34 Easy Halloween Costumes for Guys That Are Already in Your Closet
Most adults who plan on celebrating Halloween have probably already decided, planned out, and bought their costume in advance—or they just plan on wearing the same thing as last year as an easy cop out. But if you haven’t decided on one yet (or if you're not dealing with the nonsense of highly flammable, disposable clothing in this economy), don't worry about it. There are plenty of easy Halloween costumes for guys.
Most men already have everything they need to execute a great last-minute costume—whether he knows it or not. From well-known movie stars to The Dude, your closet is brimming with easy Halloween costumes waiting to come to life. You just have to figure out how to combine those elements to get the right look—and that’s exactly what we’re here to help with.
Below are 34 easy Halloween costumes for guys you can pull off in a jiffy using only your closet (for the most part).
The Best Easy Halloween Costumes for Guys
Courtesy of FX
The hit FX show stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a globetrotting chef who returns home to take over his family’s Chicago sandwich shop. His character comes complete with a recognizable look—one that ranks high among easy Halloween costumes for guys. A simple white tee, a blue or dark-colored apron, blue jeans, and dark-hued boots make this fit. You can even find temporary tattoos to mimic his ink. The only thing you can't DIY in a night are White’s biceps.
David Berding / Contributor / Getty Images
Just mere weeks ago, only the most diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan might have considered dressing up as the famed tight end for Halloween. But the Super Bowl champ is now Swiftie-approved, thanks to two gameday appearances by (rumored?) new girlfriend Taylor Swift. Kelce’s costume is simple—although you might have a tough time finding his jersey, as Swifties have snapped it up in droves. Swift’s look can be mixed and matched by your wife or girlfriend by referencing any one of her evermore popular “eras” (pun very much intended).
Mathew Tsang / Stringer / Getty Images
Technically, this could also be a fun couples costume idea, but on its own, it’s one of the most on-trend, easy Halloween costumes for guys. There are plenty of costume components that are “Ken-ough” if you want to imitate one of the year’s most popular movies, from a vivid striped button-down—worn shirtless and unbuttoned—to a highlighter-bright tee and contrasting shorts. If you don't have any neon 80s attire, you can always don a matching pastel set. And since Ken wore not one, not two, but three watches by Tag Heuer, consider adorning your wrist with an extra timepiece for fun. Bleach-blonde hair isn't required, but certainly seals the deal.
Hulton Archive / Handout / Getty Images
The 1989 Billy Crystal rom-com is a certified fall favorite, and the actor’s turn as Harry comes with some cool knitwear that looks as stylish now as it did decades ago. To round out one of the coziest easy Halloween costumes for guys, adopt Crystal’s chunky ivory cable-knit sweater, stonewashed jeans, and white leather sneakers (all of which you likely have in some form or another already).
Courtesy of Paramount
The second, long-awaited Top Gun movie might have come out last year, but does Maverick ever go out of style? With a white T-shirt, an olive flight jacket, blue jeans and aviator sunglasses, Tom Cruise stepped back into the role with ease, and you can do the same this year.
max-kegfire/Getty Images
We can’t safely recommend lugging a giant axe around a party, but the rest of this look surely qualifies among easy Halloween costumes for guys. Take your trusty red-and-black plaid flannel shirt, tuck it into some blue jeans, add the toughest pair of Red Wing boots you own, and consider throwing on a beanie for good measure. Bonus points if you’ve been growing out your scruff already.
Mike Harrington/Getty Images
Some things never go out of style—like the ability to spin ultra-cool records (or curate a Spotify playlist in this day and age). Throw on a simple tee, dark jeans or joggers, white sneakers, headphones (not AirPods), and sunglasses. Grab a vinyl record from your collection, or a boombox, and you’ve got a simple, fun look that might even make someone pass you the aux cord.
Orbon Alija/Getty Images
Have a white and navy striped sweater or an ultra-thick navy fisherman cardigan you’ve been saving for brisk weather? You could turn that into a sailor’s costume, or better still, you can work up a quick and easy take on Popeye using a navy T-shirt, lighter blue pants, and a red bandana. When in doubt, look to The Rock for inspiration.
Sneksy/Getty Images
Get down to business with one of the quickest easy Halloween costumes for guys. A hard hat (or even safety goggles), a hi-vis vest—or a tool belt—plus beat-up jeans and work boots ought to do the trick. Grab an old lunch pail and fill it with…well, cans of cold beer, of course.
Aaron Rapoport / Contributor / Getty Images
While he just postponed a recent run of tour dates to 2024, The Boss has come back in a big way this year with smash-hit shows. He’s also responsible for some of the most iconic looks in rock n’roll history—the kind that never go out of style; the kind that make for some of the best easy Halloween costumes for guys. Grab a red or blue (or red, white, and blue) bandana, throw on some all-American blue jeans, and cut the sleeves off any white T-shirt. Voila, you’re “born in the U.S.A.”
Courtesy of Netflix
Stranger Things isn’t streaming at the moment, but David Harbor’s Hopper is such a recognizable character it doesn't matter. You can go in one of two ways: Rock a trooper uniform or go for his off-duty look. He's known for donning a floral shirt alongside his excellent ‘stache. As it turns out, Tom Selleck’s Magnum P.I. also rocks the same look. It’s your call, but either way, all it requires is your favorite Hawaiian shirt and some light wash jeans.
Courtesy of Universal Studios
Plenty of easy Halloween costumes for guys use a sharp suit as a base. It’s the details here that make the difference if you want to nail Cillian Murphy’s take on scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer from the smash-hit 2023 Christopher Nolan flick. Namely, a fedora and a pipe—or a plain old cigarette—and a suit in a charcoal color should do the trick.
D. Corson/ClassicStock / Contributor / Getty Images
There’s only one Tony Hawk, but one of the best easy Halloween costumes for guys means anyone can be a skater boy. Dig that old board out of storage, throw on that baggy, ‘90s-era graphic tee, and those old cargo shorts, dust off your Vans, and head to your next costume party. Oh, and maybe brush up on any old skateboard tricks—just be sure to stretch beforehand and wear a helmet...and knee pads.
Pete Still / Contributor / Getty Images
Live out your rock star dreams with a few quick picks that certify this look in the pantheon of easy Halloween costumes for guys. Replicate Mercury’s star turn at Live Aid 1985 with a white tank top, white jeans, and white sneakers. A black leather belt should suffice, but a studded belt is even better. You’re a (Halloween) champion now.
Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images
Western wear is all the rage right now, from Western shirts to cowboy boots to custom-made hats—and perhaps you’ve got all three handy at this very moment. Either way, Halloween is a nice time to saddle up and put each of these on-trend pieces together. Plus, your significant other can rock a similar look quite easily, too.
Any excuse to put on a suit is a good one. The only extra accessory you'd need to make this one a killer is a single rose. Actually, make it half a dozen, so you can hand them out through the night. Head to your local florist.
The ultimate TV dad has a go-to uniform that's already in your everyday wardrobe: a flannel. (If you need a flannel refresh, check out our guide.) The only thing you'll need to do is grab some beard trimmers, shape up your mustache, and you're ready to go.
Let's face it, we all know you have at least one professional sports jersey you can wear on Halloween. Whether you're a baseball, football, or hockey fan, this “costume” can be pulled together right before you leave the house. Put in a little more effort by adding some accessories and props, and you might look like you actually tried this year.
You don't need to change anything about your daily office attire to pull off this costume. Jim's nonexistent effort for his “Facebook” Halloween costume is an inspiration for lazy dudes everywhere. There's no need to buy anything, and you'll seem clever by making a sly pop culture reference. It's a win-win.
RichLegg/Getty Images
If there's one sport that's swept the nation, it's pickleball. Adopting the costume couldn't be simpler. Don some white crew socks, athletic shorts and a T-shirt, then grab a paddle. A sweatband might be overkill, but it never hurts to fully commit.
Even if you don’t lift, you probably still have everything you need to dress up as someone who lives for the gym. All you need is a pair of athletic shoes, gym shorts, a tank top (or a T-shirt with the sleeves cut off), and the ability to make a face that says “I’m not thinking about anything but my triceps right now.”
This is probably the easiest—and comfiest—Halloween costume you could do. There are many laid-back looks The Dude pulls off, so you can base it off of what you have readily available in your closet, whether it's a bathrobe, sweater, or wildly patterned harem pants. Want to stay true to the character? Buy a replica of his crazy cardigan here.
Before you ask how a high school PE teacher is functionally different from a super serious gym guy, think back to your own high school physical education experience. Was there legitimate training involved, or did you mostly play touch football? Did anyone ever mention workout finishers or whey protein isolate? Loathe as we are to pose this question again, did you even lift? Of course you didn’t. And that might have something to do with the fact that your PE instructor (like Coach Carr from Mean Girls) was too busy pairing polo shirts with windbreakers and accessorizing them with sweatbands to put together an actual fitness program.
Do you own a suit? Good. Do you also have a tie? Even better! Because when those two elements are combined with a solid or minimally patterned shirt and a decent pair of dress shoes, you can pass for pretty much any modern commander-in-chief. (We say modern because every guy who’s held the Oval since Eisenhower has hewed to the rules of Western business attire that are still in effect today). If you want to put a cherry on top, find an American flag lapel pin before you start inaugurating pumpkin ales.
There’s something so very 1940s about the job of a private eye, and that means you can evoke the look by wearing a handful of the decade’s men's style staples. If you have a fedora and a trench coat stashed away in your closet, you can be anyone from the late, great Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (seen above) to the late, great Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Technically this one is already in your bathroom, not your closet. If you’re feeling really confident about your body right now, wrap yourself in a towel and carry around your favorite grooming product for an evening. Whether that’s a bottle of Old Spice spray (a favorite of Terry Crews, seen above) or something from a prestigious brand like Jack Black, everyone will get what you’re going for.
A leather jacket, a white T-shirt, a good pair of jeans, and a healthy dose of attitude are the core components of looking like the Fonz. And while a decent head of hair doesn't hurt either, there’s no danger of people not getting your look if you greet everyone with a languorous, “Eyyyyyyy.”
We get that college professors have wide-ranging style, but the key to nailing the professorial look for the purposes of Halloween is to go more Robin Williams in Flubber than Colin Firth in A Single Man. Wearing a bow tie with a dress shirt, a vest, and a pair of your most generous khakis or wool trousers will do the trick—and don't be afraid to let the look get more disheveled as the night goes on.
White shirt? Check. White sneakers? Check. White jeans? Also check. Those garments and a steady hand with a razor blade are all that separate you from a successful evening as the cleanest character in product marketing.
Who doesn’t love a good dose of nostalgia at Halloween? The great thing about this easy Halloween costume for guys is the fact it mashes up gear picks you might not normally think of pairing. For instance: Consider the puffer vest, the denim jacket, and high-top sneakers. Put them all together, and you’ve got the makings of Michael J. Fox’s McFly in Back to the Future. Layer the vest (particularly if it’s red) atop your denim jacket (with a rumpled light blue shirt underneath). Pair it with some mid- or light-wash jeans and white high-top sneakers. Throw on some retro shades (Wayfarers, if you’ve got ‘em), and don’t forget your watch: You wouldn’t want to miss the big dance, right?
When it comes to big screen adventurers, who’s more iconic than Indy? While you might not have a dusty leather hat lying around, you can take just about any brown leather jacket and pair it with a beige or white Oxford shirt and tan chinos. Then lace up a pair of brown leather boots—all the better if you happen to own a pair of Alden “Indy” Boots. To accessorize, grow out your stubble and consider drawing up your own map or carrying around a brown leather pocket book to really complete your adventurous ensemble.
Here’s one that’s particularly easy to pull off if you live in a warmer climate. It doesn’t get much simpler: Just wear a solid-color, neutral tank top over some tailored, above-the-knee swim trunks and a pair of flip-flops. Accessorize with sunglasses, a bottle of sunscreen and—if you have one laying around—a whistle to keep the party under control. Just like that, you’re beach-ready. Or at least you’ll look the part as you stroll to the fridge for another Halloween party brew.
Sure, plenty of Halloween costumes can involve a suit, especially in black or shades of gray. But if you’ve been searching for a way to wear that new waistcoat or stylish flatcap (also known as a “newsboy” cap), then Cillian Murphy’s unflappable gangster Tommy Shelby is the costume choice for you. For the full effect, team your darkest suit with a white dress shirt, a solid dark-colored tie, your waistcoat, and that newsboy cap. A pair of black lace-up dress boots will complete the look. Shelby’s chain-smoking habits aren’t advisable, but to accessorize, you can carry a bottle of whiskey around with you.
Recall what we said about a suit serving as the base for many a Halloween costume? Pair a white dress shirt with a black silk tie, a black suit, and black dress shoes, and you can say you’re an agent from Men in Black (just don’t forget sleek black sunglasses and a neuralyzer). That's not the only look you can create with a black suit. You could also add an earpiece and pass yourself off as the sinister Agent Smith from The Matrix. Going to be partying with movie buffs? Throw on some Ray-Ban Wayfarers and pose as part of the crew from Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 classic Reservoir Dogs. How’s that for options?
