Halloween is upon us, and that means it’s time to plan out your Halloween costumes! If you and your significant other are fans of all things retro, then you’ll love these 1980’s themed halloween costume ideas.
Movies
- Ferris Bueller & Sloan Peterson
John Hughes’ 1986 movie was a blockbuster sensation, and is still a classic to this day! To rock the Sloane Peterson look you need loose fitting, high rise shorts that hit at about mid-thigh length. Sloane’s shorts are a greenish gray, and she pairs them with a white leather cropped jacket with fringe. To dress as Ferris, you will need gray pants, a brown and black patterned cardigan vest, and a tan and gray leather jacket. Pack a pair of shades as an accessory as well.
- Marty McFly & Jennifer Parker
If you love Back To The Future, then this retro costume idea is for you. To be Marty McFly you need a pair of blue jeans, a blue flannel, a denim long sleeve shirt, and a red puffy vest. Enhance the look with a skateboard prop. When dressing up as Jennifer Parker, you should sport pink floral leggings, a white colored button up, and a thin, blue zippered vest.
- Roger Rabbit & Jessica Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a cutting edge movie for 1984. It mixed elements of both animation and live action to deliver a fun action packed comedy to viewers. If you want to dress up as Jessica Rabbit, we suggest leveraging a red wig if you do not have naturally ginger hair to achieve the look. As for attire, get a form fitting red sequin dress, purple gloves, and red heels. Do you make-up to feature red lips and purple eye-shadow to complete the look. When dressing up as Roger Rabbit, style a pair of red overalls with a white button up shirt. Draw a bunny nose and whiskers with face paint, and then dawn a set of bunny ears.
- Barbara Maitland & Adam Maitland
Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin portrayed this couple on the big screen, and Beetlejuice rose to fame! If you want to dress up as the couple from the 1988 film, we suggest getting masks. The scene from the movie where the couple warps their faces into terrifying monsters, is unforgettable. Many outlets sell these masks, and you can pair them with clothing similar to the ones the actors wore in the film. For Barbara, get a button-up floral dress with elbow-length sleeves. To dress as Adam, you need khakis and a black and white flannel.
- Jason Voorhees & His Victim
The 1980s were known for slasher movies, so we couldn’t leave slasher inspired costumes off our list. Dressing as Jason Vorhees is quite simple; you will need some dark clothing, a hockey mask, and a fake machete. To be his victim, you can wear normal clothing and then use fake blood and some wound prosthetics.
- Westley & Princess Buttercup
The 1987 film The Princess Bride took us into a world of fantasy and allure, and you can channel that world this Halloween! There are a few different dresses that Buttercup wears throughout the film, so really any medieval looking dress and crown should do the trick. Buttercup has notably long blonde hair, so you may want a wig for this look. To dress as Westley, you will want black tights and a black flowy top that almost resembles a pirates. You will also want a black mask/bandana and a rapier.
- Pete Mitchell & Charlotte Blackwood
Channel Tom Cruise with this Top Gun costume. You’ll want to find an army green flight suit to dress as Pete Mitchell. Charlie’s look can be achieved with a pair of jeans, a white undershirt, and a black leather jacket. Don’t forget the aviators!
- The Blues Brothers
Dressing up as the Blue Brothers is quite easy! All you need is a black suit, black tie, a white undershirt, black shoes, black sunglasses and most importantly a black fedora. We also think it would be rad if you walked into the party while playing the theme song, but that’s just our opinion!
Television
- The Fraggles
This fun costume idea is great for lovers of Jim Hensen. You can DIY Fraggle costumes with some solid colored clothing, feather boas, and face paint. Or, you can buy costumes online. Either way, these Fraggle Rock costumes are sure to be a party favorite and will pack a punch of nostalgia.
- Papa Smurf & Smurfette
Debuting in 1981, this iconic TV show has had a lasting impact on pop culture. You can easily DIY these costumes! For Papa Smurf, dawn some red pants, a blue shirt, a red beanie, a white beard, and some blue face paint. For Smurfette, get a white dress, white shoes, a white beanie, blue face paint, and possibly a blonde wig depending on your hair color.
- Baywatch Lifeguards
First airing in 1989, Baywatch went on to air for 11 seasons. Put on your red swimwear and add a whistle and life ring prop and you are good to go. In the show, women often wore red one pieces, and men wore red swim trunks. Add some shades if you’re feeling like it too!
Games & Toys
- Pac Man & Ms. Pac Man
This nostalgic arcade game makes for some epic Halloween costumes. Create your own costumes or buy them online. If you have pets or children, dressing them up as the ghosts would make for some fantastic photo opportunities as well.
- Mario & Luigi
Hitting the gaming scene in 1985, Mario took the world by storm. To complete this look you can buy costumes online or you can make it yourself! You will need denim overalls, a long sleeve shirt in red or green, and a baseball cap in red or green. Plus, you may need a fake mustache.
- Mario & Princess Peach
Similar to the outfit above, but one person will now be Princess Peach instead of Luigi. To be Princess Peach you need a pink dress, a crown, and potentially a blonde wig.
- Luigi & Princess Daisy
Sticking with the Mario theme, Daisy was introduced in the late 80s (1989). Keeping with the overalls and green articles of clothing for Luigi, you will need a yellow dress, a crown, and potentially a brown wig to embody Princess Daisy.
- Care Bears
Although this one can be counted into a lot of these categories, we are putting the Care Bears under toys. This one leaves you with a lot of choices as you decide what bears you and your significant other want to be. Will you be Grumpy Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, or a different one?
Music
- Hall & Oates
This iconic 80s duo came out with hits such as “Maneater” and “You Make My Dreams”. Achieving this look is all about the hair and facial hair. To be Daryl Hall you should have a mullet of straight, blonde hair. For John Oates you need a mullet of curly, black hair and a mustache. To really sell the look you can wear some Hall and Oates band tees.
- Wham
Like the Hall & Oates look above, you can achieve a Wham look with some 80s hair and some Wham t-shirts. For George Michael, we suggest wearing one dangling earring. You may want to wear a wig to capture Michael’s blonde highlights. Carry around microphones to give this look some extra pizzazz.
General
- Aerobics Instructors
You may be able to thrift for this look. If you can’t find what you’re looking for Amazon is a great place to look. Essentially, we want bright patterned tights, leotards, windbreakers, tracksuits, and sweatbands to bring this look together. Incorporate some fake weights to add some wow.
- Prom Couple
Proms in the 1980s were all about shoulder pads and ruffles. This fun look can be thrifted or easily bought online. Make sure your outfits are bright and bold! Tease your hair high and wear bright eyeshadow. Accessorize with a sash and crown to let everyone know you won prom queen.