A collection of easy costume ideas for men! Many of these men’s Halloween costumes can be assembled by using things you probably have at home already.
During our 3+ months of quarantine, Charles’s company hosted virtual happy hours and we thought it was funny for him to wear a different costume each week – his coworkers agreed and enjoyed getting a laugh each Friday afternoon. I embraced the creative challenge of creating costumes for him because I was very bored. This project had one simple rule: we never bought anything. I used clothing that Charles already owned, pieces of old Halloween costumes, makeup, and some items that I crafted out of cardboard.
Easy Costume Ideas for Men:
Harry Potter
If you have a black graduation robe, you can easily create this costume. Charles is wearing a white button up, gray sweater, and stripped tie underneath just as the Hogwarts students do. Grab a stick for a wand and use lipgloss to paint a scar on the forehead. I made the glasses out of cardboard. The little owl is a Christmas tree ornament.
Patrick Bateman from American Psycho
A sharp suit with suspenders and some blood splatters on your face is all you need for his look. I also found a plastic ax since that is one of the weapons used in the film – you could make an ax our of cardboard too. The blood is just lipgloss that I painted on with a makeup brush.
Uncle Rich Pennybags aka Mr. Monopoly
You need a top hat, white button up, and black suit or tux jacket to bring this look to life. Then I added a paper mustache that I tied around Charles’s face with string, an improvised red bowtie, and a pillowcase bag of money. Fun fact: Uncle Rich Pennybags doesn’t have a monocle – it’s considered a prime example of Mandela Effect (when groups of people misremember something).
Alan from The Hangover
Remember when the guys in The Hangover find a baby and Alan names him Carlos, puts him in a Baby Bjorn, and puts sunglasses on him? It’s an easy costume that we created using a stuffed animal instead of a baby.
Mayhem from Allstate
Allstate’s commercials featuring “Mayhem” are both long running and memorable. One of the early Mayhem ads featured him jogging in a suit with a pink headband and some scrapes and bandages on his face. Small pink dumbbells are a perfect addition to the outfit if you have them.
James Bond
You really just need a tux and a martini to dress up as James Bond. I’m not sure why Charles is drinking a beer here.
Emilio Largo, a James Bond Villain
Or, dress us as a Bond villain. This is Emilio Largo, the grey haired eye patch wearing bad guy from Never Say Never Again. I made the eye patch out of an old sock and I “dyed” Charles’s hair grey with some baby powder.
Slash from Guns N’ Roses
You need a wig and a hat to transform into legendary guitarist Slash from Guns N’ Roses – we happened to have both from an old Halloween costume. Add shades, some flannel (since the band was popular in the 90s), and a guitar (in this case made of cardboard) and you are all set!
