10 Childhood Halloween Costume Ideas to Steal Right Now

"Even from a young age, I was drawn to New York City! My mom used to sew all of my costumes for me. I remember standing in her sitting room for hours as she pinned fabrics around me. I'd fidget and complain, but the results were always fabulous! This one was a collaboration by the two of us, one of the first I remember having a hand in making. With no pattern to follow, we created it completely on our own. Making the crown out of tinfoil was 100 percent my idea!"

— Rebecca Gruber, senior editorial director

I had never even seen Josie and the Pussycats (PG-13!), but when I saw this costume at Party City, I had to have it. I remember feeling like such hot stuff in my risqué crop top and matching purple lipstick — an outfit I would never be able to wear regularly. The cheetah pants are obviously what sealed the deal here, and I definitely got many more wears out of them.

— Erin Cullum, assistant editor, Food

"I was one of the youngest kids in my extended family, which meant lots of hand-me-downs, and Halloween was no exception. My cousin was an elephant the year before, so when it was my turn to wear it, my mom helped give it a feminine touch and turned me into a mouse ballerina. The hands filled with candy, however, was all me."

— Kate Schweitzer, senior editor, Moms

"My grandmother was an amazing seamstress and made me many outfits as a child. My grandmother asked what I wanted to be and I promptly said, 'penguin,' providing no reasoning whatsoever. She got to work and created one of my favorite costumes of all time."

— Emily Orofino, editor, Beauty

"Never have I been more excited about a Halloween costume than when I dressed as Tinkerbell in preschool. My mom made me a shiny, glitter-covered outfit that I loved. Writing Tinkerbell on my shirt, plus T and B on my shoes, really drove it home. Also, she didn't have the heart to tell me that my wings were on upside down, which I find so sweet and hilarious."

— Laura Meyers, editor, Trending and Viral Features

"My mom made me amazing Halloween costumes, most of them reflecting significant moments in fashion history: a poodle skirt, a flapper dress, and this can-can girl costume, which was probably my favorite. She altered an old red dress of hers to fit me, added lace and sequin trim, and layered it over a petticoat. My favorite part of the costume was the fishnet stockings. My favorite thing about this photo is my pose."

— Nancy Einhart, VP and executive editor

"Mulan had just come out and I was (er, still am) obsessed. I remember thinking the costume was so chic and I would frequently wear it any chance I could get. I would even carry the little parasol around the house imagining that I was this very elegant lady. What's odd is that the costume has little renderings of Mulan all over it — like on the slippers and kimono — which made it seem like I was just a Mulan fan, instead of Mulan herself."

— Kelsey Garcia, editorial assistant

"The benefit of growing up in Miami means you can totally wear beachy, less-covered-up costumes without freezing. So, I thought I was pretty genius when I landed on a cool, hula girl costume. My mom helped me dress up the store-bought grass skirt with layers of flowers and my Hawaiian print suit, not to mention long, flowing locks to make my outfit all the more authentic. We staged this photo shoot before news broke that mosquitos possibly carrying malaria had arrived in the area. On Halloween night, my Hula girl costume came complete with a turtleneck and leggings, as ordered by my mom."

— Hannah McKinley, editorial director, Fashion

"After a few years of being dressed up in obscure Halloween costumes by my parents — one year they went as far to dress me up as Stan Laurel — my mom finally let me pick out my own costume. My not-very-creative self immediately yelled 'cowgirl!' While the hat is missing from this photo, it shows off my mom's impressive sewing skills. She made the majority of my costume from scratch."

— Michele Foley, content director, Fitness