Straight Outta Arkham: Halloween Costume Ideas

Tutu: Oh So Pretty Designs | Puddin Choker: Milx | T Shirt: Snarky Shark | Spanky Shorts: Coquetry Clothing | Sneakers: Converse | Belt: Buffalo Exchange (similar)

I take Halloween very, very seriously.

My mom passed down her love for Halloween to me at an early age. I always had the best costumes and our house was always decorated with all things spooky as soon as October 1st rolled around. My costume choices have been all over the map! I have been all the Disney princesses, a vampire, a Raggedy Ann doll, Audrey Hepburn, Kat (of Garth and Kat) and this year, I’m Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad.

I realize that Margot Robbie has big shoes to fill, but I was up for the challenge. If you haven’t seen the movie (honestly, other than Margot Robbie and Will Smith it wasn’t that good) Harley Quinn is the Joker’s crazy girlfriend. Her character (and costume) has had a long and ever-evolving history in the animated series, comics, and video games. She’s actually quite controversial. Her relationship with the Joker is pretty twisted; she is madly in love and he is abusive, but it being 2016, the movie allowed her to be more of a strong, independent villain rather than the Joker’s plaything. One of the stories said that Mr. J pushed her into a vat of chemicals, which dyed her hair blue and pink and her skin white, but in the movie, she jumps in to prove her love and he jumps in after her and saves her. He does leave her to die in a submerged sports car…but he frees her from prison later so I guess it’s all good? Anyway, I was drawn to her badass attitude and hilarious personality apart from her relationship with the Joker, which is why I chose her as my costume this year.

I decided to add some cute factor to an otherwise risqué costume by covering my spanky shorts with a tutu by Oh So Pretty Designs and flat sneakers instead of heels (although, my awesome sister did order me the real heels from the movie, so I’ll be wearing those on Halloween for sure). I also couldn’t be Harley without her “Puddin” choker (her nickname for the Joker) and the perfect makeup.

My beautiful Austin blogger friends Haylee of It’s Me Haylee and Kaily of Hey Kaily Mae joined in on the DC comic villain theme with a glammed-up girl Joker and Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy needed deadly-seductive lips and the Joker was beautified for a girl with a wicked red lip and intense smokey eyes. I obviously needed my “Rotten” jaw tat and pink and blue eyeshadow.

We were the perfect trio because obviously the Joker and Harley Quinn are together, but also, in some of the comics Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are total homies. Poison Ivy once told Harley that she was crazy for falling for the Joker, and the two of them have even been said to have a non-monogamous relationship of their own. The three of them want to take down Batman for each of their own reasons.

I’ll be spending Halloween in LA with Mike and I’m so excited! I’m trying to convince him to be the Joker…but so far it’s not working.

Photos by: Effjay Photography