This article idea has been simmering in my brain for nearly 13 years, since my first viewing of Point Break and subsequent infatuation with the bank robbing Ex-Presidents it featured. I’ve always been a little fascinated by real ex-presidents, and when adding dated suits, guns, and a commanding presence into the mix, I was drooling to recreate their costumes for Halloween. As time went on I noticed lots more films that featured badass main characters that simply wore a suit and a few equally easy to obtain accessories, and realized that a suit is a very versatile Halloween costume item. These are also office-friendly, which is cool since finding an appropriate yet fun costume for work can be daunting. Since many people already have one on-hand, and adults are notorious for last-minute costumes, I knew this post could help inspire some quick, sleek, group costumes.

So we’ll start with the Ex-Presidents from Point Break. This might be the hardest set of costumes to recreate due to the diversity of the suits and the chosen presidents, but it’s definitely going to look the coolest. (To give you a point of reference for their styles of suits, and as an excuse to brush up on your history, I’ll also be listing their years of presidency.) On the far left we have Richard Nixon (37th prez from 69-74) wearing black pants, a gray jacket, red tie, and Nixon mask. Next is Jimmy Carter (39th prez from 77-81) wearing head to toe brown (jacket, pants & tie) and Carter mask. Ronald Reagan (40th prez from 81-89) is the best dressed of the bunch in tuxedo, black bow tie, and Reagan mask. Although, note that the style of mask worn in the movie isn’t in production anymore, so if you find an old one be sure to snatch it up. Finally there’s good old Lyndon B. Johnson (36th prez from 63-69) wearing a light gray jacket, light brown pants, black tie and LBJ mask. I’ve seen Johnson masks available at sporadic times in the last 13 years, but currently there are none available that I can find. (If anyone finds a supplier, please leave the info in the comments!) Everyone should be wearing a white button-up shirt (except for Reagan who wears a dressier tux-friendly shirt) and white gloves. If anyone wants to identify the different guns they’re carrying, that would be a big help. (UPDATE: See comments for gun info.) There’s not much online in the way of reference photos, but Infinite Coolness has the biggest gallery. A dressed-down version of the Ex-Presidents costume can be seen on Flickr.

If you’ve got a simple black suit, white button-up shirt, black tie, and black sunglasses, you’ve got several easy movie character costume options. For a group of people, Reservoir Dogs makes an impressive and simple group costume. Just make sure the ties are skinny, the glasses are Ray Ban (except for Mr. Orange), and that you each pick your moniker: Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink, Mr. Brown, or Mr. Blue. But don’t just settle for the look; if you’re going to wear the costume you’re going to need the attitude and some quotes. Delivery is of the utmost importance in any costume, but it is crucial when your outfit and accessories are simple and could be easily confused for “some dudes in suits”.

Same thing goes for Men In Black costumes. Just change the black tie to a wider width, get a pair of Ray Ban Predator sunglasses (Predator 2 for Agent J and Pedator 8 for Kay) and get your quotes & delivery down. The replica guns are no longer in production, but you can often find them on ebay. New Eye Studio makes a replica Neuralizer that can be ordered over the phone. And here’s a closer look at the actual suit.

While a defined jaw isn’t going to hurt, what you really need for an Agent Smith costume is the black suit, black tie, silver bar tie clip, earpiece, slicked hair, and sunglasses. You’ll have to run through the revelation monologue at least once while you’re in this costume, and it never hurts to memorize a few fight scene poses in case you encounter another Matrix character. For a more innovative take on Agent Smith, check out this costume from ComiCon. But please, don’t even think about wearing facial hair with this costume. You have to make sacrifices for a great costume, and sometimes shaving is one of them.

The final suit costume requires the right hair for both people, but this one is always a cult favorite. Yep, Vincent and Jules from Pulp Fiction. There’s a new wig out this year that is perfect for Jules’ mini-fro. He sports some crazy facial hair so either grow your own or you’ll need huge sideburns, goatee & moustache, and soul patch. Vincent’s hair is a very simple style (long, straight, with slightly shorter layers in the front), but there’s no perfect wig available. I think the best bet would be the High Society wig due to the layers in front and the ends that flip slightly outward, but that side part looks like it might be trouble to change. The next best thing is the Unisex Pageboy wig, and if you straightened out the ends so they didn’t flip under and cut some layers around the front, then you’d be all set. John Travolta has a signature widow’s peak so unless you were born with one, you need to fake it with a bit of black eyeliner. Bonus points if you have a cleft in your chin! If you opt for a Vincent & Mia couples costume then swap out the black tie for a bolero and add some cowboy boots. (Try post-overdose Mia to shake things up!) If you haven’t already memorized all the best monologues and one-liners from Pulp Fiction, be sure to do so before Halloween. For an alternate version, add some faux brain/skull splatter on your suit!

There’s probably tons of great pop culture characters that I’m missing here, so please leave your suggestions for suited costume ideas below. If you’ve recreated any of these costumes (or have found some online) you know we want to see pictures, so send them our way. Good luck with your costuming!