Save Money This Halloween With Thrift Store Costumes!

With Halloween only a few weeks away, a soon to be trick-or-treaters biggest concern is “What is my costume?” To make a great statement in your costume while traveling door to door, or party to party, “Halloweeners” can use the thrift store to create costumes that will be worn once a year at reasonable prices.

Costume: Boy Scout/Brownie Scout

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: Boy Scout/Brownie top, khakis, shoes of choice

How to Wear It: Most thrift stores have an abundance of old scout uniforms in their inventory. Match the tops, that usually come with the badges attached (for a more official look), with khaki shorts or pants of your choice! Make the costume a bit more fashionable by choosing a high waist khaki and tying the front of the uniform into a crop top. You can even add a Boy/Brownie Scout hat to your look!

Costume: Nurse/Mad Scientist

 
Thrifted Items You’ll Need: scrubs, doctor’s coat, glasses, stethoscope

How to Wear It: Scrubs are easy to come by in a thrift store – from solid green to many different prints. Throw on these items with your favorite pair of crocs to have a quick and easy hospital inspired costume. To morph it into a mad scientist look: score a white long doctor’s coat! Add a pair of large framed glasses, tease your hair into a wild style, and get crazy with the makeup! Find a plastic stethoscope at a local dollar store to hang around your neck to finish the look.

Costume: Old Lady

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: oversized floral print dress, pearls, gray wig, knee highs

How to Wear It: Another popular thrift store item – long, floral dresses. Use one to channel your inner grandma! Pair with loose knee high stockings, a long string of pearls, glasses and a gray wig, and you’re good to go! You can even add a little extra stuffing to your chest to give a “sagging” look to your bust. A twist to this look – ditch the wig and do your hair and make up as usual. Now you’re a young woman trapped in an old woman’s body!

Costume: Princess/Prom Queen

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: rhinestone embellished gown, tiara, long white gloves, sash

How to Wear It: LOTS of old gowns are donated to thrift stores, and the options for costumes with these pieces are endless. Wear the dress with a sparkly tiara to either be a princess, prom queen, or beauty queen. Add a little gory halloween spirit to the look by smearing false blood down your dress and face to become a zombie princess or a haunted queen!

Costume: Gypsy

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: long printed skirt, oversized collared button up or printed shirt of choice, scarf, gaudy costume jewelry

How to Wear It: Put on your oversized skirt & shirt to provide the base of the costume, and really make your gypsy look pop by going OVERBOARD with the accessories. Wear bangles up both arms, the biggest earrings you can find, and quite a few necklaces. Wrap your hair with the scarf into a big turban, and you are set for wandering door to door aimlessly!

Costume: Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: little black dress, costume jewelry, tiara, long black gloves

How to Wear It: Spice up your little black dress “Hepburn” style by adding a tiara, a few costume necklaces, and matching long black gloves to portray the popular “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” look. Add a bit of wit to your costume by carrying a plate of bacon & eggs made of construction paper!

Costume: Street Fighter

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: kimono, black leggings, flats

How to Wear It: Use a kimono to portray popular video game characters! Simply match it with a pair of black leggings and flats to give a kick+punch look to your costume. You can even add a sash on your waist to imitate a “karate belt” – which can simply be made from old fabric lying around, like an old t-shirt! Not into the street fighter look? Cake on the makeup and turn into a geisha instead!

Costume: Sock Hop Sweetheart

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: pleated, plaid or plain skirt, button up blouse, handkerchief

How to Wear It: Look like an extra from the set of “Grease” in this 60′s inspired costume. Pair the look with a cute pair of frilly bobby socks and tennis shoes, and tie your hanky around your neck, use as a headband, or wrap around your ponytail! Cut out a paper poodle and glue it to the bottom corner of your skirt to accessorize!

Costume: Marilyn Monroe

Thrifted Items You’ll Need: two white sheets, blonde wig, safety pins

How to Wear It: If you can’t find a flowing white dress in the thrift store, two plain sheets can work instead! With a few safety pins, you can create the top and bottom half of the infamous Marilyn Monroe dress by applying it toga style! Take the first sheet and hang it on your shoulders around your neck, with both ends of the sheet hanging down your front. Your back should be exposed. Properly covering your chest, you can wrap the ends around your back and pin at the sides to make a v-neck top. Then, use your second sheet to create the skirt, pinning whichever length and width fits you best! Top it off with a blonde curly wig. Make sure to stay away from air vents!

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