The National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween survey, released September 22, 2026, expects $2 billion to go on adult costumes this year. The top adult picks are a witch (4.8 million people), a vampire (4.2 million), Batman (2 million), Spider-Man (1.5 million) and a ghost (1.4 million). NRF lists “dressing in costume (50%)” among the top ways consumers mark the holiday, second only to handing out candy (61%). NRF surveyed 7,889 consumers from September 1 to 9, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
A year earlier, the 2025 survey had 5.6 million adults planning to be a witch and 2.7 million a vampire, and adult costume spending was the same $2 billion. So there will be a lot of vampires this year, and every one of them is up against the “sexy vampire” bag hanging between the sexy nurse, the sexy pirate and the sexy slice of pizza.
Each idea below lists the three to five pieces that make it read, whether they come from Amazon, a thrift store or your own closet, and a one-line note on whether you can sit, eat, drink and use a bathroom in it, because a party runs four or five hours. NRF also found that if prices come in higher than expected, 34% of shoppers plan to look for items they can reuse in later years, and most of these costumes are built from that kind of piece.
Classic Monsters, Without The Rubber Suit
Bride of Frankenstein
Pieces: a black beehive wig with white streaks, a plain long white gown or nightgown, gauze bandage wrapped on the forearms, a pale face base, and dark brows.
The 1935 Bride is one of the most recognisable costumes there is, for a character who is “only in it for five minutes at most,” as Maggie Gyllenhaal told Entertainment Weekly, and who “literally doesn’t speak,” both quoted by Smithsonian Magazine in March 2026. The dress was by Vera West, head of Universal’s costume department from 1928 to 1947, who Smithsonian says worked on about 400 films there. It was a “minimalist white gown,” which means any long plain white dress is most of the costume.
Spirit Halloween Bride of Frankenstein Wig, Universal Monsters
Officially licensed Universal Monsters wig in polyester fiber, one size. The listing says not to wash or style it, so take it out of the bag a few days early and let the beehive settle rather than brushing it.
Wearability: excellent for sitting, eating and drinking; the only problem is height, since a beehive finds every low doorframe and car roof.
Karloff’s Monster, Minus The Mask
Pieces: a dark jacket a size too short in the sleeves, neck bolts, grey-green face makeup with a painted scar at the hairline, and heavy boots.
Our adult costumes roundup covers the licensed full-mask version, and that page itself says a full vinyl mask “gets warm over a long night.” Makeup and a pair of bolts give you the same silhouette with a mouth you can drink through.
Libima Neck Bolts Prosthetic with Adhesive (2 Pack)
Two silver-and-black latex bolts, 1.4 inches tall, with 10 clear adhesive dots. The latex base can be cut to size, and the listing says to seal it with rubber mask grease paint or Pax paint before painting it. It also warns they're latex and suggests a patch test.
Wearability: very good. Flat-soled boots rather than platform ones, since the stiff-legged walk wears thin after an hour.
Dracula, With Fangs You Can Talk In
Pieces: a black suit or tux, a high-collared cape, a medallion on a ribbon, slicked-back hair, and fitted fangs.
Vampire is the second most popular adult costume in NRF’s survey this year, so the cape alone won’t set you apart. The fangs can. Cheap slip-on fangs sit on top of your teeth, lisp every word, and end up in a napkin. Fitted fangs are molded to your own canines.
Scarecrow Classic Deluxe Custom Fangs (18mm)
Comes with a molding kit to fit the caps to your own teeth; the listing says they clip on, are reusable, and suit average to larger teeth. Scarecrow sells a 13mm Small version at the same price for smaller teeth.
Wearability: good once the fangs are fitted; take them out to eat. The cape is the weak point near candles (see the safety section below).
The Invisible Man
Pieces: an overcoat, a fedora, gloves, gauze wrapped over the face with a gap at the mouth, and round dark glasses.
Almost everything here is already in a closet, which makes it the easiest Universal monster to put together on October 30.
Wearability: the most comfortable monster on this list. Leave the mouth gap wide enough for a straw, and wear the glasses on your nose rather than flat against the gauze so you can see.
Folklore And Literature
The Banshee, With Her Comb
Pieces: a long grey wig, a hooded grey or black cloak, pale makeup, and an oversized comb carried in one hand.
The comb is what makes her a banshee rather than a generic ghost. In “The Banshee’s Comb,” collected in the 1930s for Ireland’s Schools’ Collection at Templetown, Co. Wexford, and told by Patrick Colclough, 55, two men steal her comb and “She stayed outside all night- crying for her comb.” A priest tells them “to hand out the comb with a tongs,” and “she took the top off the tongs.” By morning their seven pigs were dead. The full story is on dúchas.ie.
Wearability: very good. Keep the cloak above the ankle so it doesn’t catch on stairs.
The Plague Doctor, Without The Myth
Pieces: a beaked mask, a long black hooded coat or cloak, a wide-brim hat, gloves, and a cane.
It gets called a Black Death costume. The beak is three centuries younger. Marion Maria Ruisinger’s 2020 paper in NTM traces the earliest known evidence for the beaked device to the epidemic in Rome in 1656. She also doubts the two surviving museum masks in Ingolstadt and Berlin: one has no nostril holes in its beak, and the other is made of cotton velvet, which by the medical theory of the day was about the worst fabric for plague work, since the poison was thought to cling to its surface.
Black Leather Plague Doctor Mask, Long Beak
PU leather with metal fittings and an adjustable strap; the listing says ventilation holes around the beak keep glasses from fogging. The hat isn't included.
Wearability: you have to lift or remove the mask to drink, and the beak takes out anything on a crowded counter.
Victor Frankenstein
Pieces: a dark frock coat, a waistcoat, a cravat, dark trousers, and stage blood on the cuffs.
Costume designer Kate Hawley won the Critics Choice award for Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein, per Netflix Tudum, and she told Tudum that “Guillermo wanted Victor to be a dandy and have a little bit of a punk element.” Wear the coat open and the cravat loose. Victor is also the easiest half of a couple costume (see below), since a frock coat and cravat are period clothing, not a costume at all.
Wearability: excellent; it’s a suit.
Miss Havisham
Pieces: a thrifted yellowed wedding dress, a veil, one shoe, and a stopped clock carried as a prop.
Dickens’s jilted bride, still in her wedding dress decades later. A thrift store dress that’s already gone ivory is better than a new white one.
Wearability: very good if the dress lets you sit. The missing shoe is a prop; carry the second one in a bag for the walk home.
Edgar Allan Poe And His Raven
Pieces: a black suit, a cravat, a thin mustache, hair parted and swept to one side, and a toy raven pinned to the shoulder.
Wearability: excellent. Pin the raven with two safety pins, not one, or it spends the night facing the floor.
Puns For The Low-Effort Category
These are the costumes for the “Best Low-Effort, High-Impact” category in our costume contest ideas, and every one of them is fully wearable, since they are all ordinary clothes.
- Ceiling fan. A plain T-shirt with “Go Ceiling!” written on it, and pom-poms.
- Deviled egg. A white shirt with a yellow circle on the front, and a pair of devil horns.
- Smart cookie. A brown felt circle with chocolate-chip dots pinned to your shirt, plus glasses or a mortarboard.
- Identity thief. Your clothes covered in “Hello My Name Is” stickers, each with a different name.
- Holy cow. Cow ears on a headband and a halo above them.
Pop Culture From 2025 And 2026
Aunt Gladys From Weapons
Pieces: a bright red wig with short bangs, oversized glasses, a loud suit, and heavy, badly blended lipstick and blush.
Zach Cregger’s Weapons opened in theaters on August 8, 2025, per Warner Bros., with Amy Madigan as Gladys. Madigan told Entertainment Weekly, “People better get those red wigs now. I know people want those glasses,” as quoted by The A.V. Club, which also reported that the crew showed up on set in red wigs, one of them a dyed mop head. We didn’t find a licensed Gladys wig; the “aunt” wig-and-glasses sets on Amazon are unofficial, and the one we checked was orange and curly rather than Gladys’s red.
Wearability: excellent. The makeup is supposed to look wrong, so it can smudge all night.
HUNTR/X, A Group Of Three
Pieces: for Rumi, a yellow jacket, shorts, a tank top, lace-up boots and a long purple braid; for Mira, an embellished T-shirt, a yellow skirt and pink-accented boots; for Zoey, a strappy blue top, printed pants and an arm band.
KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix on June 20, 2025, per Tudum, which says it won the 2026 Oscars for Animated Feature and Original Song. Those outfit descriptions are from Netflix Tudum, which says Spirit Halloween has “the film’s only officially licensed costumes,” with the adult versions sold online only at $69.99 each and the Rumi wig at $26.99. Dress as the characters’ clothes and hair, and read the culture section below before you touch your face.
Spirit Halloween KPop Demon Hunters Adult Rumi Wig
The officially licensed long purple braid, in polyester fiber, one size. It costs more here than the $26.99 Tudum lists at Spirit Halloween, so check both before you order.
Wearability: very good. Boot covers over sneakers beat real heeled boots for a five-hour party.
Morticia And Gomez
Pieces: for Morticia, a long straight black wig, a black knit column dress, and pale makeup; for Gomez, a pinstripe suit, a thin mustache and a cigar prop.
NRF’s October 2025 costume roundup found Addams Family-inspired costumes “popped up for both children and adults,” one of only two pop culture moments to break into the top 10 that year.
Rubie's The Addams Family Morticia Addams Wig
Officially licensed Addams Family wig in synthetic fiber, one size for teens and adults. Rubie's says it may need styling and fluffing out of the bag.
Wearability: a woven column gown makes sitting awkward and stairs worse. Pick a stretch knit, and you can wear it all night.
Miranda Priestly
Pieces: a white or silver bob wig, dark sunglasses, a long coat, and a large handbag held at the elbow.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened in theaters on May 1, 2026, per 20th Century Studios. Add Andy, Emily and Nigel and it’s a group of four.
Wearability: excellent, although the sunglasses come off indoors if you want to see anyone.
Couples, Groups And Closet Costumes
Bob Ross And His Painting
Pieces: for Bob, a curly wig and beard, a light button-down shirt, jeans, and a paper-plate palette; for the painting, a large empty picture frame and clothes in landscape colors.
Spirit Halloween Bob Ross Wig and Beard
Officially licensed wig and beard in synthetic fibers, about 13 inches from scalp to longest point. The rest of the costume is a shirt and jeans you already own.
Wearability: excellent for Bob, although the beard needs moving aside to eat. The painting’s frame goes on a wall once the photos are done.
Beetlejuice
Pieces: a black-and-white striped suit, a messy green-tinged wig, pale makeup with dark eyes, and a tie. Add a Lydia in a red dress and veil for a couple.
Rubie's Beetlejuice Costume for Adults, Men's Standard
Officially licensed jacket, elastic-waist pants and dickie with attached tie. Rubie's says it fits up to a 44-inch jacket and that costumes run smaller than apparel. The wig, makeup and shoes aren't included.
Wearability: very good. Elastic-waist pants are the best bathroom feature a costume can have.
Victor And His Creature
Pieces: Victor as above, and for the Creature, pale stitched makeup, long dark hair and a long coat.
Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey won the Critics Choice award for the film’s hair and makeup, per Netflix Tudum. For a party version, painted stitches and a pale base are enough.
Wearability: very good for Victor. The Creature’s makeup needs setting to survive drinks; our makeup guide covers that.
A Universal Monsters Lineup
Pieces: one person each as the Bride, the Monster, Dracula and the Invisible Man, using the pieces above.
Everyone buys one or two things and the rest comes from their closets.
Wearability: as good as the worst costume in the group, which is usually the Bride’s wig.
Before You Leave The House
Makeup
Half of these costumes are makeup-led, and our Halloween makeup and fake blood guide covers which products are safe near the eyes, how to make a look last and how to get it off. The FDA’s Halloween safety tips say to test makeup “at least 24-48 hours in advance” on the wearer’s arm, and to “Wear makeup and hats rather than costume masks that can obscure your vision.”
Decorative Contact Lenses
White Bride eyes or a red Dracula stare need a prescription. The FDA says “All contact lenses must be prescribed by a doctor, including decorative lenses,” and “Never buy contact lenses from a street vendor, a beauty supply store, flea market, novelty store or Halloween store, or from unknown online distributors” (FDA). The American Academy of Ophthalmology says selling them without a prescription has been illegal in the US since 2005, with penalties that include prison and fines up to $200,000 (AAO).
Masks
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Halloween guidance says a mask should fit “securely,” provide “adequate ventilation,” and have “holes large enough to allow full vision.” That guidance was written for children, but it’s the same test for adults. Our best Halloween masks roundup sorts masks by how long you can wear them.
Capes, Gowns And Candles
The same CPSC release tells people to avoid “flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves, large capes, or billowing skirts,” and to use flameless candles or keep jack-o’-lanterns “away from landings and doorsteps, where trick-or-treaters’ costumes could brush against the flame.” That describes the Dracula cape, the banshee cloak and the Bride’s gown on this page. Wear them, but if you’re hosting, put real candles above waist height and use LEDs anywhere a costume can reach; our jack-o’-lantern guide covers lighting them.
What The Fabric Rules Say
Clothing in the US falls under the federal flammability rule for clothing textiles, 16 CFR Part 1610, and the CPSC’s staff fact sheet (March 2023) says it covers “any costume or article of clothing that people wear.” Most hats, gloves and footwear are exempt.
The rule sorts fabric into three classes by how fast a flame spreads up a test strip:
| Class | What the fact sheet says |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | “normal flammability,” acceptable for clothing |
| Class 2 | raised-fiber fabrics only, “intermediate flammability,” may be used in clothing, “However, you should use caution” |
| Class 3 | “dangerously flammable,” not permitted in clothing for the US market |
Class 1 is “normal,” not fire-resistant. There’s no “flame resistant” class in the rule. Both the CPSC and the FDA still tell shoppers to look for a “flame resistant” label, and the FDA suggests polyester or nylon if you make your own, but that label is the maker’s claim rather than a class under the rule.
For home-made and thrifted costumes, the fact sheet says “Fabrics likely to be classified as Class 2 or Class 3 textiles include sheer rayon or silk, rayon chenille, reverse fleece or sherpa of cotton or cotton blend, and certain cotton terry cloth.” A sheer silk ghost shroud or a cotton-sherpa werewolf is exactly that. The fabrics the fact sheet says “consistently pass as Class 1” are those made entirely from acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester or wool, or a combination of them, plus any plain-surface fabric of 2.6 ounces per square yard or more.
Culture Is Not A Costume
The WVU Libraries’ Halloween research guide has four questions for any costume, and the third one names “sexy”:
- “Is your costume racially, ethnically or culturally based?”
- “Do you belong to that group of people?”
- “Is your costume funny or sexy?” If it is, “but is also racially, ethnically or culturally based, change.”
- “Would you wear that costume around that group of people?”
The University of Utah’s guidance adds “Does the costume include race-related hair or accessories (dreads/locs, afros, cornrows, a headdress)?” and names Native American depictions, “señorita” costumes, Middle Eastern stereotypes, blackface and costumes mocking disabilities as ones to avoid. Baylor’s student life office defines cultural appropriation as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture,” and its My Culture Is Not a Costume page shows a headdress, a dashiki, a sombrero, a bindi and a turban among its examples.
Blackface is not a gray area. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture traces it to minstrel shows in 1830s New York, where white performers blackened their faces, most with “burnt cork or shoe polish,” and to Thomas Dartmouth Rice’s “Jim Crow” character of 1830. The museum ties today’s “black” Halloween costumes to that history, and notes that the people caught doing it “insist no malice or racial hatred was intended.”
Three rules for the costumes on this page:
- Dress as the character’s clothes and hair, never their race. A Rumi braid or a Mira skirt is a costume. Darkening or lightening your skin, or taping or drawing to change the shape of your eyes, is not.
- A people or a religion is not a character. Headdresses, religious garments and “ethnic” outfits are off the list.
- Calavera makeup belongs to Día de Muertos. It is part of a holiday for remembering the dead, not a Halloween skull. If you want a skull face on October 31, paint a plain skull.
Related Resources
For finished store-bought costumes, see the best adult Halloween costumes roundup, and for looks sorted by approach, the costume inspiration gallery. Hosting? Our guides to running a costume contest and costume contest ideas cover categories and judging, and the party safety tips cover the rest of the night.
