When The Mirror US put together its Halloween 2026 costume predictions, it asked David Christopher Lee, celebrity photographer and editor-in-chief of David’s Guide, which looks would take over parties this year. His eight predictions ran in The Mirror US on October 31, in a story by Caroline Gaspich billed as the eight most popular Halloween costumes predicted for 2026, including the look of the year.
The picks span tribute looks, horror breakouts, a Greek king, two witches, a superhero, a Pixar reunion, an animated girl group, and a unicorn from a horror movie. Here is the full list, and why each one earned its spot.
Why a photographer gets asked
Costumes are a visual language before they are anything else. After 27 years photographing celebrities, red carpets, and magazine covers, Lee reads a Halloween costume the way he reads a portrait: silhouette first, then the one detail everyone remembers. The costumes that win the night are the ones a stranger can identify from across a crowded room, in a single photograph, with no caption. Every pick on this list passes that test.
It is also a working photographer’s eye for what people actually wear, not what stores stock. The predictions lean on the films and series people spent 2026 talking about, the characters with a look specific enough to copy, and the costumes built for the camera, because in 2026 every party is also a photo shoot.
The 8 predictions
1. Dolly Parton, the tribute look of the year
The headline pick. Dolly Parton is the rare costume that works at every age and every party: the hair, the fringe, the rhinestones, the silhouette that reads from a block away. Lee named it the tribute look of the year, a costume that is equal parts impression and respect, and the one most likely to be photographed all night.
2. Nikki Freeman from Obsession, horror’s breakout costume
Every Halloween has one horror character who escapes the screen and ends up at every party in America. This year it is Nikki Freeman from Obsession. The look is specific, current, and instantly legible to anyone who has seen the film, which is exactly the combination that turns a character into a costume wave.
3. Agamemnon from The Odyssey
The prestige pick. With The Odyssey bringing Greek myth back to the center of pop culture, Agamemnon gives Halloween a costume with armor, weight, and genuine drama. It is also the pick closest to Lee’s own choice this year, which is below.
4. The Owens sisters from Practical Magic 2, the duo costume
Some costumes are built for two. The Owens sisters, returning in Practical Magic 2, are this year’s definitive duo costume: witchy, romantic, and designed for the pair of friends who plan their Halloween together months out. Lee flagged it as the duo costume of the year.
5. Spider-Man from Brand New Day
The perennial, refreshed. A new Spider-Man chapter means a new generation of the suit at every party, from full licensed costumes to the homemade versions that always photograph best. Spider-Man never misses the list; Brand New Day puts him back near the top of it.
6. Woody and Buzz from Toy Story 5, the family pick
For families and group costumes with kids in the mix, Woody and Buzz are the safe bet that still feels current with Toy Story 5 on the way. Lee named the pair the family pick: two costumes, three decades of recognition, zero explanation needed.
7. HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters, group costume of the year
The group costume of the year. HUNTR/X, the demon-hunting girl group from KPop Demon Hunters, is built for a trio: coordinated, high-energy, and made to be photographed together. K-pop styling plus animation’s biggest breakout of the year is a combination no other group costume matches.
8. Buddy the Unicorn, horror lovers’ favorite
The deep cut. Buddy, the unicorn from the horror film directed by Casper Kelly, is the pick for horror fans who want the costume nobody else at the party has. Lee called it horror lovers’ favorite, the one that starts conversations instead of blending into them.
What makes a costume break out
Four things separate the costumes everyone wears from the costumes nobody remembers. First, a silhouette that reads at distance: Dolly’s hair, Spider-Man’s suit, a pharaoh’s headdress. If the shape alone gives it away, the costume works before anyone gets close. Second, a 2026 release behind it. Obsession, Practical Magic 2, Toy Story 5, and KPop Demon Hunters all put their characters in front of audiences this year, and Halloween is where that attention cashes in.
Third, a group option. Three of the eight picks, the Owens sisters, Woody and Buzz, and HUNTR/X, are built for two or more people, because groups plan earlier, spend more, and photograph better. Fourth, one deep cut. Buddy the Unicorn will never lead the sales charts, and that is the point: every year needs a costume for the person who would rather be asked about theirs than match anyone else’s.
Pulling off the top picks
Dolly Parton: the wig does eighty percent of the work. Get the height and the blonde right, add fringe or rhinestones on top, and carry the silhouette with confidence. The costume fails when the hair is an afterthought.
HUNTR/X: coordinate or do not bother. The look is the matching energy of the group, so plan colors and styling together and arrive together. A solo HUNTR/X member reads as a generic pop star; the trio reads as the group.
The Owens sisters: this is a two-person commitment, so lock your partner early and split the look between you, one lighter, one darker, rather than matching exactly. The contrast is what makes the photograph.
Agamemnon and the pharaoh: one statement piece carries the whole costume. A headdress, a crown, or armor worn with posture beats a bag of accessories. Ancient royalty is a stance before it is an outfit.
The full list, at a glance
- Dolly Parton, the tribute look of the year
- Nikki Freeman (Obsession), horror’s breakout costume
- Agamemnon (The Odyssey), the prestige pick
- The Owens sisters (Practical Magic 2), the duo costume
- Spider-Man (Brand New Day), the returning favorite
- Woody and Buzz (Toy Story 5), the family pick
- HUNTR/X (KPop Demon Hunters), group costume of the year
- Buddy the Unicorn, horror lovers’ favorite
One tribute, two horror picks, two animated groups, a superhero, a Greek king, and a pair of witches. It is a list built the way a photographer builds a contact sheet: every frame different, every frame readable at a glance.
His own costume: the pharaoh
Lee practiced what he predicted. His own Halloween 2026 costume was a pharaoh, gold headdress, staff, and full ceremonial silhouette, photographed above. It is the same instinct behind the Agamemnon pick: ancient royalty reads instantly in a photograph, and gold against a dark room is a portrait waiting to happen.
The full set of predictions, with the costume-by-costume breakdown, is in The Mirror US story by Caroline Gaspich. Lee also posted all eight picks, with his pharaoh portrait as the cover, on Instagram at @davidcleephotography.
For another costume story from the same week, see how floral artists rebuilt Gilded Age gowns entirely from fresh flowers at Fleurs de Villes at Greystone Mansion, photographed for David’s Guide before the exhibition closed.