Thrift Store Halloween Costumes: 8 Easy Looks From Everyday Clothes

• Half of the Americans celebrating Halloween plan to wear a costume, and adults will spend about $2 billion on them, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 survey.
• Every look below comes off regular thrift racks: three or four clothing pieces plus one accessory that makes the costume readable.
• Goodwill says most people can put together a full thrifted look for under $20. Inventory differs from store to store, so check more than one.

Skip the costume in a bag. Half of the Americans celebrating Halloween plan to dress up, and adults are expected to spend $2 billion on costumes, the National Retail Federation said on Sept. 22. If prices run high, a third say they’ll look for things they can reuse.

That’s the case for the thrift store: most of what’s below goes back into your closet on Nov. 1. Here are eight costumes built from everyday clothes, where each piece hangs in the store, and what to grab when the rack doesn’t cooperate.

How do you make a Halloween costume from thrift store clothes?

Pick a type, not a person. A profession, a decade or a stock character lets you work with whatever is on the racks that day. A specific movie character, down to the exact jacket, is how you leave empty-handed.

Then build it in two layers. First, three or four clothing pieces in the right colors. Second, one accessory people recognize from across the room: a visor, a lab coat, a flashlight. That last piece is what turns regular clothes into a costume.

Start with outerwear and accessories, where most of those giveaway pieces are, then go to the clothing racks for the base. For anything that goes over other layers, like a vest, a coat or a windbreaker, go one size up.

8 easy thrift store Halloween costumes

1. Ghost hunter

The look of TV’s paranormal investigators, pictured at the top of this page. Find: a cargo or fishing vest in the men’s outerwear, a dark T-shirt, cargo pants and a trucker cap.

The tell: gadgets. Clip a flashlight, an old walkie-talkie or a digital camera from the electronics shelf to the vest. Anything handheld with little lights passes for an EMF meter, the device TV ghost hunters use to look for spirits. Can’t find a vest? A utility jacket with lots of pockets.

2. Fortune teller

Find: a long tiered or paisley skirt, a fitted black top, two or three scarves from the accessories wall and every long necklace in the jewelry case. Layer the necklaces at different lengths.

The tell: the headwrap. Tie one scarf over your hair and knot it at the nape; a coin or chain belt over the skirt adds the jingle. Can’t find the skirt? Any maxi skirt in a busy print works, and a fringed shawl from the linens aisle can stand in for scarves.

3. Country club tennis pro

Find: a white polo, white shorts or a pleated skirt, a navy sweater to tie around the waist and white sneakers. Wristbands are usually in activewear.

The tell: a visor and a racket, both regulars on the sporting goods shelf. Argyle knee socks push it from gym class to country club. No racket? Swap the visor for a golf cap, add a glove on one hand, and you’re a golfer.

4. Mad scientist

Find: a white lab coat, often with the scrubs and uniforms, a light blue button-down and dark pants. Mess up your hair on purpose.

The tell: clear safety glasses, which turn up in tool bins and hardware sections. Glass vases and bottles from housewares make props. No lab coat? An oversized white dress shirt from the men’s racks, worn open over your clothes, reads the same from a few feet away.

5. Happy camper

Find: a red plaid flannel from the men’s shirts, khaki shorts or pants, hiking boots and a pair of wool socks to fold over the top.

The tell: a wide-brim hat and a backpack, with a canteen or a carabiner clipped to the belt. Want a park ranger instead? Swap the flannel for a khaki button-up and add a patch or a name tag.

6. ’80s rock star

Find: a black leather or faux-leather jacket, a vintage band tee and light-wash jeans, ripped at the knees if you can find them. Rings and chains from the jewelry case.

The tell: a red bandana tied as a headband, aviators and a leopard-print scarf. Short hair? A shaggy wig does the rest; here’s how the main types of wigs differ.

7. ’80s aerobics instructor

Find: a windbreaker in teal, purple or hot pink, a white tank, shiny leggings or tights and gym shorts to wear over them. It’s the look Jane Fonda sold on VHS with Jane Fonda’s Workout in 1982.

The tell: terry-cloth sweatbands on the head and wrists, plus striped tube socks. For a couples costume, the other half wears a cropped sweatshirt off one shoulder over a leotard, with leg warmers. No off-shoulder top? Cut the neckline off an oversized sweatshirt.

8. Country singer

Find: a Western shirt with piping or embroidery, usually hanging with the men’s button-downs, light-wash jeans, cowboy boots from the shoe aisle and a wide leather belt from the accessories wall.

The tell: a big statement buckle, a cowboy hat and a guitar, if the store has one on the shelf. No guitar? The hat and the buckle carry the look on their own.

Going as a pair? The other half wears a red fringed Western shirt tied at the waist, high-rise jeans and a bolo tie.

How much does a thrifted Halloween costume cost?

Goodwill says most people can put together a full thrifted look, accessories included, for under $20, against $30 to $75 for a store-bought costume. Prices aren’t the same everywhere: each of Goodwill’s more than 3,450 stores in the U.S. and Canada has its own inventory.

Timing matters more than price. Nearly half of Halloween shoppers, 49%, start in September or earlier, the retail federation found. Racks change as donations come in, so Goodwill Houston’s advice is to visit more than once.

And the pieces don’t have to go into a storage bin. The flannel, the jacket and the jeans go back into your closet, or back to the donation door.

More Halloween: here’s the new Halloween food at Disney World and what it costs, and for a scary night in, how to watch American Horror Story Season 13. More in Style.

— Bruno Monteiro

Sources: National Retail Federation, 2026 Halloween consumer survey by Prosper Insights & Analytics (Sept. 22, 2026; 7,889 consumers surveyed Sept. 1-9); Goodwill Industries International, Halloween costumes page (checked Sept. 27, 2026); Goodwill Houston, “Goodwill Thrift Store Halloween Costume Ideas” by Toni Murphy (Sept. 18, 2026).