what are the best plus-size halloween costumes?
spoiler alert: hot air balloon
I couldn’t think of anything to write about so I asked my friend Maddie, to which she quickly replied “plus size Halloween costumes.” There are certainly a lot of ways into that topic, and it is that time of year, so I decided to run with it and now here I am on an airplane, fresh off eating an absolutely rotted airline Cobb salad, chuckling to myself about the brainstorming that resulted from following that prompt. I used to churn out content for women’s digital media sites, the requisite fat style editor whose responsibilities included navel gazing about my own well-fed existence, unpacking the discourse surrounding the latest Lane Bryant underpants campaign or the Curvy Wife Guy or whichever lightly fat celebrity dared to wear a tube top that week. And in October, my job also included creating or contributing to search-optimized e-commerce content about the best plus-size halloween costumes to shop this fall. I’m now embarrassed to admit that I even wrote an article entitled “How to Dress Like a Plus-Size T.Swift This Halloween” in which I repeatedly referenced her “pout” and included a list of Taylor’s power poses to emulate. I will not be linking to that story here because it is frankly humiliating.
In general, I would say I like-slash-love Halloween. When I was young, my mom made all of my costumes from patterns she bought at Joanne Fabrics, and in those early years I was everything from a brown house mouse to a playing card to the Phantom of the Opera, each costume perfectly stitched and then immediately covered by a thick winter parka, the only way to actually trick-or-treat in the biting cold of a mid ‘90s Cleveland, Ohio autumn. As an adult, I’ve dressed up as everything from a Sharknado to Sidney Prescott to that guy who wears all black and has a pumpkin head. I have holy grail costumes I haven’t done yet, like PeeWee Herman and Baby Jane (me) and Blanche (my sister), and this year my girlfriend and I decided to go as Annie Wilkes and Paul Sheldon after watching Misery and seeing a lot of ourselves in that relationship. Joking, but I am excited for my prop sledgehammer to arrive.
I know that like basically all holidays and occasions that require fancy dress (Halloween, New Year’s Eve, someone’s wedding, a black tie event for work) figuring out good plus-size options can be really daunting, and it’s not even so much the idea of the costume or attire itself — it’s what a fat person is allowed to represent, who they’re allowed to be, what it all means. Does a fat person’s Halloween costume have to emulate a fat character or fat state of being? Are fat people allowed to be slutty on Halloween, or do the so-called rules of fat sluttiness still apply, in the sense that all things fat and slutty should be a demonstration of either bravery and/or disrespect for oneself? How do fat people actually find prefabricated Halloween costumes, Spirit Halloween is size inclusive but is Spirit Halloween size inclusive enough? In this essay, I will…
No, I won’t.
I did, however, do what I like to do when the right questions to ask evade me: I consulted with GenAI, a tool I like to use as a modern day Clippy for when I’m lost in my (Microsoft) words and need help. So, I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of 5 Creative Plus-Size Halloween Costumes. Here’s what she came up with.
Couch Potato: Dress in comfy loungewear and add a potato-shaped pillow. Attach some snacks (like chips or candy) to your outfit and carry a remote control!
Taco Belle: Combine a taco costume with a princess twist. Wear a taco shell dress adorned with faux toppings and add a tiara to become the "Taco Belle."
Bob Ross: Go as the iconic painter with a curly wig, a denim shirt, and a palette. Carry around a little canvas with “happy little trees” painted on it!
Hot Air Balloon: Use a large, colorful beach ball or a fabric-covered inflatable as your balloon, and wear a basket-like skirt. Bonus points for adding little clouds and a pilot hat!
Spaghetti and Meatballs: Wear a tan outfit decorated with yarn for spaghetti and use brown balls or plush toys for meatballs. Add a chef’s hat for extra flair!
That’s right! If you want something that’s both creative and plus-size, your options are Idaho spud, anthropomorphized taco aristocrat, famously non-fat male painter, a giant balloon filled with hot gas (literally me), and a plate of food. There is part of me that conceptually understood why these ideas were generated on behalf of plus-size creativity, but I wanted to know more.
So then I asked the chat to tell me why these specific answers were chosen.
Couch Potato: This costume plays on the humorous stereotype of a couch potato lifestyle. It’s relatable, comfy, and allows for creativity with snacks and props, making it both funny and cozy.
Taco Belle: Combining two beloved concepts—tacos and Disney princesses—creates a whimsical and unexpected mashup. The costume celebrates body positivity by embracing food-themed humor while still feeling playful and fun.
Bob Ross: Bob Ross is a beloved figure known for his calm demeanor and quirky catchphrases. This costume idea is funny because it’s lighthearted and encourages creativity. Plus, it allows for a humorous take on a famous personality.
Hot Air Balloon: This costume is visually striking and inherently funny due to the whimsical nature of hot air balloons. The oversized aspect makes it playful and allows for a creative interpretation, making it a standout choice for humor.
Spaghetti and Meatballs: Food-themed costumes are often comedic, and spaghetti and meatballs is a classic, beloved dish. The playful use of yarn and plush toys makes it funny and memorable, emphasizing creativity and humor.
Again, a fascinating amount to unpack here, explanations that so expertly avoid explicit fatphobia it’s almost as if the chat is being powered by my passive aggressive Girl Scouts troop leader. The “humorous stereotype of a couch potato lifestyle” is so coded, even for a robot. A fat princess couldn’t possibly be combined with anything other than a fast food, even though the joke still works if you say, Jingle Belle or Liberty Belle or Alexander Graham Belle. The hot air ballon being “visually striking” sure is a complimentary way of explaining why a fat person should dress big and round, and with the spaghetti and meatballs, well, I have to assume food plays a part in the chat’s decision to include it. Bob Ross remains inexplicable to me, but maybe he liked fat chicks with happy little bushes or something.
I’m so unsatisfied, and I’m almost at the end of my flight and it’s nearly 10 pm and I’m in Newark and my own Halloween costume ideas are neither further inspired by this nor inherently undermined. Still, with a few minutes left to taxi down the runway, I decided to reword the question and get a bit more focused and asked the chat: What are the top three costumes that are best for plus-size people? I’ll choose to ignore the fact that each of these suggestions came with the guidance to wear a “generous, flowing cape,” and just focus on the fact that the answers said a spaghetti-and-meatballs mouthful:
Goddess, superhero, classic witch.
Spooky, right?
This was so beautifully written and also I got really sad seeing the chat bot associating fat folks with ridicule - the fact that you asked why these particular costumes were chosen and all of its answers were along the lines of “because it will be hilarious.” Wish the bots could learn humor from you instead of the fatphobia baked into every layer of the internet.
I always wanted to do Ursula from The Little Mermaid, but have never got round to it as it is a costume that would require quite a bit of effort to make good tentacles! I think she is one of the few characters where being plus sized helps to achieve the vibe (rather than cosplaying as a straight sized character) and I always thought the voluptuous bosomy corset, seashell necklace and dramatic make up would be MAJOR.