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When October is just around the corner, you know that the Halloween costumes are about to come out of the closet. Whether this is your favorite time of the year and you look forward to selecting a new costume or you're known as someone who never dresses up, you can't deny the excitement of a work party to celebrate this spooky holiday. It's your chance to network and
There are thousands of costumes out there, but you may not have time to browse them all before making your selection. This guide will take the work out of your search by delivering a detailed list of the best costumes for work Halloween parties.
Rock Today's Hottest Trends
You can't go wrong with costumes based on television shows, movies, books and other characters that are relevant today. You'll learn which of your colleagues are up with the times and who needs to get out of the office a little more, judging by their familiarity with your Halloween character. The downside is that these costumes tend to sell out quickly due to their popularity, so you should start shopping early.
While the movie "Suicide Squad" is a big hit at the box office, your Harley Quinn prison detainee costume will become a hit at your work party. She's the comic book rebel brought to life on the big screen, but she also happens to sport a behind-bars wardrobe that's appropriate for a work setting. If her tattered shirt is a little too much for your conservative office, simply close the button-up shirt or go with the Site Bravo Detainee costume instead. Don't forget to pick up your Harley Quinn Joker temporary tattoos to perfect the character.
You can also find some work-friendly costume options hiding in your television set. You'll get hugs from everyone in the office when you show up in your #Hashtag Panda costume, bringing Jimmy Fallon's hilarious fuzzy friend to life. If you want to keep with the furry friend theme without covering your head completely, slip on the Blake Bear coat to entertain the Workaholics of your office.
While we're talking about hot TV shows that make excellent Halloween costumes, there's no forgetting The Big Bang Theory. Show your scientific side and confuse a few of your colleagues with the Doppler Effect costume, or recruit a few of your office mates to represent the Wesley Crushers bowling team.
Are you more interested in a trendy Halloween costume that will leave nothing to the imagination? Put on your blue headband and white apron, and let the Progressive Flo costume out of the bag. Everyone will know who you are because Progressive is written proudly across your chest, and this is a costume that you can wear all day or slip on at party time.
Keep it Classic
Halloween gives you an excuse to go back in time to some of your favorite cultural references. From the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Curious George and Doctor Who, there are endless characters that have historical significance as well as costumes suitable for a professional setting. Think of a TV show or movie that played a memorable role in your childhood, and you're likely to find a costume that portrays those memories.
If you were obsessed with "A League of Their Own," bring out your sporty side by becoming a member of the Rockford Peaches women's baseball team. The pink costume may fit your office dress code, and you can combine it with a pair of knee-highs to complete the look. You can even create an office baseball team by convincing some of your colleagues to join the Peaches along with you.
Do you want to have everyone looking for you at the party? Then give them a reason to start searching by wearing the Where's Waldo costume. While this is a classic cultural reference that everyone will know right off, it's still one of the most popular adult Halloween costumes today. It's also a simple costume that you can comfortably wear all day without breaking any office rule.
Are you more the type to keep it simple? Halloween doesn't get any easier than the Charlie Brown yellow t-shirt costume. It's a button-up polo that your boss would approve of, but the classic black squiggle mark across the front will make it clear that you're Charlie for the day.
Take a Walk on the Risque Side
If your office has a relaxed attitude for Halloween and you want to show off your curves and perhaps a little skin at this party, get your look started with a tank dress costume. These slip-on dresses are easy to change into after official work hours, or you can dress them up so that they turn into all-day attire. You'll easily find group costume ideas here, but you may want to keep the cuteness all to yourself.
For a classic cultural reference that your colleagues will find refreshing, go with the Coca-Cola tunic dress. If you have a reputation for keeping your nose in the books, express your inner nerd with the Nerds tank dress. Recruit your office mate to pull off the Heinz Ketchup & Mustard look, or get wild together with the Thing 1 and Thing 2 costume set.
Do you want to show your sweet side? There are many candy-themed tank dresses, ranging from colorful Tootsie Rolls to Mr. Goodbar and the classic Hershey's chocolate bar.
If you want to take risque to the extreme, there's always the Borat Suspender Mankini, but don't hold us responsible for the reaction of your colleagues. This is one best left to spooky parties of a personal nature.
Playing It Safe
A tank dress with thigh-high boots isn't appropriate for every office, so what do you wear to a conservative office party? The Mario Raccoon costume set is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of even the most strict boss, and an Olive Oyl costume may help you find your Popeye at this party. You can always give your colleagues a sense of reassurance when Captain America shows up to their rescue, or you can make them shake in their boots by arriving as the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.
A Halloween party is a great way to get to know your colleagues and perhaps make some connections that may move you up the ladder in the future. If you also enjoy parties outside of the office, try to find a work costume that you can transform into an after-hours costume with a few accessories.