning nothing goes to landfill, we find a home for everything. We know that trends come and go and come back again and this works with how our circular process runs – therefore it’s so important to us that we keep it moving around, until it finds a home.”

The circular process of charity shops means if you’re on the hunt for some 80s-inspired accessories for your Stranger Things outfit, you can guarantee to come across some original pieces for a more authentic costume in your local charity shop!

But, if getting creative and making your own costume from scratch is more your thing, Co-Founder of the Charity Shop Gift Card, Sarah Cox, has the perfect tips for you: 

“Charity shops are an absolute treasure trove and don’t just sell clothing.  If you are willing to get creative you can look for crocheted blankets and upcycle them (there are some great tutorials online and you will have a truly original piece of clothing).  If crafts are your thing there are always lots of wools, yarns, crochet hooks and patterns so you could get making your own outfit using these preloved materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill. I’m always drawn to the fabrics – items of clothing can be altered and upcycled so go with fabrics and prints that speak to you!”

From faux fur jackets to channel Cruella, to embroidered fabrics to sew your own House of Dragon dress, charity shops are the place to go for your Halloween costumes this year.

If you’re looking for more ways to live sustainably and reduce your plastic consumption, head over to our blog for more eco-friendly tips.