Here’s five of Katie’s best costumes — each one cuter than the next.
If anyone knows how to dress up for Halloween, it’s Katie Couric. Whether she was decked out on the TODAY plaza, trick-or-treating with her girls, or attending a Halloween party, the woman has always dressed to impress on Halloween. We asked Katie to share a few of her favorite Halloween costumes with us. Some of them you’ll probably recognize (who could forget her Marilyn Monroe costume from 2005?!) and some are personal memories of costumes that she wore just with her kids. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and maybe they’ll inspire your Halloween costume this year!
Katie as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz on the TODAY Show
In her seventh year as an anchor of TODAY, Katie dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with ruby slippers, a perfect Judy Garland wig, and even a real Toto dog! When we asked Katie where the dog came from, she told us: “I had a terrier named Maisy at the time, but I was too scared to bring her to the plaza for the show because she wasn’t exactly the best-behaved dog, so they gave me a stuffed Toto. But I have no idea where that real dog came from…I somehow ended up with it! That year, Ellie, Carrie, and I all dressed as Dorothy when I took them out for Halloween. Carrie was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz — she was almost three, and I think she’d watched the movie 75 times.”
Katie as Marilyn Monroe from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on the TODAY Show
In 2005, Katie was Marilyn Monroe at TODAY — once again, the costume was inspired by her daughters. “That year was the year of Marilyn for us. Carrie was obsessed with her — for her sixth birthday I hired a Marilyn impersonator. Then we took a trip to California and we visited her grave, and Carrie borrowed my lipstick to leave a kiss on her headstone.” Carrie also channeled Marilyn that year. “I had a friend named Brian in the wardrobe department at SNL, and he made her the little silk dress from The Seven Year Itch for her costume. So I was really continuing the family tradition when I dressed as her that year, but I was in the pink dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I was sort of embarrassed because it ended up being a huge production!”
Katie as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
It seems like when she was young, Carrie really had a thing for old Hollywood starlets, and Katie was more than happy to play along. One year, the two of them dressed as an icon Katie says was an honor to interview: Audrey Hepburn. “Another year Carrie and I both dressed as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We got her a little Tiffany’s bag and a tiara and a big fake string of pearls and even the long black gloves. I wore the same thing, like she was my mini-me.”
Katie as Peter Pan on the TODAY Show
Although she’s had some great costumes over the years, even Katie has to admit that dressing as Peter Pan for TODAY in 1999, complete with a flying harness, was “one of my best costumes to date.” Although she didn’t exactly stick the landing, we can’t deny she committed to the character! Her haircut that year also happened to be perfect for the role.
Katie as Ariana Grande
We’ve got to admit this photo made us do a double-take. The hair! The boots! The sweatshirt-as-dress! In 2018 Katie dressed up as pop icon Ariana Grande, and even Katie had to admit that the similarities between the two were “disturbing.” Carrie, who Katie claimed at the time was an “Ariana fangirl,” suggested the perfect hashtag for the pic: #GodIsAWoman.
