From the obsession with Draco Malfoy to the little lad who loves berries and cream, there are plenty of TikTok trends that make perfect Halloween costumes, and here’s how to DIY them all
If you’re anything like us, you’ve already started envisioning your Halloween plans despite it being the beginning of September. And to anyone who suggests that it’s way too early to start feeling spooky, we say nay—all year-round is a good time to get our spook on!
Fortunately, TikTok has helped in that department. Whether it be a resurgence of interest in The Twilight Saga or a simple appreciation of “good soup,” the social media app is the perfect place to draw inspiration from for this year’s Halloween. These popular TikTok trends and memes from 2021 can easily be adapted from the screen into recognizable costumes, sure to wow all who see them.
1. The little lad from ‘Berries and Cream’
If you spend a little too much time on TikTok, you’re likely to have seen the little lad who loves berries and cream (or a reference to him) on your For You Page (FYP). The distinct character originated from a 2007 Starburst commercial promoting the candy’s newest flavour—yup, you guessed it—berries and cream. In typical TikTok fashion, the resurfaced 14-year-old ad boomed in popularity, creating the trending hashtags, #berriesandcream and #LittleLad.
So if you’re looking to get in on the berries and cream action, a little lad costume is the perfect opportunity. To get into character, you’ll need a long button-down dark green jacket, matching green pants, white knee socks and, of course, a brown bob wig with bangs. For a fun spin on the little lad theme, you can adapt the meme into a couple’s costume where one person is berries and the other is cream!
2. Draco Malfoy
Are we all just going to pretend that the entirety of TikTok wasn’t simping over Malfoy for an unhealthy period of time? We simply can’t! Especially since Draco Malfoy POV videos existed, where the viewer was placed in a made-up situation with the fictional character. Oh, and not to mention, an entire subsection of the app dubbed ‘Dracotok’ will permanently linger in TikTok history.
There’s no hiding the evidence of everyone switching sides to join the Slytherin house, so why not embrace the shame and become Malfoy, if only for a night. To become Harry Potter’s schoolyard foe in true DIY fashion, you’ll need a long-sleeve white button-down shirt, black pullover vest, a green and white striped tie and black pants (or skirt!). If you’re willing to go all out, consider getting your hands on a Slytherin cloak—Hot Topic is a good place to start looking.
And lastly, complete the look with a wand. If you’ve maxed out your budget already with the cloak, you can totally pick up a stick you find outside and make it your wizarding accessory!
3. Doctor Octopus
On the subject of simping over fictional characters, let’s discuss the internet’s strange obsession with Doc Oc following his surprising appearance in the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer. We really only see the fictional character for maybe five seconds in the trailer, but that didn’t stop TikTokers from posting thirst edits adoring him.
As a child who grew up watching Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, I was terrified by the villains in all three movies. So as you can imagine, I didn’t express the same sentiments to these Doc Oc-obsessed TikToks as other users were. But just because I certainly won’t be dressing up as the metal appendaged villain doesn’t mean you can’t.
The key to dressing as the villainous character is layers. Begin with an all-black outfit underneath with a t-shirt and pants. Then layer on a long brown jacket. And finally, slip on a long green trench coat. Next, you’ll want to pair this look with oval sunglasses.Doc Oc’s metal arms, on the other hand, require a bit more creativity. One way to DIY them is by using flexible air duct pipes with claws made out of cardboard and aluminum foil. But if you’re feeling more daring, consider following in the footsteps of one DIYer who shares detailed plans on how they created Doc Oc’s metal arms with PVC piping, foam and water bottles.
4. Greta Van Fleet
Love them or hate them, the four band members of Michigan rock band Greta Van Fleet are here to stay. The line between admiring and mocking was certainly blurred when the band landed on FYPs everywhere for their infamous performance on Saturday Night Live The band sang their 2016 hit “You’re The One” on the late-night show and viewers weren’t so impressed by lead singer Josh Kiszka’s performance.
Despite his interesting ‘hippie’ outfit and loud screeches into the microphone, it was Kiszka’s strange mannerisms that grabbed the attention of the masses. It only took two years for TikTok to catch wind of the performance and boy did they run wild with it. At one point, every other TikTok on my FYP was yet another random person mimicking Kiszka’s facial expressions and hand movements during the bridge of the song.
This is all to say that TikTokers drove the trend into the ground, but hey, one more recreation of Greta Van Fleet’s performance certainly can’t do any more harm. So gather up your friends and perform like you’re a 23-year-old singing on SNL for the first time.
To capture Kiszka’s essence on stage, you’ll need wacky clothes that greatly juxtapose each other. Pair bold patterned pants with a white tee lined with long red fringes. Then slip on a pair of beige sandals. And finally, wear your hair curly and tease the heck out of it so it looks as if you—in the most literal sense—just rolled out of bed.
5. ABBA
Whether it be a trendy 30-second snippet of a song or the impending release of a new album after 40 years, ABBA always seems to be a popular subject on TikTok. The Swedish pop band, which rose to fame in the early 70s, is just as admired by millennials and Gen Zers now as it was during ABBA’s peak years.
So it’s not hard to see why dressing up as Benny, Björn, Agnetha and Frida is a perfect 2021 Halloween costume. All you’ll have to do is embrace the look of all-white, bell-bottomed jumpsuits and give your hair a 70s blowout—complete with curtain bangs (real or faux) of course!
6. The Backyardigans
ABBA isn’t the only band to take over TikTok. The singing animals of Nickelodeon’s hit children’s show The Backyardigans sure made it big on the app. With their songs “Into the Thick of It” and “Castaways” becoming top songs among users, it’s almost hard to believe that the show ended in 2008.
While it may be 17 years old (wowza!), The Backyardigans proves its trendiness time and time again, therefore making the perfect costume to debut this year. Fortunately, Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Austin and Tasha are pretty simple in their character designs so finding outfits—likely of clothes you already have at home, such as a striped tee and orange flowy dress—to match them isn’t too difficult. For the full effect, complete your look with character-specific coloured unitards as well as accessories, including hats, ears and antlers.
7. Good Soup
This may be a little obscure but bear with us. If you’re a fan of Adam Driver, you’re likely to get the reference “good soup” from HBO’s Girls. While the line was said during an intense moment between Driver and his costar Lena Dunham, TikTokers couldn’t help but find the moment hilarious—especially with Driver’s quick hand movement.
Sure the moment has become a joke on TikTok, but it’s all out of love for Driver. So this is your sign to grab a can of soup, dress up in a gray tee and dark blue jeans and constantly quote “good soup” all night long. If people don’t get the reference, it’s truly on them—not you.
8. Yeet Yeet Skrt Skrt
If the lyrics “You never loved me mom” insight a memory buried deep inside you, the SNL rap performed by Timothèe Chalamet and Pete Davidson is a great choice of costume for this year’s spooky season.
Making fun of today’s Soundcloud rap music, Chalamet and Davidson repeat the words “Yeet” and “Skrt” over and over, so there really isn’t much memorizing to do in the lyrical department. And in terms of costumes, the pair’s outfit is pretty easy to pull together—especially as a last-minute ensemble. For Chalamet’s character, all you’ll need is a white scoop neck tank, white jeans, gold chains, tattoos (drawn on with black eyeliner) and a pink wig. For Davidson’s, it’s quite similar—gold chains, blue wig, tattoos and a matching orange hoodie tracksuit.
9. Twilight
Is it a surprise that the Twilight saga, which had its peak in the late 2000s/early 2010s, repopularized on TikTok in 2021? Honestly, not really. Twilight will forever and always be a cinematic masterpiece.
And with a wide range of iconic characters to choose from, Twilight is the perfect choice for a Halloween costume. Perhaps you’ll choose to be a Cullen and reenact the renowned baseball scene. Or maybe you’ll be Charlie and helplessly listen to Bella’s night terrors. Whatever your choice, be sure to chant the most renowned line in the saga, sure to inform everyone that you are in fact a true Twilight fan: “Bella! Where the hell have you been, loca?”
10. Harry, Hermione & Ron during the chess scene
Looking for a costume that works for a trio? Leave it to TikTok to have you covered. Bringing back the Harry Potter theme, you and your friends can embrace your inner Gryffindors by recreating the renowned chess scene in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
TikToker Kimberley Pizzo launched the 2001 movie back into popularity with her uncanny impression of Ron Weasely sacrificing himself during a magical chess match so that Harry can stop Professor Snape. In doing so, Pizzo unleashed a trend on the app that saw other users recreating the scene in hilarious fashion. And we say why not join in on the imitation!
Much like Draco Malfoy, you’ll need long-sleeve white button-down shirts, red and yellow striped ties, black pants (or skirts!), Gryffindor cloaks and a trio of wands. To fully seal the deal, consider memorizing the lines to truly reenact the masterpiece in all its glory—including the show-stealing line: “Not me, not Hermoine, Yaou!”
Feature Image Courtesy of Artem Maltsev on Unsplash
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