Movie Monsters

• While the ranks of famous movie monsters consists of a lot of male creatures, there are some notable female monsters from films, any of which convert well to Halloween costumes. The Bride of Frankenstein occupies one of the earliest female movie monster slots. "Dracula's Daughter" followed her to the screen the next year. While Jason gets a lot of the press, in the first "Friday the 13th" film, the hockey-masked killer was actually Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees.
  
  

Superheroes

• The world of superheroes tips towards the male heroes in terms of number of characters, but there have been plenty of female superheroes over the years. Wonder Woman probably comes to mind first, but Supergirl gets plenty of attention, too. Catwoman presents a more complicated character profile, crossing the border between villain and hero. Other possibilities include the Invisible Girl, Phoenix, Scarlet Witch, Spiderwoman and Ms. Marvel. Digging deep into comic books reveals a number of potential costumes.
  
  

Cartoon Characters

• Female cartoon characters abound, going all the way back to Betty Boop. When creating a cartoon costume, one idea involves turning it into a live-action character, but the other is about creating a representation of the actual cartoon. Female cartoon characters include Minnie Mouse, Jessica Rabbit and Penelope Pussycat (Pepe le Pew's love interest). Looking to more human cartoon characters, Velma and Daphne from "Scooby Doo" work well as costumes, as do Josie or any of the Pussycats.
  
  

Legendary Characters

• Some historical figures are more legend than reality and other characters are strictly fictional passed down over the centuries. Either type of legend adapts well to costume. While Cleopatra really existed, her legend (due a great deal to Shakespeare) is larger than the reality. The Medusa was pure legend, but works well as a costume. Other possibilities include Annie Oakley, Joan of Arc, Athena or Artemis. Norse mythology featured a race of female warrior deities known as Valkyries.