When it comes to Katy Perry, every detail of her look — no matter *how* minor — is on point, whether it’s flawless hair and makeup, outrageously creative outfits and accessories that take nostalgia head on (did you get your hands on her Claire’s jewelry line?). It’s next to impossible to not shake your booty to her top hits, and even more impossible not to be in awe when you see her crushing them on-stage decked out in her top-notch ‘fits. I was *beyond* stoked when I was asked to come up with Katy Perry Halloween costume ideas and transform into our top five favorite KP looks of all time, which took some shopping savvy and DIY chops, but all are totally doable for the average Katy Kat to accomplish by Halloween. Here’s how you can too!
How to Be Katy Perry from “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” for Halloween
What you need:
– denim dress/romper
– pink belt
– pink long-sleeve shirt
– pink + blue socks
– slip-on shoes
– flat shap side release blue clips
– fabric for head gear
– ball hair tie + little bow clips
– glasses with tape
Hands down, this was the most fun to dress up in! It is funny how dorky this look is, but it still felt really comfortable to rock. To get the look, go shopping in your own closet or hit up your local thrift store for the basics. I created the headgear by using aluminum wire wrapped around flat clips, which I connected around the back by gluing the wire into blue fabric to mimic the gear. I connected the wire onto the faux braces by gently wrapping it around the wire on the teeth. Add some tape around your glasses, throw your hair in a side braid and channel your inner nerd (that came very natural for me, actually! Ha!).
What you need:
How to Be Katy Perry from Her Cosmopolitan Cover for Halloween
– sequin dress
– green wig
– black hair spray
– blue, red, yellow + green spray paint
– heels
Oh that face! I will give it up to KP for her ability to give a dead-serious face and still look hawt! I tried several times to get this look down but It. Was. So. Hard. Clearly, I don’t take myself seriously enough to channel that type of “sexy,” but it was obvs a blast to try! I found a gold sequin dress at Goodwill and then spray painted it with red, yellow, green and blue to achieve her dress’s gradient effect. The wig is from a local costume shop — I opted for the least expensive one and added the black roots by spraying on black hair spray and combing through it with a fine toothed comb while it was still wet.
What you need:
How to Be Katy Perry from the Superbowl Halftime Show for Halloween
– white wrap bikini top
– red, yellow + blue felt
– glitter tape
(Photo via Rob Carr/Getty)
Confession! After I made this I realized I went about it the way hard way: I actually spray painted the sections of color at first, but don’t attempt this! It was a MESS. Instead, use felt — duh! Simply cut out your triangles by laying the felt over the skirt. You will have to use two pieces per section, which you should cut out and attach with hot glue. Add felt to the waistline as well. Then use silver glitter paint to separate each section. It is difficult to see in this image, but it makes a huge difference in the finish of this look.
What you need:
How to Be Katy Perry from “This Is How We Do” for Halloween
– orange one-piece bathing suit
– red + yellow fabric paint
– orange heels
– heart-shaped sunglasses
– dangly earrings
I would say this is the easiest to create out of all these looks. Lay out your one piece and, using a sponge paintbrush, paint on small circles (your pepperonis) and blend between the circles with yellow paint (your cheese). That’s it! Throw on your red lipstick, and if you’re less ballsy like myself, add a pair of nude seamless nylons underneath (so much more comfortable).
What you need:
How to Be Katy Perry from Her Purr-Fume Campaign for Halloween
– black jumpsuit
– blue and pink spray paint
– black fabric paint
– pink masquerade mask
– yarn spool
– pin up wig
Meowwwww!! Yup, I recreated KP’s latex catsuit she wore in her campaign in the ads for her signature scents Purr and Meow, and you totally can too! For sure this is a more ambitious DIY costume, so be prepared to spend a couple days executing this look. Just know it’s TOTALLY WORTH IT.
I started off by laying the body suit — which I stole from a cat woman costume pack — flat on my drop cloth. You don’t need to worry about taping off your sections — the overlay of paint is actually part of the look. Eyeball your lines down each of the outer sides of the suit and spray paint blue. Then immediately spray the inside panel with your pink paint. Let this dry and repeat for a couple coats. When you get the desired look and it’s dry, flip it over and repeat on the back. Once your suit is fully dry, you can start to paint on the black cheetah print with fabric paint. I made a stamp with a block of wood and sticky foam paper and then I added some additional freehand shapes with a paint brush. Make sure you top off this look with a cat eye, because of course!
