Festive Halloween Costumes Featuring Pearls

Halloween in 2020 may look different than in years past, with some towns throughout the United States strongly discouraging and even banning door-to-door trick-or-treating activities. Halloween parties will likely be virtual, and bobbing for apples is definitely out of the question.

Despite the changes and unexpected circumstances, many children and even adults will still be donning their Halloween costumes and enjoying the one day out of the year when a person can pretend to be someone - or even something - else without judgment. No amount of social distancing can sour the sweet taste of Halloween candy, which you can still buy at the store and eat to your heart's content.

Are you thinking about enjoying the holiday on your own terms? We may be biased, but we strongly suggest incorporating pearls into your costume. If you're having trouble thinking of costume ideas, we have some fun suggestions for you, so you can take a day to be creative and have fun.

Mermaid

Have you always dreamed about living under the sea? Try being a mermaid for Halloween. To morph into this majestic and mythical undersea creature, you'll need an iridescent tail, a shell bra, a starfish in your hair, and pearl strands to represent beautiful and lustrous saltwater pearls that a mermaid always has at her disposal. The costume is so common that you can easily find one at a costume store, or you can create your own version by following a tutorial online. Country Living recently shared a list of their favorite DIY mermaid costume ideas, which involve easy-to-acquire materials like coffee filters, felt, and shells. For the true pearl lover, this is the perfect costume, since you can wear as many strands as you please and not look ridiculous!

1920s Flapper

In our blog post "Pearl Jewelry Plays a Supporting Role in Many Hollywood Movies", we wrote about the 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrmann. Based on a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this movie features an accurate representation of 1920s styling, which included sequined and fringed flapper dresses, bejeweled headbands, feathers, and of course - long strands of pearls. If you've always wanted to experience life in the roaring 20s, then you may want to be a flapper for Halloween. It's a glamorous costume that you can easily purchase online or assemble yourself, if you can find the right vintage or vintage-inspired dress. Just be sure to knot your long strand of pearls to create a Y-shaped silhouette.

Holly Golightly

In the same blog post we mentioned above, we also discussed the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is known for an iconic scene outside Tiffany & Co's flagship Manhattan store featuring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly wearing a sleeveless black dress and a multi-strand pearl necklace. To achieve a similar look for a Halloween costume, you'll need to sweep her hair into a dramatic bun and pin it in place using a jeweled hair clip. You'll also need a little black dress and the perfect pearl necklace, preferably one with multiple strands that drapes on your neck almost like a collar.

Miss Piggy

One of Jim Henson's most beloved puppets, Miss Piggy is a glamorous, high-class pig who appreciates the finer things in life. No matter what the occasion, she's always wearing a single strand of pearls. Many people don't realize that the pearls were actually serving two purposes: "One was her lady-like look and the other was to hide the seam of the neck going into the body." To be Miss Piggy for Halloween, you'll need a curly blond wig, a pig snout, pig ears, a single pearl necklace, and a glamorous and sophisticated dress.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

If you're an art lover, you may want to use your Halloween costume as a chance to recreate one of the most recognizable paintings in art history: "Girl with a Pearl Earring", completed by Johannes Vermeer in 1665. All you need is a blue piece of fabric to wear as a turban and a large pearl drop earring. If you want to be completely true to the painting, you'll actually have an advantage at Zoom-based Halloween parties, since you can select a black virtual background and only show the left side of your face. Your costume will be more authentic virtually than in real life!

Anna Karenina

The main character from Tolstoy's aptly-titled classic novel, Anna Karenina is a beautiful, aristocratic married woman who engages in a scandalous affair in pursuit of true love. Considered one of the greatest works of literature, the novel has been adapted into a number of movies, and the most recent one features Keira Knightly in the title role. In a very memorable scene, Keira wears a stunning red silk ball gown and a cascade of pearls around her neck. Even her drop earrings are embellished with pearls. To recreate this look, you'll need to acquire a gorgeous gown, adorn yourself with beautiful pearl jewelry, and style your hair in an elegant updo.

Zombie Bride

Being a zombie bride for Halloween is a fun way to express two extremes at once: elegance and gore. If you have an old gown that you don't mind destroying, then you can cover it in red paint to resemble blood and paint your face white. Of course, you'll want to drape yourself with strands of pearls, one of the most traditional wedding accessories. Even zombie brides like to look polished and put-together!

"Pearls of Wisdom"

One of the most creative pearl-related Halloween costume ideas is the "Pearls of Wisdom" costume, which we found on the Sunburst Gifts blog. To pull off this clever costume, you'll need a completely white outfit, multiple strands of pearls (the more the better!), and a white shopping bag, which you'll need to fill with inspirational quotes that you write on small slips of paper. When you're at your Zoom Halloween party, you can randomly pull the paper strips from your bag and read the quotes to your friends. Everyone can use a "pearl of wisdom"!

Grandma

Of course, pearls aren't only meant for grandmas, but the stereotypical image of a grandma definitely involves a proper strand of pearls. To achieve the "grandma look" for yourself, you'll want to buy a gray wig, an oversized knit cardigan, reading glasses with a chain, and a distinct single-strand pearl necklace. Don't be surprised if your family members and friends expect you to spoil them with extra chocolate candy! Grandmas always have hidden treats.

Wilma Flintstone

"The Flintstones" was an animated sitcom that was originally broadcast on ABC from 1960 to 1966. Fictional character Wilma Flintstone is the wife of Fred Flintstone, and her personality on the show was actually based on Alice Kramden, wife of Ralph Kramden on the 1950s television series The Honeymooners. She wears her red hair swept into an updo, and she accessorizes her white, one-shoulder dress with a choker necklace made of white pebbles. You can easily recreate the same look using a chunky pearl necklace. Fun fact: Wilma's mom is actually named Pearl Slaghoople.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe may be known for singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, but she also frequently wore pearls. In 1962, photographer Bert Stern took a gorgeous picture of Marilyn lying down, with her head surrounded by strands of pearls. She also liked to wear a strand of Mikimoto pearls gifted to her by Joe DiMaggio. To become Marilyn for Halloween, you’ll need a blond wig, an elegant cocktail dress, and fire-engine-red lipstick.

Pregnant Pearl

Instead of wearing pearls, you can actually be a pearl for Halloween if you have a baby bump! In a Buzzfeed article titled "26 Pregnant Women Who Totally Slayed Halloween", one creative pregnant woman came up with a truly brilliant maternity costume. Painting her baby bump white like a pearl, she crafted an oyster shell to surround it and strutted her stuff like a mama-to-be mollusk.

Of the Halloween costume ideas we mentioned, which one is your favorite? Do you think you'll be wearing a costume this year, or will you save the dress-up for a future time when in-person costume parties and trick-or-treating are normal again? We're relieved that pearls aren't only for costumes, so we can wear them year-round and for every occasion, both face-to-face and virtually. They're the perfect accessory for any celebration or holiday, and their beauty shines, even during difficult and uncertain times.