It’s no small task coming up with a memorable holiday costume. Certain costumes tie into popular culture, while others are classics that will never go out of style. Here’s a look at pop culture costumes that were trendy in years past.
• 1976: Charlie’s Angels — These empowered women crime fighters blew up on television and many girls wanted to be them in real life, and especially on Halloween.
• 1977: Star Wars characters — From Luke to Obi Wan to Darth Vader, this hit movie permanently changed popular culture and inspired Halloween costumes for decades to come.
• 1978: Michael Myers — The familiar white (William Shatner-inspired) mask became well known this year and still makes its mark on Halloween festivities more than 40 years later.
• 1981: Indiana Jones — Harrison Ford made the archaeologist/adventurer so exciting in “Raiders of the Lost Arc” (and subsequent films) that it’s easy to see why donning a fedora and brandishing a whip became so popular.
• 1982: Elliott and E.T. — Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece of a young boy and his alien friend made this a popular year for anything that had to do with the film. This included riding bicycles while wearing red hoodies.
• 1983: Princess Leia — “Return of the Jedi” introduced audiences to different sides of Princess Leia, helping to solidify her popularity as a Halloween icon.
• 1984: Freddy Krueger — This “Nightmare on Elm Street” icon caused many nightmares in real life, and his blade-tipped glove and familiar striped shirt could be seen on kids across the nation.
• 1985: Hulk Hogan — Were you dressed as Hulk Hogan, brother? It’s likely if you were a warm-blooded boy in the mid-80s, when Hulkamania was at its peak.
• 1986: Care Bears and California Raisins — If you were young in 1986, you might have dressed up as a cuddly Care Bear or a suave, singing California Raisin.
FEATURED PHOTO: Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters have been Halloween costume choices since the debut of “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977.
