NEW YORK, Oct 23 — As Halloween approaches, revellers may still be wondering how they’ll dress on October 31. While some are drawing inspiration from pop culture, others are turning to music. And this year, people seem to be particularly inspired by electronic music festivals and raves.

Gone are the witches, ghosts and vampires. This Halloween, monsters will be replaced by ravers. At least, that’s what Pinterest is predicting, based on its users’ searches related to this fall festival. The platform found that internet users are showing a keen interest in raver outfits, with a 450 per cent spike in searchers compared to 2022. It observed a similar craze for alien rave costumes (+190 per cent) and mermaid rave outfits (+170 per cent).

These looks may be hard to imagine, but they generally refer to the kinds of bright, glittery looks worn by party people heading to raves or dance music clubs. Colour is the order of the day at these festive events, as are sequins, rhinestones and, more generally, anything that glitters and shines. Head jewellery is also welcome, as are extravagant sunglasses and sparkling makeup. In short, it’s all about excess.

Rave culture emerged in the 1980s as an expression of non-conformism and the transgression of social conventions. And from this perspective, it can be as visual as is musical. Ravers express their individuality not only through music and dance, but also through clothing, drawing on multiple influences. Some go for a punk-gothic look with black, holey and/or asymmetrical clothing, fishnet tights, combat boots and studded belts, while others prefer a more nineties look with caps, baggy jeans and fanny packs.

But if you want to make a splash this Halloween, it’s best to go for a rave look with a nod to two fantasy creatures: mermaids and aliens. To complete the look of the perfect raver, opt for iridescent, glittery, metallic or fluorescent eyeshadow. And, of course, rhinestones.

If the rave spirit seems far removed from a holiday that usually celebrates all things spooky, you can always look to movies or TV shows for more Halloween costume ideas. From Oppenheimer to Wednesday, The Last of Us and Yellowjackets, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Plus, you can expect to see all manner of characters from the "Barbie” movie take to the streets worldwide on October 31, since Greta Gerwig’s feature film promises to inspire a host of Halloween costumes. Maybe scary looks will be back on the agenda next year... — ETX Studio