Last updated: May 22, 2026·🔄 Guide reviewed and refreshed ahead of Halloween 2026.· By Seckin Peker

Halloween Costume Guide

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween Costume Guide

White Crop Tank  ·  White Bikini Bottom  ·  Sledgehammer

One of the most-referenced music videos of the 2010s, rebuilt in five items.

Miley Cyrus Music Singer Blonde Women Real Person Short Hair 2000s
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Quick Answer: The Wrecking Ball Halloween costume is five items and the whole look depends on getting the white pairing right.
  • White crop tank (essential)
  • White bikini bottom (essential)
  • Double face hammer prop
  • Brown boots
  • Red lipstick

The Wrecking Ball music video was released on September 9, 2013, and set the Vevo record for most views in the first 24 hours. The image of Miley in an all-white outfit swinging on a wrecking ball became one of the defining pop culture visuals of the decade, according to its Wikipedia entry. The sledgehammer prop is not subtle, and that is exactly the point.

Items Total5 Items
DifficultyEasy
Vibe2013 Pop Chaos
Cost$30–$80

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween Costume Items

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween costume guide showing all 5 items: white crop tank, white bikini bottom, double face hammer, red lipstick, and brown boots

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Costume Items

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Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Bangerz Music Video
  • 1 White Bikini BottomCritical. The all-white pairing of crop top and bikini bottom is the costume’s entire visual identity. The bikini bottom needs to be clean, solid white with a simple cut. Anything too high-cut, too patterned, or off-white shifts the look away from the video reference. This is not the place to substitute with white shorts or a skirt.
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  • 2 White Crop TankCritical. Sleeveless, white, cropped above the waist. This is exactly what Miley wears at the start of the video. A fitted crop top works better than a loose one. The two white pieces together create the palette that makes this costume read before the hammer enters the equation.
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  • 3 Double Face HammerSupporting. The sledgehammer is the prop that closes the loop. Without it, you are a person in white clothing. With it, people say “Wrecking Ball” before you say anything. A foam or rubber hammer is lighter and easier to carry all night than a real one. Hold it over the shoulder in photos and then set it down somewhere safe.
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  • 4 Red LipstickSupporting. Bold red is Miley’s makeup choice in the video’s close-up sections. A matte finish holds longer at parties. Apply it after eating, not before.
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  • 5 Brown BootSupporting. Ankle or mid-calf brown boots ground the look and add warmth for an October party. Any brown boot you already own works fine here.
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Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween costume styling showing white crop tank and white bikini bottom combination with brown boots

How to Style the Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween Costume

Both white pieces need to match in tone. Bright white crop top against off-white or ivory bikini bottoms creates a mismatched look that tells people the outfit was assembled in a hurry. Hold both items next to each other in natural light before the party. The crop top should be fitted through the torso and cropped just above the navel. A baggy white shirt tucked in does not read the same way. If the costume is going to work at an October party temperature, plan a white jacket for outdoor moments that you can remove for photos.

The music video opens with Miley singing directly into the camera, close-up and tearful, against a white backdrop. The emotional intensity of that image is part of why the visual stayed in cultural memory. You do not have to cry at the party, but the committed stare is free.

Match the white before you commit

White-on-white outfits expose any tonal mismatch immediately. Take the crop top and bikini bottom outside in daylight, not bathroom lighting, before the party. If one reads as yellow-white and the other reads as blue-white, the costume looks unfinished. This is the one check worth doing the day before rather than the night of.

Handle the hammer early

A double-face hammer is useful for photos and immediately recognizable, but awkward to hold for a full evening. Get the entrance photos when you arrive. After that, find it a corner, a bag, or a coat check. The white outfit reads clearly without it once people have already identified the costume. Three hours of carrying a hammer is approximately two hours and fifty minutes more than necessary.

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Group Halloween Costume Ideas

Couples

Miley Cyrus (Wrecking Ball) & Elvis Presley

Conditional on both people committing fully. Two music icons from completely different eras paired as a couple is a concept that works if it is played with awareness of how absurd the combination is. The visual contrast between Miley’s all-white video look and a full Elvis jumpsuit is striking. Without that self-awareness, it reads as two people who made separate decisions.

Miley Cyrus Elvis Presley

Duo

Miley Cyrus (Wrecking Ball) & Ashley O

Conditional on the crowd knowing both references. Ashley O is Miley’s character from a 2019 Black Mirror episode, which gives the duo a “two versions of Miley” dynamic that fans of both will appreciate. The problem is that Ashley O requires specific Black Mirror knowledge to land, so this works best at a party where that overlap exists.

Miley Cyrus (Wrecking Ball) Ashley O

Group: Iconic Music Video Looks

Miley Cyrus, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, She Wolf Shakira, Ginger Spice

Strong group because every look on this list is immediately recognizable without context and visually distinct from every other. Five people, five completely different color palettes and silhouettes, zero risk of anyone being confused for someone else. This is one of the easier large group concepts to execute because each costume is well-documented and the connection between them is self-evident.

Miley Cyrus Cyndi Lauper Madonna She Wolf Shakira Ginger Spice

Group: Pop Princesses Through the Decades

Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Ariana Grande

Strong group concept with a clear theme and broad recognition across every age group at any party. Each artist represents a distinct era of mainstream pop, so the group reads as intentional rather than assembled. The main coordination challenge is deciding which era of each artist to represent, since most of them have multiple iconic looks.

Miley Cyrus Britney Spears Madonna Cyndi Lauper Ariana Grande
Miley Cyrus in the Wrecking Ball music video holding a sledgehammer in her white outfit, showing the exact look recreated by the Halloween costume

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween Costume DIY Tips

What to Buy vs. What You Already Own

This is one of the cheaper costumes to put together because most of the items are basic clothing that many people already own in some form. The main spending decision is the hammer prop.

  • White crop top: check your closet. Almost everyone owns one
  • White bikini bottom: check your summer wardrobe first
  • Brown boots: any brown ankle or mid-calf boot already in your collection
  • Red lipstick: already in most makeup kits
  • Hammer: buy it if you want the immediate recognition. A foam one is fine
  • Optional: a small chain necklace as a subtle detail matching the video look

Pulling Off the Look at the Party

This is a simple costume that can go wrong in one specific way: the October temperature. Plan ahead so the look stays intact rather than getting covered up.

  • Bring a white jacket or long white cardigan for outdoor transitions. Remove it for photos
  • The red lip reapplication: check it every couple of hours, especially after food
  • The hammer is for arrival photos. Find it a permanent surface after that
  • Short hair or a slick-back style is more accurate to the video, but the costume reads without it
  • If someone does not recognize it immediately: hold the hammer slightly higher and stare directly at them until they get it

Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Halloween Costume: FAQ

The white crop tank and white bikini bottom are the two essential pieces. Without both, the costume reads as generic rather than the specific video look. Add brown boots, bold red lipstick, and carry a double-face hammer. The hammer is not required for recognition but it removes all possible ambiguity.

  • “I came in like a wrecking ball”
  • “I never hit so hard in love”
  • “All I wanted was to break your walls”
  • “All you ever did was wreck me”
  • “Yeah, you, you wreck me”

Released in August 2013 as the second single from Bangerz, Wrecking Ball became Miley Cyrus’s first US number-one single and set Vevo records for fastest views in the first 24 hours after release.

Yes. The Wrecking Ball video from 2013 has stayed in the cultural conversation in a way that few music videos from that era have. The image is specific enough that it reads immediately at any party, and the costume is cheap and easy to pull together. Recognition is high across a wide age range.

No, but it removes all ambiguity instantly. The white outfit alone reads as Wrecking Ball Miley to anyone who knows the video, but a sledgehammer over the shoulder means nobody has to think twice. A foam or rubber version is the practical choice for a party.

Wrecking Ball is the second single from Bangerz, Miley Cyrus’s fourth studio album, released in 2013 on RCA Records. It was produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut and became her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in the United States.

Terry Richardson directed the Wrecking Ball video, which premiered on Vevo on September 9, 2013. It set the record for most views in the first 24 hours across Vevo platforms and was the fastest video to reach 100 million views on the service.

Yes. Pairing with other iconic music video looks is the most natural group direction. A group of pop icons across decades works particularly well: Britney Spears, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Ariana Grande all have distinct looks that read alongside the Wrecking Ball look without any overlap or confusion.