Every year, social media has a new trending Halloween costume. In previous years, trending costumes were the Lorax, Minions and more.
When this year’s Halloween season started, so did Halloween costume predictions. Almost instantly, one costume began dominating all social media platforms. The costume was the “Daisy Bug” Halloween costume by Leg Avenue.
The Daisy Bug costume has a black bust with a daisy either to the side or in the middle of the top and a red, tight-fitting torso filled with black polka dots to represent a ladybug. The skirt of the dress is a black mini tutu that flares out. The costume also comes with a few accessories like an antenna headband, ladybug wings and red thigh-high socks with black polka dots scattered around and daisies on the hem.
The costume became popular because it’s considered the perfect mix of cute and flattering. This balance caused the Daisy Bug costume to sell out everywhere. Due to its scarcity, sites like Depop, Poshmark and eBay were selling the costume for upwards of 300 dollars. The popularity of the costume reached such a high level that Leg Avenue even brought back the costume for a limited time.
But it wasn’t just the Daisy Bug costume that was going viral; soon followed the Daisy Bee costume by Leg Avenue, the furry animal costumes from J. Valentine and many other 2000s costumes.
Many people are asking, “Why are 2000s costumes coming back?”
In the early 2020s, Y2K fashion began its comeback. Styles like dresses over jeans, shoulder bags and big belts were trending everywhere and taking over social media. Ever since then, 2000s fashion has been gaining popularity. Even this year, low-rise jeans, babydoll tops and micro mini skirts or shorts have been trending all over.
Another key part of the revival is that many people nowadays find modern costumes boring.
“A lot of costumes these days are kind of bare minimum-think cat ears with a black shirt and shorts. 2000s costumes have a lot more character and are way cuter, and I’ve seen them be styled really well,” Mar Nourski ’29 said in a written statement.
In 2023, low-effort and minimalistic costumes started becoming really popular. With only a $20 corset from Amazon and a skirt, tiara, wings or a pirate hat, anyone could make a quick, easy costume. Since then, low-effort costumes have become extremely popular because they can be made with things people already have.
So when this Halloween season came around, people didn’t want to see basic, low-effort costumes — they wanted costumes with charm and originality, and the 2000s costumes have just that.
A staple from the 2000s was the J. Valentine furry animal costume.
These J. Valentine costumes were intricately made, with a lace-up back corset top and a fur strip down the middle, a full fur micro mini skirt, fully fur leg warmers extending from the knees to the shoes and a fur hat with big animal ears on top. Depending on the animal, some costumes would come with long furry tails that would touch the ground.
Another staple brand from the 2000s was Rubie’s Costume Company. These brands were all sold at Party City, known for its large selection of Halloween accessories and decorations and its infamous wall of Halloween costumes, especially popular among young adults.
By the late 2010s, these brands and costume styles were losing popularity. It’s unclear exactly why these costume styles went out of favor, but it seems people were ready to leave them in the past. Because of this, brands like Leg Avenue and J. Valentine discontinued what would eventually be some of their most popular costumes, which now adds to their scarcity.
But with this revival of 2000s costumes, a better question is: Should 2000s costumes come back or stay in the past? In a survey of 19 West High students, 17 said 2000s Halloween costumes should make a comeback.
“I think 2000s costumes are making a comeback because they are iconic, and it shows some type of history from the past. It also shows the changes in costumes from now and then and how people back then styled things,” Precieuse Bolisomi ’29 said in a written statement.
2000s costumes match students’ current style more than modern costumes. “I think they had a vibe to it that made it seem more fun to look at,” Sompalle ’29 said in a written statement.
Other common opinions were that there was more diversity in costume options. In the 2000s, you could find the same costume in multiple styles, but now costume styles generally look the same, with only a variety in character options.
Yet not everyone wants this revival. In the survey, two students voted that they wanted 2000s costumes to stay in the past. Although Davis Day ’26 likes 2000s style and costumes, he thinks it’s important that 2000s costumes stay in the past because they represent fashion from that time period.
In the end, costumes from the 2000s are becoming popular again. Many young adults used 2000s costumes as inspiration to create their own costumes. However, only time will tell if 2000s costumes are here to stay, or if they were just another trend.
