So you’re a little obsessed with productivity. Who can blame you? After all, being your most productive self means accomplishing more in less time so you can fully enjoy your life and your job. Luckily for you, we’re big on productivity too. That’s why we thought it’d be fun to take productivity to the next level—by incorporating it into your Halloween celebrations. Because what’s better than a costume that really captures your deepest passions? (Or just looks a little different than your average witch, superhero, Pennywise, or Tonya Harding.) Below you’ll find some clever Halloween costumes for the productivity nerd in all of us. These creative twists on getting dressed up will win you big points for originality.
Go ahead and get your nerd on.
Clever Halloween Costumes For People Who Love Productivity
We’re breaking down our clever Halloween costumes for adults into categories. Some of them are more direct while others might keep people guessing—that’s what makes them so fun. Or ridiculous. You choose.
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs are the epitome of productivity—the successful ones, that is. The big names built companies based on innovative ideas, changed their industry or the world, and still manage to exercise, have families, and eat lunch. (We can hardly do that most days.) What better way to honor your heroes than dress up like them?
While you can take this category in endless directions, we’re throwing out just three icons we think would take the cake for clever Halloween costumes.
1. Elon Musk
What you need:
- A Tesla (kidding.) A Tesla logo will do. Get crafty and DIY it using cardboard and paint.
- A tux. Or classic black suit with a white collared shirt and black bow tie.
- An astronaut helmet. Because SpaceX.
To take it up a notch:
- Find yourself in an unproductive conversation? Flee immediately. Your time is too precious to be wasted on pointless conversation.
2. Steve Jobs
What you need:
- A black turtleneck
- Wire-rimmed glasses
- An apple
To take it up a notch:
- Memorize one of his most iconic quotes to recite on command.
- Carry around a bottle of carrot juice, which Jobs handed out to trick-or-treaters one year. Besides, what says Halloween better than carrot juice? (Literally anything.)
3. Richard Branson
What you need:
- A bleach blonde wig (or really commit and bleach your actual hair)
- A black jacket
- A white collared shirt with a few of the top buttons open
- A toy plane with the Virgin Atlantic logo on it
- A record
To take it up a notch:
- Speak in a British accent and request that everyone calls you, “Sir.”
Costumes about time
People who win at productivity are masters of all things time-management. They’re good at scheduling their time, protecting it fiercely, and structuring their days so they get their most important work done first. So we couldn’t leave time-based ideas off of our list of clever, and in this case, punny Halloween costumes. Of all the ways to talk about time, we think these would make the most creative Halloween costumes. But let’s not waste any more time talking. (We had to.) Here are some ideas.
1. Time Saver
What you need:
- A superhero cape or costume
- A clock, preferably comically large
To take it up a notch:
- Add a life saver.
- Continuously remind people when time is being wasted and in need of saving.
2. Time Manager
What you need:
- A business suit
- A nametag indicating your status as a manager
- A clock
To take it up a notch:
- Practice your Michael Scott impressions.
3. Just in Time
What you need:
- A curly, short blonde wig (to replicate Justin Timberlake’s iconic 90s hair)
- An outfit from one of *NSYNC’s music videos (preferably the acid wash jean jacket from “It’s Gonna Be Me,” but any will do)
- A big clock or cardboard watch face
To take it up a notch:
- Perfect one of Timberlake’s songs to bust out at any point during the night. Bonus points for dance moves.
4. The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland
What you need:
- Bunny ears and tail
- A pocket watch
- Wire-rimmed glasses
- A top hat
- A long overcoat
- A vest
- A bow tie
To take it up a notch:
- Be a little frenetic.
- Overuse “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date.”
Costumes about concentration
Another way to capture productivity in your costume? Focus on, well, focus. We know that’s a big part of productivity, and it can make for some pretty clever Halloween costumes too.
1. Mime
What you need:
- Black pants
- Black-and-white striped shirt
- A black beret
- White gloves
- Black suspenders or a black vest
- Face paint
- Extreme self-restraint (…if you’re anything like us, that is)
To take it up a notch:
- The traditional “I’m in a box you can’t see” trick gets old. Mime out something else entirely. Like running into an invisible wall. Just don’t run into an actual one while you’re at it.
2. Hocus Focus
Okay, this one might be a long shot, but if executed well, it could be Halloween costume gold.
What you need:
- A corset
- A long, tattered dress or skirt
- A broom
- Striped tights
- A cape
- Aggressively-styled hair a la the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus
- A magnifying glass
To take it up a notch:
- Perfect the line, “It’s all a bunch of hocus focus,” said in Winnie Sanderson’s tone, of course.
Costumes about organization
We’d be missing out on a huge part of productivity if we failed to mention organization. Productivity-masters are highly skilled in organizing their time, their priorities, their workspaces, and more. Here are just a few ideas on how to incorporate organization into your costumes this year.
1. Hermione Granger
Of all the Harry Potter characters who have their shit together, Hermione is by far the most impressive. We’d attribute her success and smarts partially to her impeccable levels of organization. Embody her organizational skills and physical presence this October 31st—and keep those skills going strong after the holiday, too.
What you need:
- A black cape
- A wand
- A stuffed owl
- A striped tie in Gryffindor colors
- A white collared shirt
- A gray sweater
- A gray pleated skirt
- A curling iron and comb to achieve a little frizz
To take it up a notch:
- Find someone dressed as Malfoy. Proceed to punch him in the face. (We don’t actually endorse this, just to be clear. But we couldn’t leave it out.)
2. Panda Planner
Last on our list of clever Halloween costumes is dressing up as your favorite organizational item—your Panda Planner. Okay, shameless, self-promotion: We’re affiliated with the team at Panda Planner. But this is actually an easy and fun way to show your passion for planning, productivity, and a company dedicated to living a meaningful life. Oh and you get to wear Panda ears. What’s not to love?
What you need:
- Panda ears
- A black shirt and black pants
- White felt circle for the panda belly
- Black and white face paint for giving yourself panda features
- A planner, preferably a Panda Planner
To take it up a notch:
- Grab a few extra planners and hand them out to friends
To sum it all up
We hope our list of clever Halloween costumes for people who love productivity inspires you to get creative this year and make a statement about your passions. Bonus? These ideas work great for office celebrations. They’re thematically appropriate and, dare we say, a bit funny. Happy celebrating—productivity (and Halloween, too)!
Your turn: What’s on your list of the most clever Halloween costumes this year? Did we miss any big ones?
For more ways to get pumped about productivity, check out these inspiring quotes that get you in gear.
Author: Chelsey Taylor
Chelsey likes words, especially adjectives, and has been perfecting her perfectionism since infancy. She’s an endorphin-gatherer, top-knot connoisseur, and content manager at Panda Planner.
Hailz D says
October 5, 2018 at 2:58 amInteresting entrepreneur list. I happened to notice they are all males and mostly white. Throwing in a few more varied suggestions would be awesome.
Arianna Huffington (huffington post), Sara Blakely would be fun since she founded Spanx. And many more, even Oprah.
Chelsey Taylor says
October 5, 2018 at 10:14 amGreat comment! You’re absolutely accurate that the entrepreneur list leans a particular direction, and we apologize for the oversight. We’re hoping to make a few updates to this post soon and will round out that list with some of your suggestions. Thank you so much for the feedback!