21 Halloween Costume Ideas & Vintage Pieces To Make Them
The fashionable, niche, classic, sexy, comfy, and outrageously sequined
Finding the perfect Halloween costume is a Sisyphean task.
It’s got to be niche enough to be cool yet easily recognizable enough to be appreciated; sexy enough to be hot yet comfortable enough to withstand a late October chill; and funny enough to show you don’t take yourself too seriously yet not so funny that you can’t be taken seriously by the cute person you’re making eyes with across the bar.
I think fashion heads diverge into two categories on Halloween — those who thrive and those who throw in the towel. For some, it’s the holiday of the year, taking any excuse to dress to the nines in a meticulously designed ensemble. For the rest, the pressure of one perfect day is just too much, and they’d rather spend their seasonal wardrobe energy on boots and coats and vintage layers for daily wear. Only Heidi Klum seems to have time for it all.
In this letter… a costume for everyone, from the ridiculously low effort to full face paint mode, chill to flashy, comfy to scratchy, niche to universal + the vintage pieces to make them shine ★
‘Headphones On’ Addison Rae
The building blocks:
Purple hoodie, black sweatpants, blue rain boots, wired earbuds, pink wig
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Black sweatpants, wired earbuds, perhaps the pink wig if you’re a Halloween fiend
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everything but the wig
Biblically Accurate Angel
My friend A — you know her from my medieval belt bag manifesto as the woman who refuses to use a purse — was a biblically accurate angel last year. She committed so hard she bleached her hair and eyebrows, but it works with any hair color.
The building blocks:
White/cream pieces, wings, googly eyes
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
White tops, skirts, pants, dresses would all work well
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Eyes and wings, not so much. Outfit underneath, absolutely
Jonathan Anderson
The building blocks:
Vintage sweater or sweatshirt, vintage Levi’s, a Chelsea boot, bonus: old festival wristband
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Most likely every piece
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You’ve probably already worn this outfit before
Wednesday Addams (‘90s version)
I dressed up like this to a frat party in college once and not a single person knew who I was.
The building blocks:
Black dress with a white collar or trim, two braids
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
A plain black dress and a white button up to layer underneath
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can always find occasions for an LBD
Toni and Candace of the Women & Women First bookstore
The building blocks:
Tapestry jacket, vintage vest, turtleneck sweater, elastic waist pants, reading glasses, wooden necklaces, anything Coldwater Creek
Secondhand pieces:
Your local Savers is a treasure trove of this stuff
What you might already have:
The pants, turtleneck, glasses, a patterned jacket or purse
Rewearability:
3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ Maybe you’re like me and have a special affinity for grandma'-ish tapestry pieces, but the vest and jacket might not be your everyday jam
Magician, Assistant, and Bunny
Duo or group costume yes, but potentially an opportunity to layer all three and be the best one-man show at the Halloween party?
The building blocks:
Black formal-ish jacket, top hat, cape, sequined dress, sparkly unitard, tights, bunny ears, cotton ball tail, fuzzy jacket
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Suit jacket, black slacks, old dance costume, tights
Rewearability:
2/5 ⭐⭐ Something tells me you don’t usually wear bunny ears to work
Freshly Divorced Nicole Kidman
The building blocks:
Sheer pink top, green skirt, sneakers, a sense of freedom
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Maybe all of it
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Parker Posey in ‘Party Girl’
The building blocks:
Leopard jacket, black jacket, cream blouse, red shorts, striped tights, striped bag, strappy heels, gloves!, teeny sunglasses
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Maybe everything, maybe nothing, but all pieces have a high rewear value if you need an excuse to get another fall jacket
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Louis Vuitton S/S 2008 Nurse
The building blocks:
Red tank/bodysuit/lingerie, white dress, nurse hat, lace mask, oversized bag
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
A button up white dress, the other models had different colors under their dresses so any color underneath would work
Rewearability:
2.5/5 ⭐⭐ Probably won’t be the most reached for dress in your wardrobe
Pierrot / Misc Vintage Clown
The building blocks:
Flouncy collar, leotard, tights, white dress, tutu, short shorts, stripes on stripes on polka dots, big black pom poms, dramatic face makeup, paper cone hat
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Funky pieces to layer, coffee filters for a DIY collar, thick black eyeliner
Rewearability:
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐ I love an everyday clown collar shirt personally, but the makeup and hat might not be seeing the light of day again
Andie Anderson
The yellow dress.
Or a subtler option…
The building blocks:
Yellow satin dress, Knicks tank, jeans, an attitude
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
A yellow dress from a spring wedding, Knicks jersey borrowed from a friend, jeans, the attitude
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unless you’re a Knicks fan, that piece might not come in handy often
Sleepytime Tea Bear
The building blocks:
Nightgown, red sleeping cap, mug
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
An old nightgown or cotton maxi dress
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The sleepy cap doesn’t seem useful to me, but the nightgown is timeless
Abbi Day and The Blue Bandage Dress
The building blocks:
Blue bandage dress, too tall black heels, an ass that won’t quit
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
If you were a 2010 party girl, this dress may be hiding in your closet
Rewearability:
2.5/5 ⭐⭐ I think there’s a 50/50 chance lol
Cher Wearing a Face Mask in Public
She’s done this kind of a lot so the outfit options are endless…
The building blocks:
Any outfit, a clay face mask
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
The clothes, the skincare (just check that expiration date on your Queen Helene mint julep mask first)
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stanford Blatch
The biggest diva of SATC.
The building blocks:
Funky vintage suit, plaid blazer, fuzzy driver cap, tiny sunglasses, martini, a bitchy scarf
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Some bright accessories
Rewearability:
2/5 ⭐⭐ A pink suit isn’t the most universal fit
Rockette, Dancer, Showgirl, Sequined Sexpot
Whatever lets you bejeweled! I decided when I saw the Rockettes perform a few years ago that if nothing else mattered, I’d want to wear a rhinestoned fringed and feathered leotard all the time. We’re getting closer and closer to nothing mattering every day.
The building blocks:
Sequins, feathers, rhinestones, tights, dance leotards, headpieces, costume jewelry
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
An old dance costume, flashy jewelry, a balding feather boa
Rewearability:
1/5 ⭐ Probably the least rewearable but definitely the most fabulous
Jennifer Check in ‘Jennifer’s Body’
Unfortunately the iconic GAP kids zip-up hoodie goes for up to $1,100, so I suggest you dig in the darkest depths of your middle school/high school wardrobe for something cropped from Hollister.
The building blocks:
Cropped zip-up hoodie, cropped cardi, layered polos, low-rise denim mini skirt, low-rise jeans, tiny purse, a lust for blood
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Low-rise denim, baby purse, something tight and cropped
Rewearability:
3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ Denim yes, the cropped baby polo… maybe not
Witch, but in the Kate Moss for S/S 1993 Martine Sitbon way
The building blocks:
Pointy hat, layered black and sheer pieces, a sharp collar, cigarette holder
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Black and sheer layers, a perfect pout
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ As far as I’m concerned this works for pretty much any occasion
Street Style Zoe Kravitz
The hold she has over Substack notes…
The building blocks:
Tank, a notable lack of a bra, flouncy skirt or trousers, flip flops, sunnies
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
All of it
Rewearability:
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Little Red Riding Hood, Ella Enchanted, a Hobbit
This is really just an excuse to buy a sick cloak.
The building blocks:
A sick cloak, layered gauzy/cotton/linen pieces, a stuffed wolf if you want to go Chloe Sevigny style
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
The underneath layers
Rewearability:
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐ Cloak rewearable for future costumes and nerdy theme parties
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
The building blocks:
Bedazzled “SLUT” tank, black skirt, black boots, idiot husband
Secondhand pieces:
What you might already have:
Can easily DIY the tank you already own with black paint/glitter or taped on letters
Rewearability:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I personally would like to see this tank out on the town more often
Still need more?
Last October, I wrote about my obsession with ‘90s witchy style and delved into Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s styling through the last ~75 years. Sabrina taught me how to dress AND how to hex, thanks girl!
What are you wearing for Halloween!? Readers have been sharing their ideas in the chat and I can’t waaaait to see everyone all dressed up and ghouly.
Find me on Insta here, send me a note at mackinley@yeehawt.com, or reply to this email to keep the convo going <3
Here for Lindsay Bluth!!!! 👏
I’m so into divorced Nicole Kidman and witchy Kate Moss. Whimsical!