K-Pop inspired Halloween costumes
Halloween is upon us! Whether you’re heading to a party, a K-Pop club night, or wanting to dress up to stay in, we have a huge selection of costume ideas for you, inspired by idols, music videos, and stages.
ENHYPEN Debut Trailer 1: ‘Choose-Chosen’. Screenshot from ENHYPEN’s YouTube.
Zombies (from TWICE’s ‘Like Ooh-Aah’)
TWICE’s iconic debut music video treated us to some of the same classic zombie looks that are a quintessential part of Korean cinema (think Train to Busan and #ALIVE). The ‘Like Ooh-Aah’ video also stars Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and A.C.E’s Chan as two of the zombies!
To recreate the look, why not recycle some old clothes you no longer wear by shredding them and adding some fake blood? Then simply paint on some dark makeup (under eye circles, hollowed out cheeks, rotting lips) and pop in some coloured contacts if you want to go all the way.
Images: JYP Entertainment
Black swans (from BTS’ ‘Black Swan’)
Perhaps the easiest look of this list, the BTS black swan from the Map of the Soul : 7 is a powerful yet cheap option. Don your best black outfit — perhaps use a blazer or corset to emanate the Bangtan Boys’ classy looks — and add a pair of black angel wings. Simple but effective!
Witches (from Dreamcatcher’s ‘Red Sun’)
The 7-piece girl group Dreamcatcher have arguably shaped themselves into queens of Halloween thanks to their nightmare concepts and creepy music videos. To create your own take on the staple witch costume, utilise their performance video looks for the track ‘Red Sun’.
Long layers of black and some gothic lace will go a long way. Finishing touches can be perfected with some red eyeshadow, swept under the waterline and over the eyelids to replicate Siyeon and Gahyeon’s sleep-deprived, haunted look.
Wonderland entities (from ATEEZ’s ‘Wonderland’ Halloween Special)
If you’re adept with a makeup brush, ATEEZ’s 2019 M Countdown stage may have one of the options for you. Displaying a number of different looks inspired by everything from clowns to DC’s The Enchantress, the boys showcased a Halloween version of their ‘Wonderland’ military costumes by adding white gloves and heavy clown-esque makeup.
The below photos of the members can act as templates for your spooky looks. However, please take care to avoid any appropriative hairstyles!
Dolls (from Red Velvet’s ‘Dumb Dumb’)
Putting a kooky spin on Halloween is Red Velvet’s ‘Dumb Dumb’. The SM girl group dropped their doll outfits back in 2015 and whilst not typically scary, the eerie nature of the moving dolls makes for a great costume.
To achieve the look, get hold of a red dress (or matching top and shorts), a collared white shirt, and some colourful socks and aprons. Maybe you could choose the colour assigned to your Red Velvet bias. If you have long enough hair, use some wire or pipe cleaners to shape your locks into plaits like the girls’. If the wild hairstyle isn’t quite for you, use a tutorial for the alternate hairstyles from the music video.
Red Velvet’s ‘Dumb Dumb’ dolls offer a fun alternative to a scary costume. Images: SM Entertainment.
Vampires (from ENHYPEN’s MV universe)
Another iconic Halloween choice, the vampiric costume can be modernised from the traditional Dracula-style cloak by looking to HYBE’s ENHYPEN. Utilising a vampire concept throughout multiple music videos, the group’s debut trailer and music video for the track ‘Given-Taken’ give us some easy-to-copy looks.
Use some pale makeup, smart black trousers and a white shirt (preferably with ruffles or a fabric bow) to adopt the ENHYPEN vampire vibe. You can then add some vampire teeth for clarity, or even coat yourself in fake blood as seen in ‘Drunk-Dazed’ and you’re good to go.
Ghosts (from Nature’s ‘어린애 (Girls)’ music video)
This haunting music video from the girl group Nature features a few variations on the classic ghost costume. As well as the straightforward white sheet ghost (always a good choice), the girls can also be seen wearing blood stained white dresses whilst dancing barefoot. This would be a great look for any fashion style; simply wear an all white outfit soaked in fake blood or red food colouring. Shoes are recommended for any trips outside, of course, and keep the scissor wielding to house parties only.
You might want to skip past this video if you’re squeamish!
Fairytale creatures (from TXT’s ‘Nap of a Star’)
If you’re after a group costume for five, look no further than Tomorrow x Together. The track ‘Nap of a Star’ is more lullaby-esque than haunting, but there are certainly some dark moments in its music video, and some great costumes.
Assign yourself and your friends to the five characters and add the appropriate apparel: Yeonjun’s one-horned boy (a pair of antlers with blood), Soobin’s elf (some fake ears), Taehyun’s starry-eyed boy (contact lenses and a telescope), Beomgyu’s underground creature (some porcupine-esque spikes), and Huening Kai’s angel (a pair of white wings).
K-Pop is an abundance of costuming and extravagance, perfect for the spooky season. If the above ideas aren’t quite right, check out our other choices of Halloween K-Pop music videos to get some more inspiration.
