8 Literary Character Costumes You Can (and Should) Wear for Halloween

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Published Sep 11, 2018

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Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to announce to the world what a (proud) nerd you are than to dress up like one of your favorite literary characters? Here, eight bookish costumes to inspire your selection, so that in a world of sexy nurses, you can be Lisbeth Salander.

1. Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins

Channel your inner Julie Andrews or Emily Blunt for this one. Take your pick.

Get the look: California Costumes Women's Nanny Costume (from $40)

literary character costumes if you give a mouse a cookie

Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

To turn this into a group costume, get a few friends to dress up like Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond’s other books If You Give a Pig a Pancake and If You Give a Moose a Muffin. Don’t forget the overalls.

Get the look: Levi's Overalls ($138); Mini Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookies ($8)

literary character costumes great gatsby

Warner Bros

3. Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby

To channel F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous character, just slip into a flapper-esque dress and carry around a copy of the novel.

Get the look: Deepa Gurnani Headband ($80); Adrianna Papell Dress ($279)

literary character costumes cat in the hat

Universial Pictures

4. The Cat in the Hat

Make all of your sentences rhyme for the full effect.

Get the look: Elope Cat in the Hat Costume (from $44)

literary character costumes luna lovegood

Warner Bros

5. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter

Honestly, dressing up as anyone from the series is a guaranteed win. (Just don't forget your wand.)

Get the look: ASOS Design Dress ($35); Disguise Light-Up Wand ($12)

literary halloween costumes charlottes web

Paramount Pictures

6. Charlotte from Charlotte's Web

E.B. White’s 1952 children’s book made us cry, but your costume will make everyone else squeal with delight (and nostalgia). Just add a stuffed animal pig for your very own Wilbur.

Get the look: Funziez Tarantula One-Piece Costume ($37)

literary character costumes lisbeth salander

Columbia Pictures

7. Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larson’s antihero is actually pretty easy to channel. Just pull out all the black clothes in your closet, then top it off with white face powder, dark eye makeup and a spiked necklace.

Get the look: Bershka Necklace ($18); Zella Tank Top ($39); ASOS Design Hoodie ($39); Topshop Black Jeans ($86)

Sony Pictures Entertainment

8. Matilda Wormwood from Matilda

Depending on how much you want to commit to Roald Dahl’s bookish leading lady’s look, drag around a Radio Flyer filled with books. (Or just force one of your friends to be Ms. Trunchbull.)

Get the look: Lele Sadoughi Headband ($85); Madewell T-Shirt ($18); ASOS Dress ($49)

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