Halloween is coming up fast, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be scrambling to come up with a costume on October 31th after failing, yet again, to plan ahead at all. Come on, sweetie. You’re better than that. We’re better than that. I’M better than that, which is why I ordered my costume in advance for the first time in my life this year (it’s Beychella), thank you very much!!!
But even if you want to plan ahead, there’s the issue of actually coming up with an idea. There’s a lot of pressure to create the perfect costume for Halloween, which can make it suddenly impossible to think of anything even remotely interesting. Costumes like ghosts, cats, and witches can only go so far!
As a queer woman, gender presentation may play a role in what type of Halloween costumes you feel comfortable wearing. You may even want to experiment with your gender presentation on Halloween for fun — it’s honestly the ideal time to do so! It’s practically a gay tradition. You could always look to queer celebs for inspo, or you could straight-up dress like a character from “The L Word.”
Here are on-trend 2019 Halloween costume ideas for every type of lesbian: femmes, butches/studs, and everything in between.
Hard Femmes
Batwoman: Batwoman is everything that a hard femme could want in a Halloween costume. She’s a lesbian, her outfit is super hot, she’s culturally relevant at the moment, you can order a ready-made costume online, and she’s easy to recognize so you won’t have to spend the whole night answering the question, “What are you dressed as?”
Female wrestler: Female wrestling is in these days, thanks in part to the Netflix series “Glow.” For hard femmes with a creative bent, coming up with your very own wrestling persona and costume would be so much fun. You can even practice a signature move! Maybe a dropkick? Don’t forget the colorful tights and wrestling boots.
Nadia of “Russian Doll:” Nadia may be Natasha Lyonne’s (the best lesbian icon who’s not a lesbian) best role yet. Her IDGAF hair! Her cigarette! Her messy life! Nadia wears the exact same outfit in each episode because of the Groundhog Day-esque plot of the show, so turning her into a Halloween costume will be easy, especially if you already own lots of black.
High Femmes
Poison Ivy: Yes, another superhero idea. Ever since those rumors that Rihanna is going to play Poison Ivy in an upcoming movie, I’ve been obsessed. She denied the rumors, but she did say she dressed up as her for Halloween once, so either way, you’ll be following in Rih Rih’s footsteps — what more could a high femme want? Oh, and Poison Ivy is queer.
Literally any character from “Euphoria:” Have you seen Euphoria? If so, you know that every single character is just begging to become a Halloween costume. The show is famous for its stunning makeup looks, which are instantly recognizable and will definitely be the key to your Halloween look. The only question is: Are you a Maddy, Kat or Jules?
Ashley O from “Black Mirror:” Before Miley Cyrus was everybody’s girlfriend, she played “Black Mirror’s” Ashley O, a disillusioned pop star. This costume involves a lilac purple wig, silver hot pants, and thigh-high white boots. Um, NEED I SAY MORE?
Chapstick Femme
Scarlett Johanssen: Lazy femmes who spend too much time on Twitter, this one’s for you. Remember when Scarlett Johanssen got called out for taking roles from minorities, then rebutted that she should be allowed to “play any person, or any tree, or any animal?” Twitter was full of joke memes about Johanssen playing an actual tree (and a bus, and any other person or object). For Halloween, simply wear a sign around your neck that says “Scarlett Johanssen.” Boom, funny and on-trend.
Megan Rapinoe: Megan Rapinoe is the best female soccer player in the world, as determined by FIFA and also by every single queer person. Also, wearing a soccer uniform on Halloween sounds very cozy! Authentic jerseys can get pretty pricey, so either go for a T-shirt version or make your own. Don’t forget the cleats and your new catchphrase: “I’m not going to the f*cking White House.”
Derry Girls: Schoolgirl costumes don’t have to be coy and sexy. The girls from “Derry Girls” have captured the hearts of Netflix viewers with their foul mouths. Whether you choose to dress as Erin, Orla or Clare, you’ll need a traditional Catholic school uniform complete with the long plaid skirt and V-neck sweater with a tie underneath. Oh, and the very uncool black loafers.
Androgynous
Prince: Does this really need any explanation? Prince is Prince. No Halloween party is complete without someone dressed as Prince. A gender-expansive legend! Make sure to add his signature facial hair and wear lots of purple.
The Babadook: So there’s this whole thing where the Babadook is considered to be a queer icon and also happens to be one of the spookiest horror movie monsters out there. Dress as the Babadook for Halloween, and maybe you’ll become an internet legend like this girl. It’s all about the face paint and the top hat.
The Tethered from “Us:” Speaking of horror movie characters, this is the first Halloween since “Us” came out and I hope to see LOTS of folks dressed as the Tethered this year!!! It’s pretty easy: orange jumpsuit, creepy brown leather gloves, and a big pair of golden scissors.
Butches/Studs
Young M.A.: Take a break from listening to Young M.A.’s new album “Herstory in the Making” to dress up as the rapper and melt every femme within a 50-mile radius. To make it work, you need her signature braids, her “God’s Gift” neck tattoo, a hat, and a bottle of Hennessey for good measure.
Clown: This year was full of creepy clowns. Pick your poison: The Joker or the creature from IT. Either way, you get to terrify everyone and play around with face paint.
Lil Nas X: Lil Nas X has been busy breaking barriers as a queer country rapper all year long. The yeehaw agenda is still in full swing, so this costume is really ideal in terms of timing. You’ll need a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, obvi — preferably something with some glitz and glam. Top it off with a plaid shirt and a lasso — and maybe even a fake horse to match the lyrics of “Old Town Road.”
Soft Butches
Sailor: No cultural reference here, I just think sailors are hot. What do sailors even do, anyway? I know they work on boats, but what do they do on the boats exactly? Anyway, just imagining a soft butch in a cute sailor costume is making my heart flutter. You could keep it clean-cut OR add some old-school sailor tattoos.
The Hot Priest from “Fleabag:” Everybody had a crush on the Hot Priest after watching season two of “Fleabag,” much to the confusion of the actual creators of “Fleabag.” Dressing as a priest on Halloween is a bit risque, but what is this holiday for if not taking a risk?!
Spider-Man: 2019 has really been Spider-Man’s year. There was “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Sure, you could dress up in his signature suit, but you could also dress up as schoolboy Spiderman from this year’s most recent movie. Plaid shirt, khaki pants, a backpack, and maybe some spiderwebs to drive the point home.
What Do You Think?