At this point, it’s been proven over and over again that you should generally stay away from making someone’s culture your Halloween costume, a lesson that Klum learned when she experienced the full force of the backlash against this one.

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21. Cleopatra

Klum’s 2012 party was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, but she gave fans a glimpse at what her costume would’ve been had it gone ahead: a gilded Cleopatra.

Dressing up as Cleopatra, though it’s extremely common, also falls into some morally grey territory, with many calling it cultural appropriation. Besides that, it’s not a particularly interesting costume, apart from the giant headpiece, so perhaps it’s for the best she cancelled the party.

20. That Cats costume

Klum’s 2007 cat costume would be at home on the nightmarish set of Cats.

In our opinion, Klum resembles a rat more than a cat. Plus, a cat is the most basic Halloween costume of all time – we expect more from a Halloween queen like Klum.

19. A crow

In 2009, Klum and her then-husband Seal dressed up as crows. There’s nothing particularly notable about this couple’s costume, which is why it earns this low spot on the list.

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18. Heidi Klum as … Heidi Klum

If she had made everyone wear a more interesting outfit this would perhaps be higher up the list, but as it stands, the nude bodysuit and thigh-high boots aren’t bold enough.

17. A dominatrix

For her first-ever Halloween party in 2000, Klum donned a leather dress and black wig to dress up as a dominatrix.

This costume is simple but effective. The black wig and red lip are a big enough departure from Klum’s ultra-recognisable look that even if she hadn’t worn the leather ensemble, she still would’ve been incognito.

16. An … alien?

In 2003, Klum dressed up as a golden goddess/alien/creature … we can’t really tell.

Yes, she really levelled up in the commitment to her costumes in 2003, but we’re not quite sure what she’s supposed to be. She donned a golden catsuit, had long golden braids, metallic golden boots and a gold grill, which was surely time-consuming, but we’re not sure it was really worth the effort.

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15. Red-hot skeleton witch

Again, we’re not totally sure what Klum is supposed to be, but the giant red wig is iconic, as are the random bones strewn about.

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14. Gothic vampire butterfly

In 2005, Klum rocked a vampire costume with gothic butterfly wings. Once again, Klum wore a giant wig. She paired her dress with thigh-high boots, vampire fangs and wings.

13. Betty Boop

Klum’s take on Betty Boop was flawless. She mainly relies on full-body prosthetics now, but her 2002 costume proves that with the right wig, make-up and red dress (and a potential butt prosthetic), you can still totally transform yourself.

12. Lady Godiva

In 2001, for her second-ever party, Klum rode into her soirée atop a horse while dressed as a dead Lady Godiva. Klum was showing us that her title of Halloween queen was not to be questioned.

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11. The human body stripped bare

Klum looked like she’d stepped right out of one of Gunther von Hagens famously gruesome Body Worlds exhibitions for her 2011 party. It must have taken hours in the make-up chair to paint her entire head red.

10. A convincing butterfly

Her 2014 costume was a giant patterned butterfly with an anatomically correct mask. A butterfly is also a basic costume, but unlike when she dressed up as a cat, Klum took it to a whole new level with these gigantic wings and the mask with butterfly eyes.

9. What was Klum in 2019? We couldn’t tell you, but it certainly sticks in your head

There’s truly so much happening here, we don’t even know where to start. The cut-open stomach with guts spilling out? The wires coming out of her nipples? The exposed brain?

Sure, this took time, planning, and the effort of very talented artists, but since we can’t quite tell what she is, the 2019 costume lands in the middle of the pack.

8. Eve’s apple

Klum was pregnant in 2006 and found an inventive way to incorporate her belly by dressing up as the forbidden fruit, while Seal was Eve. Most people would just dress as Adam and Eve, but Seal and Klum aren’t most people. Dressing up as both a giant apple and the temptress serpent is a creative spin, and then, of course, Seal being Eve makes sense, as it’s she who gets tempted.

The colour-blocked tights and two separate boots (one green snakeskin, one red leather) were also a nice touch.

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The best

7. An old lady

It’s a pity that Klum was just a few years early for M. Night Shyamalan’s Old with her 2013 costume.

The prosthetic work here is truly impressive and looks real, from the wrinkly neck to the veiny legs. It might not be the most glamorous or sexy costume, but she really took an easy costume to a whole new level.

6. A Starlight Express-inspired robot?

Klum rolled up to the red carpet on stilts and doused in purple paint in 2010.

This costume is a mix between a giant robot and a superhero, and we’re into it. Her entire body was covered in bright purple face paint, and she even learned to walk on stilts to attend the party.

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5. A chimpanzee

Her second look of 2011 was this costume. She and Seal were the most realistic-looking chimps we’ve ever seen. In fact these two wouldn’t have been out of place on the set of Planet of the Apes – these are Hollywood-grade prosthetics and costumes.

While animals may be low-hanging fruit in terms of Halloween costumes, monkeys are frequently done, but rarely this well. We commend Klum, Seal and their team of artists who put this look together.

4. Jessica Rabbit

Klum totally disappeared into this scarily accurate Jessica Rabbit costume in 2015. In what’s basically her Betty Boop costume levelled-up, she looks exactly like the animated character from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voiced by Kathleen Turner. The costume should just be retired now – no one can top this.

3. Shrek and Fiona

In 2018, she and husband Tom Kaulitz dressed as Shrek and Fiona. Kaulitz’s Shrek is unnervingly good, and Klum’s Fiona is perfect. You can see how time-consuming this process was from her Instagram post at the time – basically every feature is prosthetic, from nose to feet.

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2. The ‘Thriller’ werewolf

Our second-favourite Klum costume of all time has to be her look from 2017, when Klum fully became a werewolf from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video. Klum nailed every detail of this costume, from the cropped pants and white socks to the letterman jacket and werewolf mask.

1. A worm

Klum was completely unrecognisable when she dressed as a worm this year. We think it’s the most bizarre and impressive costume she’s ever worn.

Klum’s husband Kaulitz accompanied the model in a fisherman’s costume, complete with a pole and line attached to his wife. A video of Klum on the red carpet showed her inching herself along before she stretched out on the ground for an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Klum told the show that the costume took a few months to build and required multiple fittings.