Every October my neighbor Donna throws a Halloween thing at her place over by Ditmars. Adults only, a pot of chili on the stove, the grandkids long since picked over the candy. Most of the gals show up in some kind of costume, and every year somebody pulls me aside in the kitchen and asks the same question. Janet, what am I supposed to wear to one of these? I am sixty-six years old. I am not putting on a French maid outfit.
Good. Neither am I. But you can still have fun with it. The old article on this page was written back when the only adult-costume options were short skirts and fishnets, and I want to talk about it differently. At our age, a Halloween costume is a wardrobe problem, not a dare. Fit, fabric, what holds you up, what doesn't dig into your shoulders by nine o'clock. That's the whole game.
What's actually trending for adults in 2025
I keep up because my son Michael's wife sends me photos. The costumes the adult crowd is reaching for this year are mostly character pieces, not the old generic categories. Wednesday Addams is still everywhere, going on a third year. The black dress with the white collar, two braids, done. Glinda and Elphaba from the second Wicked picture, which hits theaters in November. Taylor Swift's showgirl look from her last record. Barbie, still hanging on. A lot of skeleton bodysuits, which honestly are not flattering on most women I know, but I'll get to that.
The point is, the menu has changed since this article was first written. You no longer have to choose between dressing as a child or dressing like you're going to a bachelor party. There's a middle. Almost all of these costumes can be put together from a regular dress, a wig, the right pair of shoes, and one well-chosen accessory.
Build the costume on a foundation you can actually wear
This is the part I care about, and it's the part the costume websites never tell you. Whatever character you pick, you are putting clothing over a body, and at sixty-plus the body has opinions. Talk to it first.
- Start with the bra. Whatever costume goes on top, the bra goes on under it. If your costume has a stretchy bodice or a costume-y bustier, do not trust it to do the work. Wear your real, properly fitted bra under it. A smooth t-shirt bra in your everyday band size, full coverage. You'll stand taller all night.
- Mind the straps. If the costume has wide-set or off-the-shoulder seams, a regular bra will show. The fix is a convertible bra with criss-cross or halter settings, not a strapless. Strapless bras at our age slide. Forty years of fitting women told me that, and it's still true.
- Shapewear is a tool, not a punishment. A simple mid-thigh shaping short under a costume dress smooths the line and, more important, keeps your real underwear from showing under thin fabric. Don't go down a size in shapewear thinking it'll do more. Tight shapewear gives you a stomach ache by ten o'clock.
- The shoes are the costume, half the time. Skip the three-inch character heels. Your friend's living room has hardwood floors and a step down to the patio. A flat ankle boot or a low block heel in black does more for an outfit than any wig.
Costume ideas that work at sixty and beyond
Here's what I'd actually steer a friend toward. None of these require you to show anything you don't want to show. All of them photograph well, which matters because Donna takes pictures.
Wednesday Addams
Black long-sleeve dress with a white collar. You probably own most of this. Pale powder, dark lipstick, two braids. If your hair's short or thin, a braided wig from a costume shop is fifteen dollars. This one is forgiving on every body type because it's loose, long-sleeved, and the energy is dry-witted, not flirtatious.
Glinda the Good Witch
Pink. A pale pink dress you already have, or a long pink skirt and a fitted top, plus a sparkly shawl from the closet. Tiara from the drugstore. The character is regal and middle-aged in the movies now, which suits us. Practical note: a tiara presses into the scalp after an hour. Bobby pin it loosely.
Audrey Hepburn / black-dress-and-pearls
The little black dress you wear to funerals, a long string of pearls, a cigarette holder (unlit), sunglasses pushed up on your head. Looks chic, costs nothing, comfortable. People know exactly who you are.
Stevie Nicks or a Fleetwood Mac witch
A long black skirt, a black blouse with bell sleeves or a fringed shawl, a beat-up top hat, riding boots. This costume forgives everything. The fringe and the layers do the work. My friend Carol did this last year at sixty-eight and looked terrific.
A flapper
Drop-waist dresses are the most flattering silhouette for women our age, full stop. A fringe-trimmed dress in black or navy, a feather headband, long gloves, a long beaded necklace. The shape glides over the middle and the fringe moves when you do.
Mrs. Roper from Three's Company
A long flowy caftan in a bright print, beaded necklaces, big hoop earrings, red lipstick. Loose, comfortable, no shapewear required, and anyone over fifty laughs the second they see it.
A pair: Sonny and Cher, or Lucy and Ricky
If you have a husband or a friend who'll play along, a couple costume is the easiest route. A long straight wig and a bell-bottom outfit gets you Cher. A white blouse, a red knee-length skirt, and a curly red wig gets you Lucy. Both work at any age, both photograph as costumes the second you walk in.
What to leave on the rack
I'm not in the business of telling grown women what to wear. But a few honest notes from someone who spent thirty-five years looking at how clothes actually sit on bodies.
- Skeleton bodysuits and catsuits. The seams hit in unflattering places on almost everyone past forty-five. If you love the idea, do a skeleton-printed long-sleeve t-shirt and matching leggings instead. Same effect, no seam digging in.
- Anything labeled "sexy nurse" or "sexy police officer." The fabrics are bad, the seams worse, and the sizing runs young. Skip.
- Costume corsets. A real corset is a custom-made garment. The forty-dollar one with the laces is going to pinch your ribs and let your bust droop. If you want structure, wear a proper longline bra under your costume.
- Pantyhose with a seam up the back. Fishnets, garters, the whole production. It's a lot of fuss for a four-hour party, and the seam never stays straight after the first bathroom trip.
One last thing
Halloween at sixty is a different animal than it was at twenty-six. The point isn't to turn heads. The point is to walk into your friend's kitchen, hand over a bottle of wine, and have somebody laugh and say, oh, you're Mrs. Roper, I love it. Pick something that fits, wear shoes you can stand in for three hours, and put your real bra on underneath. The rest takes care of itself.
Have fun out there.