Patrick Bateman Costume: Halloween Psycho

The first order of business is finding a pinstripe suit, straight out of ’80s Wall Street. There are some okay options on Amazon, but it actually may be easiest to go to the local Goodwill (where you’ll probably find something actually made in the ’80s).

Any formal dress shirt will do, but to really make the costume scream Patrick Bateman you should find a Gordon Gekko-esque contrast collar. Here’s a good example on Amazon, although it’s fairly pricy for a shirt that is probably garbage and will soon be soaked with fake blood.

Patrick Bateman wears a few different ties in American Psycho, but the most iconic is probably this red one. Another part of the outfit that could be an easy pickup at a thrift store. Here’s a passable option from Amazon if that’s easier for you.

Be my guest if you’re okay getting your deal sleds all bloody. But, if not, it may be better to pick up a cheap pair of shoes for the occasion. This is a delicate balance because your shoes can make or break the outfit, but you also don’t want to go over the top if this is a one night costume.

Here’s a reasonable option on Amazon. They’re hideous, and will probably destroy your feet, but will get the job done if you don’t have better options.

Now we start getting to the really fun parts. You can’t pull off a good Patrick Bateman costume without a clear raincoat (his go-to for blood splatter protection). This one probably will just be easiest to pick up from Amazon – you might get an actual psycho killer’s rain jacket if you tried to find this at a Goodwill.

Clearly we’ve been saving the best for last. To tie this all together you’ll need to go axe shopping. Do what you please, but I would probably recommend going for a foam version rather than the real thing. You might have trouble getting let in the club if you decide to go full on lumberjack with it.

I cannot figure out why these cost more than about $1.99, but this is the best version I could find online. Potentially a foam axe market opportunity if you can put up with the seasonality of it.

Now we’re on the home stretch — just a couple final things to pull together if you want to go the extra mile.

Depending on how dedicated you are to this, you could potentially think about adding some fake blood to the mix. Apply liberally on your raincoat and feel free to add some tasteful splatters to your face. Don’t overdo it or you’ll start legitimately scaring people.

Patrick Bateman wouldn’t be caught dead without his watch, so you should toss one on if you can. This isn’t crucial as your blood-protection rain coat will probably cover it up anyway.

If you really want to pull off the Patrick Bateman costume, you’ll need to get your hair done. Here’s a primer on the proper American Psycho hairstyle.