I couldn't be more thrilled to introduce you to none other than my incredibly talented friend, Caitlin Burke. A powerhouse stylist with past sting at Moda Operandi, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan International, Caitlin is now styling campaigns for top brands like Altuzarra and Rosie Assoulin, among others. But beyond her impeccable fashion credentials, Caitlin reigns supreme as the ultimate Halloween guru. In fact, she’s my personal Halloween consultant—the genius behind last year’s Marisol Escobar-inspired family costume, and yes, my husband is already expecting me to top it this year.
I’m so grateful Caitlin took the time to share her expertise with us ( I am literally clueless about costumes for this year and the window of time when my kids don’t have strong opinions is flying by FAST )
So without further due keep reading for her insights on crafting standout Halloween looks, from non-cheesy family and pregnancy costumes to her best DIY tips, sourcing tricks, and the creative process that fuels her passion for the holiday.
How did your love for Halloween start?
CB: I have always really loved dressing up and making costumes. My best friend and I used to make movies together constantly growing up and I'd make all of the costumes. One that sticks out was an alien bride, I did green skin with one of those old school bright green cucumber masks and made a wedding dress out of sheets and some of my mom's clothing. I would use stockings to make bald caps and play the male roles since we were both girls, I went really over the top and into detail. Then in college, my roommate was really into Halloween, so that's when the costume love started having a practical application, post our teen movie years. I'd help make the costumes for our entire floor. I went to Penn State and was in a sorority, so we had a lot of theme parties and I'd obsess over the costumes for those as well. That love just continued to grow into adulthood, especially as my resources and access increased. I think it's a big reason styling appealed to me once I knew that was a career option.
What are your top 3 favorite costumes of all time ?
CB: Top I think was Salvador Dali's "Woman with a Head of Roses". Then probably my Gucci alien costume (I'm just now drawing the parallel between that and my early alien bride work lol) and I had a lot of fun being Dusty Springfield, especially in the execution. The whole look was designer things from The Real Real. I'm starting to go that route lately with things I can rewear or resell, to cut down on waste and also make the costumes more elevated.
One of the things I love the most about your Halloween outfits it’s how unexpected they are. Walk us through the inspiration process for you.
CB: As I mentioned, my love of costumes extends beyond Halloween. Halloween to me just feels like the day you can finally wear that crazy look you'd only dream of wearing or have nowhere else imaginable you can wear. So I'm always noticing good costumes or looks. Insane outfits that have no real-life occasion to wear. When I see one (in a film, an exhibit, a book, a fashion show, etc.) I write it down in a note section of my phone, or if it's online, I save it to a "costumes" folder on instagram or pinterest. Then when Halloween comes around, I see which feels right for the moment, or which I might have pieces already in my closet I could use as a base, and go from there. Sometimes a costume will be brewing for several years, slowly gathering the items, before I'm ready to fully execute! That was the case for my Peggy Moffitt costume. I saw an image of her with these incredible earrings and realized they were similar in shape to a pair of large Prada earrings I had that I rarely get to wear. I didn't quite have the right dress but two years later I saw a perfect mod Christopher Kane dress on TRR for $80 and knew it was her year!
What are some of your favorite places to source for costumes ?
CB: The Real Real is my number one! My Dusty Springfield costume was another that had been in my ideas folder for several years. The year I was her I was more behind than I had ever been. It was actually the week of Halloween and I still didn't know my costume. I walked into TRR and saw a pink suede and studded Miu Miu western jacket and immediately after I spotted an insane floor-length pleated metallic pink Christopher Kane dress (his pieces are amazing for costumes!) and it felt like fate! I knew by adding the right touch (a rose from my Salvador Dali costume and a black ribbon I had on hand—tied to the neck) I could make it feel like Dusty (for context she always wore pink).
Thrift stores are also great. In NYC I like L-train vintage bc it's not overpriced and they have eccentric pieces. I got the sequin dress I used for my Gucci alien costume there for $15, which I then repurposed the following year for the Dali costume. I customized it with trims from M&J Trimming (RIP 😭) But there are lots of good trim stores near Mood Fabrics. I'm always hitting up Mood and trim/feather/button stores in the garment district for the final touches. Adding a cat patch and pearl trim to a thrifted dress, immediately made it feel like Alessandro's Gucci!
For online, Dolls Kill has a lot of fun pieces to use as a base, especially if referencing a particular cultural moment. Though again, I wouldn't go fully with ordering from their 'costumes" section, but more so the shoes/accessories/clothing to help finish off a more original idea.
Do you have any DIY styling hacks that can instantly elevate a basic costume?
CB: WIGS! I hate when people have a good costume and they don't fully commit. A wig can change the whole look and really make it! And don't order your wig on Amazon! Go to your local beauty supply store (my favorites are Manhattan Beauty or Mane Beauty in NYC) You can get a nice lace-front for $35 - 75. And you'll probably surprise yourself with how great you feel in it! Use Halloween as an excuse to be someone new for the night! That's why I think it's the best day. You can be anyone you want! Also I think look at your closet, see what is the most ridiculous or fabulous thing you own, something you have nowhere else to wear, and start there as a base! Layer two dresses on top of each other, add a corset, multiple belts, a skirt as a top, bustle or ruffle collar even, maybe a crazy hat or jewelry... Get creative and see what character you can make! And makeup too can really do amazing things. There are so many good YouTube tutorials to help (I have done this retro eye makeup for a few costumes now and it's easier than it looks!) I promise whatever you come up with will be more fabulous than any store-bought costume ever could be (and less waste!)
Are you seeing any particular Halloween trends this year ?
CB: I haven't seen people start to share yet, but I'm predicting lots of Poor Things costumes (or at least I'd love to see it... as long as it's not from Amazon!) and probably some funny Olympics breakdancing ones I'm sure.
Can you give us some non-cheesy family Halloween ideas?
CB: I have always loved the idea of Frenchie from Grease in the Beauty School Dropout scene. The mom as Frenchie, the dad as Frankie Avalon and the kids as the beauty school dropouts with the silver rollers in their hair and white looks! I always love a Met Gala inspired costume, and since many attend in groups with the designer, I think that could be fun to recreate. Imagine a Thom Browne Met family! I think doing old-school cartoons or film families with modern-day fashion is also cool. Imagine a Courreges-style version of the Jetsons family? I think when you use real fashion instead of store-bought costumes to replicate characters it can take it to fab instead of cheesy. I also love looking at art. I just went to the Surrealist exhibit at the Pompidou today and it reminded me of the Rothschild Surrealist Ball - so many amazing costume ideas there! I did the gold face woman with the cloud face man as a couple's costume once and it was amazing -so many great ideas from that party!
I feel like all the pregnancy options for costumes tend to be on the funny side - What are some cool pregnancy costume ideas?
CB: I mean the obvious thing is to look to famous celebrity pregnancy outfits or reveals, like Beyonce announcing it at the Grammys (or so many Beyonce ones for that matter!) or Kim K at the Met Gala. Hayley Beiber also provided a lot of cute moments this year. I also think Birth of Venus could be amazing, (get a very long red wig, maybe a Miss Sohee style shell skirt or iridescent skirt ( High,Middle, Low , ++ a “naked” dress would work too) + Glue two large shells to your heels? or any beautiful art or culture moment where the woman in the reference has her belly out can be just as beautiful if not more while pregnant! Imagine a Britney "Slave For You" costume with a belly and snake around the neck? Fab!
What advice would you give someone who’s overwhelmed with the holiday ?
CB: Just look at it as a chance to be whoever you want to be for the night. A chance to take on a new character or persona, to wear something you'd never dare wear in real life! I think so many people just think of it as a throw-away costume, or a need to be funny or clever, but if you just view it as a night to live your wildest, most fabulous fantasy self for the night, you'll have a lot more fun with it. In the end, it doesn't even need to make sense. Half of the time people don't know who or what I am, but my look always makes them smile and say "Omg that's incredible!" and I love that feeling of making other people just as excited. So just enjoy it and give people something dazzling to look at!
Ps: if you guys get inspired by this post, please do tag us or DM us your costumes. We can’t wait to see!