If you're still on the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume, then you might want to look to gargoyles, Freaky Nikki and Dolly Parton for inspiration - they are all predicted to be popular outfit choices for 2026. "People don't necessarily want to look frightening - they want to look extraordinary," says costume designer Tamar Zaig, who runs a fancy dress hire shop in London and says she's seeing a "real appetite for escapism, glamour and a bit of dark humour" right now. And as usual, the year's major film and TV releases, as well as news and pop culture trends, are also driving outfit choices.
The Traitors is a timely choice, with host Claudia Winkleman's look easy to pull together. Think fringe, tartan, chunky knitwear and some heavy eyeliner. Winkleman is "a classic that we see every year", says the creator behind the popular Love of Huns Instagram account (who did not want to be named).
But she "will definitely be making a return this Halloween off the back of all the Traitors love and the icon that she is". Ice hockey romance series Off Campus also features in many of the outfit inspiration videos trending online. The show's main characters, Dean and Allie attend a Halloween party in the series, with Allie dressed as J-Lo and Dean as Top Gun's Maverick, which could provide a rather meta costume opportunity for fans or couples.
Another of this year's most popular TV shows, Widow's Bay - which scooped up at this year's Emmy Awards - is also inspiring outfits. Maria Nichol, 35, a horror aficionado from Ely in Cambridgeshire, plans to dress as Kate O'Flynn's character Patricia - and is trying to replicate her gothic headdress, which includes antlers and a taxidermy fox, by crafting her own from foam clay, foil and fur. One of the most replicated outfits looks set to be Nikki from indie horror film phenomenon Obsession, say fancy dress shops, influencers and make-up artists.
The character's red and black zebra print top went viral earlier this year, selling out online and reportedly leading to a 27,000-person waitlist, external before returning to stores. "We've had customers asking for Nikki," says Muhammad Rai from shop Fancy Dress Town in London, with people trying to recreate her with a red corset and wig, "although unfortunately, we currently have none in stock". "I've had a few people ask me to do that make-up for them," adds special effects make-up artist and prosthetics designer Meg, from Liverpool.
We might also see a surge in 1990s and 2000s nostalgia, believes Nichol, with party-goers dressed as Buffy, Hilary Duff and characters from Practical Magic, after the film's sequel was released last month. As well as Obsession, some of this year's other top grossing films – such as the Michael Jackson biopic, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey – are also on the cards. "I'm seeing a lot of Gothic romance and historical influences not only in films such as Wuthering Heights, The Odyssey and The Bride!, but in fashion too, with corsets, lace, dramatic silhouettes appearing on the catwalks, particularly at London Fashion Week," says designer Zaig.
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