It’s that spooky time of year again. It can be a challenge to find comfortable, creative, and work-appropriate Halloween costumes — especially if you’re working remotely or spend most of your time on Zoom. But no matter if you’re the newest employee or the leader of a team, everyone can have fun with these costume options below.
Remember to be mindful if you have meetings or presentations on costumes day. Consider choosing a costume that fits your company’s meeting culture and allows you to be confident while you work.
We’ve also included Halloween Costume Dos and Don’ts at the end, so be sure to check those before you show up on costume day.
Included in this article:
- Office-Appropriate Halloween Costumes
- Remote Work/Zoom Call Halloween Costumes
- Team and Group Costumes
- Bonus: Workplace Halloween Costume Dos and Don’ts
Work-Appropriate Halloween Costumes for the Office
If you’re working in an office setting, there’s a lot more room for getting creative with costumes — and a range of Halloween looks that will make your coworkers chuckle. You can decide how big or how small you want to go with these — don’t feel the need to show up in a full-body costume if that’s not your thing!
1. Rosie the Riveter
We love a strong woman, especially a strong working woman. Rosie the Riveter is the O.G., and this costume is so easy: headscarf, workwear button-down, and the occasional flexed arm.
2. Wednesday Addams
A true classic, dressing like Wednesday requires very little other than a black dress with a white collar and two classic braids. If you don’t have the long hair for the look, opt for a cheap Halloween wig!
3. Harry Potter or Hermoine Granger
Who doesn’t love a magical coworker? Both Harry and Hermoine (or Ron or any other Harry Potter franchise costume — these would also work for a group costume!) is a perfect work-appropriate option. Brit + Co has a great tutorial for the Harry Potter costumes.
4. “The Unicorn Employee”
Have you heard the term “unicorn employee”? It means the employee who “magically” has all the skills you need. Dress up like a unicorn as a clever pun on the term — and a little self-deprecating joke.
5. Cowboy or Cowgirl
Hat, Western shirt, blue jeans. Done.
Note: Skip any violent props! Opt for alternatives like a Sherrif’s pin, a bandana, or a lasso!
6. Nail Polish
Are you an OPI fanatic or Team Essie? This work-appropriate Halloween costume is so so simple — just an hour or so of crafting with cardboard (here’s the full tutorial). It would also make for a great team costume!
7. Frankenstein’s Monster
Why mess with a classic? The perfect work-appropriate Halloween costume if you have an old suit in your closet. Pick up a cheap costume makeup kit at the grocery store to give yourself that classic pallor.
8. Halloween Pumpkin
When in doubt, opt for the inexpensive costume. It’s also conveniently easy to throw on and off — perfect if you’d rather only wear your costume for a Halloween lunch party or happy hour.
9. Formal Apology
(See below, bottom right.) We’re certainly laughing. Punny costumes — especially ones that reference work-speak, e.g. “re: re: re: fwd:” and “work wife” are always a nice way to add a little humor to the office Halloween party.
Work-Appropriate Costumes for Zoom Calls
Wigs, facepaint, hats, and above-the-neck accessories are your best friends for costumes when working from home and celebrating via video.
1. Neo or Trinity from the Matrix
All black, plus sunglasses. Voila.
Pro-Tip: If you’re virtual, change your background to go with your costume!
2. Ziggy Stardust/David Bowie
No real costume required — just get that lightning bolt makeup locked down!
3. Spooky Skeleton
Another great work-appropriate Halloween costume for Zoom calls — only makeup required.
4. Avocado Toast
Wear tan or brown clothes, add some green felt, and you’ve got a Zoom- and work-appropriate costume that’s very of the moment. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of sriracha or TJ’s “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning — when on video calls, props are a must!
5. Wicked Witch
Always a classic.
6. Surgeon
The easiest costume of them all these days since most of us have surgical masks around the house. Plus, wearing a pair of scrubs to work is so comfortable!
Work Team and Group Costumes
1. Fruit & Veggies
Nutrition is cool! If you want to get clever about the “group” element of this costume, you could coordinate so you all arrive as a “work lunch” — a sandwich, apple or grapes, a soda, etc.
2. La Croix Cans
How many of these does your work team consume a year? Have each person pick their favorite flavor, then show up in costume. Bonus points if you also bring La Croix cans to hand out!
3. Hot Sauces
The hot sauces featured in the image above are Star Staffing Costume Contest Winners from a few years ago. Each Halloween, Star holds a costume contest online where anyone can vote for our winners! Follow us to vote in our costume contest this year on Facebook and LinkedIn.
4. Minions
Minions are having a moment. Be the team who’s most on trend in this always work-appropriate group costume. Use these Minions costume instructions via Brit + Co.
5. Milkshakes or Fro-Yos
Chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberry? Swirl? Have each member of your team pick their flavor, then dress entirely in that color. Wear a hat or make DIY “cherry on top” headbands for everyone! Find a milkshake group costume tutorial via Studio DIY.
6. Your Team’s Favorite Movie Characters
Invite your team to vote on a few movies so you pick the film that gets people most excited!
Work-Appropriate Halloween Costumes Dos and Don’ts
Do
- Get creative with what you have. You don’t need to spend tons of money to create a costume!
- Consider combining efforts. You’ll get more bang for your buck — and inspire more delight from your coworkers — if you show up in a group costume.
- Think about inside jokes. Has your whole team been joking about Sweetgreen orders on Slack all year? Some of the best work costumes are the ones that get specific to the work company and culture.
- Make sure you’re being sensitive and inclusive. Your costume should delight people, which means it should appeal to everyone at the office.
- Wear something comfortable! Don’t get stuck in an itchy costume all day. Sometimes, less is more, especially if you’re logging eight hours at the office.
Don’t
- No full over-the-face masks: Of course, masks are part of our everyday lives, but at work, a full-face mask can be intimidating or make co-workers feel uncomfortable.
- Do not wear anything overly-revealing: This goes for everyone in the office – Remember, you’re still at work. Your office likely has a good guideline for this so if you’re unsure, ask HR.
- Costumes shouldn’t prohibit you from working: Choose a costume that you can still work in safely and effectively.
- No weapon-like props: For your safety, and others, do not risk bringing any violent costume accessories to work. Trust us, your team will still know you’re a pirate without the sword!
- Be mindful of others: Steer very clear of any costumes that could be considered cultural appropriation, too gory-looking, or politically charged. If you’re unsure, ask your manager or HR.
- Do not pressure anyone to dress up: Some teammates won’t want to participate for a variety of reasons and that’s perfectly fine. Let these teammates know you appreciate them and be sure to include them in another team activity soon.
Image credits:
Avocado toast costume via Brit + Co.
Milkshake group costume tutorial via Studio DIY.
DIY Minions via Brit + Co.
Avocado Toast DIY via Brit + Co.
Formal apology (and additional punny Halloween costume ideas) via Good Housekeeping.
Nail polish costume tutorial via Club Crafted.