While there are plenty of movies on the 2023 movie schedule to take inspiration from this Halloween, sometimes a throwback look is the way to go. Y2K fashion is all the rage right now, and with the infinite love for movies like Mean Girls and Legally Blonde, dressing up as some of the leading ladies from some of the best movies of the 2000s will make for an iconic Halloween costume.
Here are eight fetch ideas to get you back in the early aughts mood this spooky season.
Legally Blonde: Elle Woods (Played By Reese Witherspoon)
I feel like a lot of girls, myself included, wanted to grow up to be Elle Woods. a.ka. the fashion student-turned-lawyer who looks fabulous in hot pink. Reese Witherspoon leads the cast of Legally Blonde and plays the peppy Harvard law student. She rocks the courtroom and her fits, and you’ll be the talk of the Halloween party if you go dressed as Elle Woods.
You can check out Legally Blonde with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Mean Girls: Regina George (Played By Rachel McAdams)
Regina George really is the most iconic mean girl of them all, so much so that even Lindsay Lohan wanted to play her. She led the Plastics in their high school escapades and was the root of most of the problems in the movie. However, Rachel McAdams's character had the best outfits in the movie. Just by grabbing some bright pink clothes, turning up the sass and saying iconic lines like, “Get in, loser, we’re going shopping,” you are bound to have one of the most fetch costumes.
You can watch Mean Girls with a Paramount+ subscription.
13 Going On 30: Jenna Rink (Played By Jennifer Garner)
I’d bet money if you are at a Halloween party, “Thriller” will likely be on the playlist for the night. If you remember, Jenna Rink, played by Jennifer Garner, slayed a dance to this song in the rom-com classic 13 Going on 30. So grab your multi-colored dress and learn Jenna’s choreography, and you’ll be ready to be this fun early 2000s character this spooky season.
You can watch 13 Going on 30 with an HBO Max subscription.
The Devil Wears Prada: Miranda Priestly (Played By Meryl Streep)
If you are looking for a scary character, but in an unconventional way, look no further than the fabulous and intimidating Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. Granted, this one's a bit of a cheat since the movie came out in 2006, but this is too good to pass up. The editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine is a soft-spoken, yet aggressive boss who runs the magazine with style. Played brilliantly by Meryl Streep, Miranda makes the perfect costume that is chic and easy to put together.
You can check out The Devil Wears Prada with a Peacock subscription.
The Princess Diaries - Mia Thermopolis (Played By Anne Hathaway)
I grew up wanting to be exactly like Mia Thermopolis, the normal girl-turned-princess of Genovia. If you're like me, you can live out your princess dreams by recreating Anne Hathaway’s lovely schoolgirl look from the first movie. If you want to spice it up, throw in a tiara and some sunglasses to pay homage to the classic movie poster.
You can watch The Princess Diaries with a Disney+ subscription.
If you want to add a little extra spunk to your costume think about adding:
Bring It On: Torrance Shipman (Played By Kirsten Dunst)
While you could be a generic cheerleader for Halloween, why not make it early 2000s-themed and dress up as cheer captain Torrance Shipman, played by Kirsten Dunst in Bring It On? It’s a super easy costume and will throw it back to one of the best cheerleading movies out there.
You can rent Bring it On on YouTube, Apple TV or Amazon Prime for $3.99.
Miss Congeniality: Gracie Hart (Played By Sandra Bullock)
I think this classic Sandra Bullock character would be so fun for a Halloween costume. You could dress up as the reluctant pageant queen and rock a gorgeous dress and tiara, while also wearing comfy combat boots. This movie was such a unique and fun mystery at a pageant, and Gracie was the best part of the whole movie. Dressing up as Miss Congeniality would for sure be a super fun Halloween costume.
You can watch Miss Congeniality with a Netflix subscription or on HBO Max.
Almost Famous: Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson)
If you’d rather go more rock and roll with your costume this year, you can dress up as Penny Lane from the movie Almost Famous. Played by Kate Hudson, Penny travels around with a band and lives it up. Her outfits are amazing, and by dressing up as her, you’d also have some super fun throwback pieces for your wardrobe that can be worn really any time of the year.
You can watch Almost Famous with a Paramount+ subscription.
There you have it, some fun costume ideas based on some legendary movies from the early 2000s. While Y2K fashion may be all the rage at the moment, there are also plenty of other costume options that you can choose from. For more inspiration, you can check out these guides on how to create costumes based on some of 2022's most popular movies and costumes inspired by sketches from Saturday Night Live. No matter what look you go with, you are bound to have a stylish movie or TV-inspired costume this Halloween.
