The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costumes

Look up any costume to see where it comes from, what makes it work, and where to get it.

Browse by Era

From ancient Greece to the 1980s, in order.

Before AD 500Ancient World4 costumes500 to 1500Medieval3 costumes1600s1600s1 costume1700s1700s1 costume1860s to 1890sOld West1 costume1920s1920s2 costumes1940s1940s1 costume1950s1950s1 costume1960s1960s2 costumes1970s1970s2 costumes1980s1980s1 costume1990s1990s1 costumePop cultureModern2 costumesAny eraTimeless40 costumes

Halloween Favorites

WitchThe top adult Halloween costume, built around a tall pointed hatVampireCaped aristocrat of the night with fangs and a high collarPirateSwashbuckling sailor with a tricorn hat and a cutlassSkeletonBlack bodysuit with white bones and skull face paintGhostA white sheet with eye holes, or a haunting Victorian specterWerewolfHalf human, half wolf, caught mid-transformationMummyHead-to-toe aged bandages over a base layerZombieAny outfit, plus torn clothes and undead makeup

Thanksgiving & Christmas

TurkeyA plump body, a fanned tail and a wobbly red wattlePilgrimPlain colonial clothes with a white collar, minus the bucklesPumpkin PieA golden crust, an orange filling and a whipped cream hatScarecrowPlaid, patches, straw and a floppy hatSanta ClausRed suit, white fur, a black belt and a big white beardElfGreen tunic, striped tights, pointy ears and a jingle bell hatReindeerBrown and cozy, with antlers and an optional red noseGingerbread ManA cookie-brown body with white icing trim and gumdrop buttons

Browse by Theme

Animals10 costumesCareers6 costumesCircus & Carnival1 costumeDecades8 costumesFantasy & Fairy Tale15 costumesFood3 costumesHistorical12 costumesHoliday8 costumesHorror & Spooky16 costumesSpace & Sci-Fi2 costumesSuperhero1 costumeWestern1 costume

Browse by Occasion

Christmas5 costumesCosplay & Conventions3 costumesHalloween55 costumesRenaissance Faire5 costumesSchool & Book Week17 costumesThanksgiving6 costumesTheme Party40 costumes

See every costume, A to Z →