Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31. Picking an adult costume comes down to three choices: type, size, and how you look after it once the night ends. Here's how to get all three right the first time.
Pick the Costume Type and Size That Fit Your Plans
- Classic monster costume: vampire, werewolf, zombie, ghost, or scarecrow — the traditional Halloween costume types, per Wikipedia.
- Media character costume: based on a film, book, or radio character, a style that took off in the 1930s, per Wikipedia.
- TV/movie, sexy, or campy costume: popular since the late 20th century as more adults began dressing up, per Wikipedia.
- Group or family costume: several people coordinate around one theme, useful for parties or trick-or-treating together.
- Measure your chest at its fullest point, in inches and centimeters, rounding to the nearest 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Measure your waist at the narrowest point and your hips at the widest point the same way.
- Measure your height from floor to top of head, without shoes.
- Compare all four numbers to the size chart printed on the costume's package or listed on the product page — don't assume your regular clothing size carries over, since sizing is set by each manufacturer, not one industry standard.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: pick a size that leaves about 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) of extra room at the chest, waist, and inseam so you can move your arms and legs freely, plus add a jacket or thermal layer underneath if the event happens outdoors in cool weather.
What to Check Before You Buy
- Read the care label sewn into or printed on the costume for fabric type and cleaning method before you buy it — that label is the only cleaning guidance specific to that item.
- Ask the seller about the return or exchange policy before paying, since costume return windows are not standardized.
US Halloween Costume Spending (NRF data, via Wikipedia)
| Year | Spending detail |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 53.3% of consumers planned to buy a costume, spending $38.11 on average |
| 2009 | NRF projected household spending to fall by up to 15%, to $56.31 |
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: try on the full costume, including any mask, wig, or headpiece, at least 1 week before Halloween so you can catch fit or visibility problems while return windows are still open.
Wear and Use the Costume on Halloween Night
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Costume parties are commonly scheduled on or near that date, often on the Friday or Saturday before it, per Wikipedia.
- Trick-or-treating: going door to door in costume, usually in early evening hours, per Wikipedia.
- Costume parties: held on or close to October 31, often the weekend before it, per Wikipedia.
- Pumpkin carving: a common companion activity — see How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween: A Step-by-Step Guide if jack-o'-lanterns are part of your evening.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: do a short walk-and-sit test at home in the full costume, including shoes and any mask, for about 10–15 minutes to confirm you can move, sit, and see comfortably before you're out for the evening.
Costume Safety Checks Before You Wear It
Safety: Follow the costume's manufacturer instructions for fabric flammability warnings, mask breathing and vision openings, and any face-paint skin guidance — the sources reviewed give no single safety standard for Halloween costumes, so the packaging is the guidance that applies to your item.
- Costumes built on stereotypical portrayals of another group of people can draw criticism for cultural appropriation, per Wikipedia.
- Overtly sexualized costume designs, especially those marketed to women, have long been a point of public debate, per Wikipedia.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: check any mask or headpiece for clear vision and easy breathing before you leave home, and swap it out if it blocks either.
Care and Storage After Halloween
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: follow the costume's own wash or dry-clean label instead of a generic laundry cycle — cleaning methods differ by fabric and no single method fits every costume.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: let a damp or sweaty costume air dry fully, for about 24 hours, before folding or bagging it, to keep odor and mildew from building up in storage.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: store the costume flat or on a hanger inside a garment bag, out of direct sunlight, to help keep its color and shape until next Halloween.
Our suggestion: Our suggestion: check zippers, elastic, and any small props for wear right after use, so you know ahead of next year whether to repair or replace them.
A little history
Halloween costumes were once mostly homemade. In the 1930s, firms such as A. S. Fishbach and Ben Cooper began mass-producing costumes, often tied to film, literature, and radio characters. Traditionally worn mainly by children, costumes have grown popular with adults too since the mid-20th century, per Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions
Are Halloween costumes only for kids?
No. Costumes were traditionally worn mainly by young people, but since the mid-20th century they have become increasingly popular with adults too, according to Wikipedia.
How popular are Halloween costume parties compared to other US parties?
Halloween parties rank as the third most popular party type in the United States, behind only Super Bowl parties and New Year's Eve parties, per Wikipedia.
Where does dressing up for trick-or-treating come from?
Many historians trace it to the Allhallowtide custom of souling, in which groups went door to door collecting soul cakes in exchange for prayers for the dead, a practice recorded from at least the 15th century, according to Wikipedia.
What should I do if a mask fogs up or blocks my vision?
Stop wearing it. Remove the mask or push it up until you can see and breathe clearly again, then decide whether to swap it for an open-face option before you continue the evening.
