Halloween Costumes 2024

Pauline Santos, Sean Lim, and Elaine Kim

October 31, 2024

With Halloween finally here, The Paw Print has put together a collection of various costumes produced by West Ranch students. From Deadpool to famous pop stars, there will be a variety of costumes roaming the streets this Halloween.

Trending Costumes

Many popular costumes for 2024 are inspired by famous movies and pop culture moments. A few movie-inspired costumes can include the emotions—Envy, Anger, Disgust, Anxiety and Joy—from “Inside Out,” Shrunken Head Bob and Lydia Deetz from “Beetlejuice,” Deadpool and Wolverine and characters from “Dune.”

Besides movie characters, a couple of pop culture costumes could be pop stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan or inanimate objects like a Stanley cup, a Chipotle burrito or a Crumbl cookie.

Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”

Taking inspiration from the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” an iconic American classic, West Ranch junior Annabelle Barriere decided to portray the central character of Dorothy. Barriere explained, “I chose this costume because I loved watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ with my mom as a kid and it brought back many nostalgic memories.” Additionally, she was personally motivated to take on this role because “Dorothy reminds me of myself a bit too, so recreating the costume felt right.”

Barriere remarked, “I’ve only allowed myself around two and a half weeks to come up with the complete costume,” as the costume was last minute yet quick to put together. When asked about the preparation for the costume, she added, “I need a blue and white checkered dress, red shoes, a white fitted t-shirt, a basket, white knee-high socks and blue ribbon for my hair,” which were all purchased on Amazon. Barriere stated her favorite part of her costume is the “red bedazzled laces that [she’s] strung into a red pair of Converse.”

Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away”

West Ranch sophomores Neyla Almeda, Katana Marshall and Elina Jung are dressing up as the iconic trio of characters Haku, Chihiro and a soot sprite from Studio Ghibli’s movie “Spirited Away.” Almeda explained that she planned this costume a week before Halloween and that she and her friends chose it because they all enjoy the movie’s simplistic yet cute animation.

The trio is also going the extra mile by hand making their costumes. “We all wanted to find a costume we could agree to match on and create,” Almeda commented, “so we are going to try sewing and making our costumes. For mine, I will be wearing Chihiro’s casual baggy green striped shirt and coral shorts.”

Social Media

Students are not the only ones who will be embodying the Halloween spirit this year. Mrs. Hunsaker, an English teacher at West Ranch, provided hints as to what her collaborated costume with the English department will look like: “We were inspired by something that is trending on social media. This person is an icon of the 70s.” Since the teacher-group costume is a secret, we highly await the big reveal on Halloween day.

With the abundance of movies and social media trends, Halloween costume inspirations are endless. So Cats, make sure to stay safe and fashionable, Happy Halloween!

About the Contributors

Pauline Santos, A&E Editor

Pauline Santos is a junior at West Ranch High School, and this is her third year in journalism; however, this is her first year as an A&E editor. She is super excited to design, edit and write stories this year, and she hopes to learn more in journalism. When she’s not writing for the Paw Print, she enjoys baking, hanging out with friends, golf and going to cafes. Her favorite hobby is playing the guitar since it is her favorite instrument because she enjoys music. Pauline is looking forward to an amazing year with The Paw Print!

Sean Lim, Staff Writer

Sean Lim is a junior staff writer at West Ranch's Paw Print. Although this is his third year at West Ranch, it's his first year writing for The Paw Print. He is excited to cover various stories and inform other students of current events within the area. He hopes to further improve his writing and design skills through the help of people from The Paw Print. When he isn't reporting and writing, he enjoys playing volleyball with friends, playing video games and crafting new recipes in the kitchen. Sean is looking forward to meeting many new people and for a great year!

Elaine Kim, Lead Design Editor

Elaine is a junior at West Ranch High School and is working as a Lead Design Editor for The Paw Print. This is Elaine’s second year in this program, and she is excited to continue to learn about the field of journalism and grow her skills as a writer. During her free time, Elaine likes to watch movies, write personal narratives, and hang out with friends. Her number one goal at the moment is to attend USC’s Film School after her senior year, fingers crossed! Elaine is obsessed with her pet cat, Yawny, so be prepared to sit for hours if you ask about her cat.