When we think of the 00s we think of an era of trashy yet legendary parties. Imagine, all our favourite pop stars, actresses and socialite celebrities letting loose in their sexy y2k fashions. Of course, Halloween was like Christmas in that respect and, while nowadays celebrities tend to do big photoshoots and wear custom couture looks to post on Instagram, back then, all our faves were searching for a way to take a cheap spooky costume and make it slutty (relatable!) so as to be papped in on the red carpet to the most exclusive clubs (not so relatable). Unless you’re Heidi Klum of course, who has always been serving high-effort, camp costumes that belong on the main stage of Drag Race.
To celebrate the most terrifying night of the year, we look back at some of the most iconic outfits from Halloween parties of the 00s.
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Brittany Murphy at a 70s themed Halloween party, 2002
The iconic Clueless star was throuple dressing with partner Ashton Kutcher and friend Dax Shepard (the husband of Kristen Bell) in these cowboy looks inspired by the main characters from The Dukes of Hazzard — an 80s American action comedy set within the deeply rural scenes of the state of Georgia. Brittany was Daisy Duke, of course, wearing a pair of the cheek-scraping denim shorts the character is named after, while Ashton and Dax went as criminal cousins Bo and Luke.
Mariah Carey at her Halloween Party, 2004
Around this time of year the Queen of Christmas is usually still defrosting but in the 00s she would serve us a stunning Halloween costume moment. Take this bridal fantasy we got for Mariah’s 2004 Halloween party, giving main character energy in sexy wedding night lingerie, corsetry, suspenders and opera gloves, and complete with a posse of assistants to carry the train of her excessive veil.
Paris Hilton at Haylie Duff’s Halloween Mansion Party, 2005
MVP of the early 2000s, Paris Hilton was often spotted at a Halloween bash. The same year she was impaled and embalmed in the horror movie House of Wax, our scream queen took to Haylie Duff’s mansion party wearing white frilly cheek-revealing lingerie with sheer stockings, fluffy baby pink pumps and bunny ears, complete with a cute little baby pink bunny tail. That’s hot.
Jamie Lee Curtis at the 13th Annual Dream Halloween, 2006
Taking some respite from being chased by Michael Myers, the Halloween star was still ready to have some spooky fun. Taking to a festive charity event supporting children affected by AIDS, Jamie Lee Curtis dressed as a ginger panto pirate, complete with a foam sword, hook hand and a creepy looking parrot.
Christina Milian at Hpnotiq’s Halloween Party, 2007
Ready to party from AM to PM Versailles-style, the singer of the Kim Possible theme tune wore a ruffled baby blue 18th century dress topped with a heavy, camp up-do white wig and fake blood dripping from her lips as if Marie Antoinette was in her slutty cannibal era. We stan.
Heidi Klum at her annual Halloween Party, 2007
Nobody does Halloween like Heidi Klum, remember her flesh suit? Her Princess Fiona?? But before all of those was her cat look. Cat-ifying herself better than the 2019 movie Cats! ever could, Heidi hissed to the paparazzi as she took to the red carpet at her own party, wearing a velvety body suit, towering black heels, oversized whiskers and a kinky black choker cat collar.
Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian at Kim’s Halloween Masquerade, 2008
The Kardashians love a dress up moment, even in their early days. Just a year after the first series of their reality TV series Keeping Up With The Kardashians had begun, burgeoning star Kim threw a Halloween party and wore a Wonder Woman costume she got from the famed LA sexywear store, Trashy Lingerie.
Kris on the other hand went for a look more in keeping with her momager status: a bold-shouldered fitted military mini-dress with a matching captain’s hat and a badge labelled “General Perversion”. The iconic looks were just a taste of all the chaos and controversy America’s First Family would bring to the world.
This article was originally published on 31 October 2022 and has since been updated.