San Francisco is experiencing a shortage of black turtlenecks as residents snap up the simple sweaters in order to dress as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for Halloween.

Holmes, who is accused of misleading investors in the creation of her failed Silicon Valley blood testing start-up, is famous for her love of black turtlenecks and once boasted that she owned more than 150 of the items.

Given San Francisco's proximity to Silicon Valley, as well as the relative simplicity of Holmes' signature look, many residents in the city have been choosing to dress as the 35-year-old during the spooky season.

According to an article in Quartzy, Uniqlo stores in the city have completely sold out of black turtlenecks.

Meanwhile Business Insider reports that H&M, Target and Gap franchises in the city are also running low on stocks.

San Francisco is experiencing a shortage of black turtlenecks as residents snap up the simple garment in order to dress as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for Halloween

Given San Francisco's proximity to Silicon Valley, as well as the relative simplicity of Holmes' signature look, the 35-year-old has become a popular Halloween choice for residents (pictured)

Holmes is a resident of San Francisco and she recently moved out of her $5,000-a-month apartment on Lombard Street.

The blonde businesswoman was once named the wealthiest self-made female billionaire in America on the basis of a $9 billion valuation of Theranos, but she now has a reported net worth of zero following the collapse of the company.

She is currently awaiting trial on nine counts of wire fraud.

The scandalous story has made Holmes a pop-culture sensation, with her story recounted in an HBO documentary and a best-selling book titled Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley start-up.

One woman is pictured dressed up as Elizabeth Holmes for Halloween - teaming a black turtleneck with a bottle of hot sauce to stand in as a vial of blood

Women across San Francisco, and indeed the entire country, have been flooding Instagram showing off their Elizabeth Holmes Halloween outfits

Women across San Francisco, and indeed the entire country, have been taking to Instagram to show off their Elizabeth Holmes Halloween outfits.

Most team their turtlenecks with small bottles of hot sauce or red pills which stand in for a vial of blood.

Meanwhile, Quartzy contacted Uniqlo to see if they could account for the turtleneck shortage - with a rep claiming the company's official blog had directed shoppers to snap up one of the garments should they wish to dress as an 80s rapper for Halloween.

Meanwhile, Steve Jobs - who was also known for his penchant for black turtlenecks - is also a popular Halloween choice, which may have also furthered the shortage in San Francisco.

Additionally, an iconic 1990s image of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson wearing a black turtleneck has also been parodied on Halloween in years' past, which could further explain the low stocks.

Most team their turtlenecks with a small bottle of hot sauce or red pills which stands in for a vial of blood. One clever woman created an outfit that was a cross between The Avenger's character Thanos and Elizabeth Holmes