Whether you’re planning to push it with Salt n Pepa at ACL Live’s Zombie Ball or you’re brave enough to battle the hordes on Dirty 6th, Halloween just isn’t the most wonderful time of the year without a great costume. As anyone who has lived here for more than a month knows, Austin is nothing without its interesting cast of characters. And while Leslie and Willie costumes may be old news, the past year or so has definitely produced enough new physical representations of the keep it weird philosophy to give you plenty of last minute Halloween options without having to fight the crowds.
Barbie Jeep Girl
She’s definitely not winning any awards for role model of the year, but Texas State’s most popular student (okay, she was admittedly in San Marcos, but close enough) sure did have her moment in the sun after stories of her post-DWI choice of vehicle took over social media. Just be sure to order an Uber XL at the end of the night so that your costume fits, and your happy ass doesn’t end up like the real Barbie Jeep Girl.
Get the look: Harken back to your fort days and go find a good box, paint it pink and try to make it somewhat resemble a Jeep. Then do you best impression of an undergrad coed by looking as disheveled as possible while reeking of stale Fireball and cigarettes.
Johnny Manziel at Rio
Remember that clever swan costume you made back when you were Bjork for Halloween that one year, then recycled for a Black Swan spoof that one year? Well, it’s time to get it back out so that you and your friends can relive that magical moment when Johnny Football had a little too much champagne in the rooftop pool at Rio and when riding on the back of a swan. Didn’t actually make this recycled swan costume?
Get the look: Grab the actual swan float online, find some khaki shorts, a green shirt, and a black cap in the bottom of your closet. Snag a durable plastic bottle and paint it gold, and you’ll be ready for a night on the town that all of the sports tabloids can get excited about.
Austin Cobra
Though he’s moved on to the “great condo in the sky,” according to his Twitter account, Austinites will never forget the cold blooded culprit who (hopefully accidentally) killed a young man in his car before leading police on a snakehunt and subsequently being smushed on I-35. No, it’s not a funny story… But Austinites, being the light-hearted bunch that we are, turned it into a social media sensation. Now you can turn it into your own clever Halloween costume. Just be careful not to wander anywhere near the interstate.
Get the look: Buy this suit. Because I really need to see someone in this suit.
Jailbird Shia LaBeouf
Who could’ve possibly missed the most entertaining part of weekend 2 of the Austin City Limits festival, the 6th Street arrest of actor Shia LaBeouf? Here’s the thing: in Austin, we like to drink. Most of our social lives revolve around it, and though we want guests of our city to enjoy a patio margarita or a local craft pint, they all need to understand that keeping up with an Austinite’s alcohol tolerance is no easy feat. Just because you took on the Decepticons does not mean you can take on a bottle of Jager with a UT frat bro. But hey, no one got hurt, and Shia is just nutty enough to kind of be one of us, so I personally think he should be welcome back anytime.
Get the look: This costume is so easy to put together, you might as well just do it. A scruffy beard and hair, blue shirt, brown shorts, and a pair of inexplicable green socks topped off with a pair of police handcuffs should do the trick. A printed copy of the arrest report helps to sell your lack of shame to those who just don’t get it.
Blue Bell Zombie
As we’ve learned this past year, Texas’ love for the creamy goodness filled with sugar that is Blue Bell ice cream overrules all sense of self-preservation and indignation against corporate malfeasance. Since Brenham is obviously where the upcoming zombie apocalypse will spring from, we might as well prepare ourselves by dressing up to represent a state filled with Blue Bell zombies.
Get the look: Go Austin hipster or generic Texan with the costuming, add some zombie makeup plus empty Blue Bell containers, and you’re good to go!
Bevo XIV
Photo: Jim Mikulak, Wikimedia Commons.
While our feels are still pretty fresh about losing beloved Longhorn mascot Bevo to Bovine Leukemia, there’s no better way to honor the big guy’s time on the football field than with a well put together costume and a whole lot of school pride. Now that iOS9 now has the hook ‘em emoji, you can fully articulate your costume to your friends via text talk. Plus, this way you can go straight from watching the Iowa State game straight to 6th Street.
Get the look: You’re closet is probably already full of burnt orange and white, so all you really need is a pair or horns. If you can’t find any at the Halloween store, here’s a simple way to make your own with paper mache. Add a bit and bridle for a little extra fun for the evening.
In N Out Employee
Austin is all about shopping and eating locally, but damn if we don’t lose our shit when certain fast food chains come to town. You probably won’t manage to look as cute as Internet famous Willow, but you can certainly try.
Get the look: White pants and shirt, red apron, and a homemade paper hat make for an easy costume. Throw a few stains on yourself to get a full “animal style” look.
DWI King Adam Reposa
You may know him better as that lawyer who caused a major kerfuffle during SXSW this year by posting those “exclusively for white people” stickers on the windows of some local businesses, but there’s a lot more to the entertaining liberty crusader. A quick Google search leads you to some side splitting commercials that involve monster trucks, as well as a Vice article titled “Adam Reposa: Lawyer, Lunatic.” You may or may not like him, but this Halloween, you can easily look like him.
Get the look: Paint your chest with a bald eagle with outstretched wings, grow or plaster on a horse shoe moustache, and fill yourself full of righteous indignation and alcohol. That’s it, you’re good to go.
Peter Pan
We all know that Austin is basically Never Never Land, which makes it a great city for fun, but a difficult city for dating, so why not just embrace that fact with a pair of skin-tight green tights? At least this way any ladies or fellas who enjoy the outfit will know that they’re hitting on someone with commitment phobia. You can even exercise your squad goals and have your friends dress up as the lost boys, because who doesn’t want to walk around in footie pajamas, looking like woodland creatures?
Get the look: Green tights, green tunic, green hat, and brown belt. No dignity required. Simple enough.
Voodoo Donuts Priest
Though I’m still trying to figure out what exactly Portland and voodoo have to do with one another, I can’t complain about one of the most delicious exports to ever come out of the City of Roses: The new Voodoo Doughnuts open on East 6th.
Get the look: Since “good things come in pink boxes,” you might as well go all out and go for the pink (plus it’s still breast cancer awareness month, so you may actually be able to find everything in pink)-pink blazer, pink button down, pink top hat-just go the whole 9. Accessories include a plastic bone necklace, staff, hoop earring, and the quintessential pink doughnut box. Don’t forget to grab some black makeup to black out your eyes to complete the look.
