6 Retro Halloween Costumes for Women Over 40 or 50

• By Tina-Boomerina+
• Clothing Over 40 Fashion Nostalgia
• 2 years ago
• 7

by Christina Gregoire

It's easy to come up with your own sexy Halloween costume or to tweak a cute, ready-made retro outfit and make it your own.  Just use your imagination and let your mind travel back in time. 

If you're a Baby Boomer, you probably lived through these vintage styles the first time around or had an older cousin who did.  Here are my favorite retro costumes.

1. 50's Rockabilly Costume

Lots of women conjure up poodle skirts when they think of 1950's outfits. However, poodle skirts and saddle shoes look dorky to me.  If that's your thing, knock yourself out.  However, retro Rockabilly is much sexier and way more flattering.  C'mon... does anyone outside of Japan look hip in saddle shoes?

The dress in the above link is from chicstar.com.  It's about $50 ($65 for plus size).  And, you can wear this polka-dot dress (or a similar dress) out clubbing or on vacay, so this dress is an investment.  To make your own costume, look for fabric with cherries, polka dots, roses, or hearts.  (If you prefer leopard or sailor-tattoo prints, Rockabilly Punk is a more current incarnation.  Just add temporary tattoos and play some Stray Cats.)

Accessories for Rockabilly Costumes

You can make or find additional accessories to give your costume more authenticity if you have the time or the money.  As with all of these costumes, you don't have to wear everything on the list... just enough so people don't have to ask what you are.

Rockabilly looks best on women with smallish waists, but if you can sew, you can pull it off.  Or, try a skirt instead of a dress.

• Rockabilly Scarf Headband: Pull your hair back with a scarf or tie a scarf around your neck like Sandy in Grease.
• Rockabilly Shoes: There are lots of cute shoes online. For a cheaper fix, find some old pumps and glitter-spray them to match your dress.  If you're too old to rock-n-roll in heels, get flat maryjanes or used ballet flats and tart them up with bows and kitschy doodads.
• Petticoat: If you were born in the 50's, you'll remember wearing itchy tulle petticoats under your dresses as a child.  However, it's much sexier to let your petticoat peek out from under your skirt.
• Rockabilly Button Earrings: Cover old earrings with fabric or buy something inexpensive at Etsy.
• Rockabilly Wig: I like dark hair with short bangs for this look, but you can wear your own hair.
• Red Lipstick

2. 1960's Jackie Kennedy Costume

Now, this is a decade I know.

The First Lady Costume (in the link above) includes the jacket, the coat, and the hat for under $30.  Stand up straight and stay away from anything other than champagne... and, throw a lot of French phrases around.  Complete your look with accessories, so partiers will know you're not a drunken stewardess from a time warp:

• Thriftstore Pearls and Pearl Studs
• Little White Gloves
• Dark Brown Hair or Wig

3. 1960's Mod Retro Outfit

Buy or make a cheap, Carnaby-Streetish, straight or flared, shift type of dress (think Goldie Hawn on Laugh-in or Mary Quant in London).  Your hairstyle should be stick straight (remember ironing your hair) or in a straight bob or a flip.

Do not flash peace signs... no matter what you see online. Those did not show up until later in the decade.  Mod fashion looks best on women with flat-chested, boy-shaped bodies.

Accessories for a Mod Costume:

• White Go-Go Boots
• White Stockings (The photos have it wrong.)
• Round White Sunglasses
• White Lipstick
• Black Eyeliner (Rim your eyes or draw lower lashes ala Twiggy.)
• Cheap, Colorful Hoop Earrings  (Check out MyDivasCloset.com.)

4. 60's Hippie Girl Costume

Want to know how to dress like a hippie?  Pulling together a hippie costume is easy because there are so many options.  You don't need to spend much money to look like a hippie.  If you're skinnyish, wear bellbottoms (jeans or pants).  If you're heavier, you'll be more comfortable in a long maxi dress.

Hippie Accessories

You should be able to find most of these accoutrements in your closet or at a thrift store.  The most important thing is that you have long hair, so you might need to purchase an inexpensive wig at Target or Walmart... or you could just frizz your own hair out by curling it with bobby pins or by using a crimping iron.  If your hair is too thin for frizzing, just wear a floppy hat.

• Hippie Headband (or scarf)
• Beads: The more the merrier.
• Round Hippie Glasses (unisex)
• Large Hoop or Chandelier Earrings
• Flat Sandals or Moccassins: Or, just go barefoot.
• No Makeup: Well, if you're over 40, just wear foundation... even on your lips.

Since "real" hippies often made their own clothes and they improvised, this is one of the fastest, cheapest costumes you can come up with at the last minute.  You can go as authentic or as cornball as you want.

Some version of this "costume" will look good on any body type, so consider buying real clothing rather than Halloween fancy-dress clothing.  And, the peace sign is totally groovy with this outfit.

5. 70's Disco Queen

I'm sure you all remember this costume, but I'll refresh your memory with a few concepts that I recall from my disco days.  Only hookers wore mini dresses during this era, as minis were out of style.  Most jumpsuits had halter tops, but remember that jumpsuits are not as easy to fit as pants and a top or a disco dress.  If you need sleeves, look for something like this polyester disco outfit.  And, I don't care what you see online... no peace signs.

Disco Accessories for Women

• * Platform Shoes: It's not disco if it doesn't have a platform.  I won't let you wear your costume out of the house if you're too old to wear platform heels
• * Rhinestone Necklaces: All flash and no cash.  Wear goldtone jewelry when possible.  Any large earrings are fine.
• * Disco Wig: You don't have to be blonde, but hair with "wings" is the iconic look.  An afro (in any color) is a good alternative.  And, if you don't have big hair, sew some sequins onto a beret.

6. 80's Early Madonna Costume

It's not too difficult to become a Madonna Wannabe.  You'll need to have some of the right accessories or people will think you're just wearing your regular party clothes.  Here are some ideas.

• * Madonna Wig: Or, you can try crimping or pincurling your hair...and fluff it, but don't brush it.  You should spray your hair blonde.
• * Large Crosses and Pearls
• * Lace Gloves
• * Short Tutu Over Short Leggings
• * Mesh Top: For those who need more coverage.
• * Cute Underwear Worn as Outerwear: For those who need less coverage.

Well, these are my favorite retro outfits.  The more time and imagination you have, the less money you'll need.  The less time you have, the more you'll need a wig.  However, you don't need to wear everything on each list... just wear enough to help people guess who you are.

More Articles for Baby Boomer Women:

Holiday Party Dresses: Christmas Red Not Only Choice

Boho Chic Hippie Clothes: Plus Size Maxi Dresses

23 Trendy Plus Size Clothing Sites for Large Women Sizes 1x - 12x

Steampunk Fashion for Women Over 40 or 50