Unless the whole the creepy killer clown craze has made you want to skip going out this year, chances are you’re going to need a costume for Halloween.

And when it comes to the spookiest night of the year, people fall into one of two camps: those who start planning in July and the slackers who are forced to pull something together in a terrifyingly short period of time. Luckily for those in the latter camp, if your wardrobe is well stocked with staples (we don’t just mean the sort holding Frankenstein’s monster together) and you’ve been following the season’s trends, you should find it much easier to nail something last minute. As the editors of FashionBeans show here, the most stylish screams are already hiding in your wardrobe… sleep tight.

Ben Herbert

Editor-in-Chief

The dilemma of what to go as for Halloween is made infinitely harder by having a child (ironic, given a few sleepless nights provide the perfect base for a ‘walking dead’ look). My heart tells me to go with the usual blood, guts and gore of an unlucky surfer, ejector seat helicopter pilot, crazed maniac wielding a butcher’s knife (the list goes on), but my head tells me therapy is expensive. So this year I’m using Halloween as an excuse to invest in a key layering piece for the months ahead. Along with keeping me warm, a lightweight gilet teamed with Levi’s jeans, a check shirt and denim jacket offers the perfect Marty McFly mix. Hoverboard optional. Patagonia Down Sweater Vest, available at End Clothing, priced £129.

Murray Clark

Assistant Editor

Patrick Bateman is a bad man. You can’t even call him an anti-hero. That’d mean there were some redeeming qualities to be gleaned. But that’s not to say a bad man can’t have a good wardrobe. In Bateman’s case, it’s a meticulous 1980s power-suit affair, which is great for Halloween, especially if you want to play the serial killer part without wearing a rubber mask that smells like a dog in a hot car. All you need is a pinstriped two-piece, plastic axe and transparent festival poncho. For extra points, dig out an old cassette player, slick the hair back and blood soak the cheeks. Et voila: A Wall Street psycho scarier than Dorsia’s waiting list. Jort Blue Suit, available at SuitSupply, priced £699.