What are the best pop culture Halloween costumes for 2026?

Girlboss's picks are Taylor Swift and the Haim sisters' Knicks game T-shirts, Ilya and Shane from Heated Rivalry, Alysa Liu, Rob Rausch, Dolly Parton, and Carrie White. They're sorted by effort level, from low to high.

What are some easy, low-effort pop culture Halloween costumes?

The Knicks T-shirts ("Stevie Knicks," "Knicole Kidman," and "Knickelback") are a quick option. A Heated Rivalry duo costume only needs two hockey jerseys, and you can find vintage Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens jerseys online.

How do you dress as Alysa Liu for Halloween?

Start with a blonde wig, spray in her striped hair with dark brown root touch-up, then add a gold sequin dress and a gold medal. There are no striped wigs on the market yet, so you'll have to DIY the hair.

What do you need for a Dolly Parton costume?

Go with sky-high bleach-blonde hair and a full beat, then choose an era. Options include cowgirl chic with a red plaid shirt and cowboy hat, or Western glam with a bedazzled, sequined matching set.

What do you need for a Carrie White costume?

A full-length prom dress, a prom queen tiara and sash, and a lot of fake blood.

6 Pop Culture Halloween Costume Ideas for 2026

In partnership with

Lara here, Girlboss’ contributing writer. 👋

Important PSA: 🚨 Halloween is on a Saturday this year, and it won’t be on a Saturday again for another 11 YEARS!!! 😱 That can only mean one thing: you’re going to need a damn good costume. 👻 Lucky for you, we’ve brainstormed some outrageously fun (and timely!) pop culture-inspired costumes for every effort level. 🎃 Enter if you dare!

And if you haven’t downloaded our exclusive spooky wallpapers yet, what are you waiting for?

Other stuff the Girlboss team is yapping about on Slack:

We’re so damn excited about Lena Dunham’s Girls revival.
Chappell and Olivia, the queens that you are!

6 Fabulous Pop Culture Halloween Costume Ideas

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