Halloween costume

Costumes worn on or around Halloween

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Please see the Talk page for a discussion about overlap of this article with the "Halloween" article. Also citations 3 and 20 are incomplete, due to a missing source. Please help improve this article if you can. (May 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Bartenders dressed as ghouls during Halloween in Budapest, Hungary Part of a series on

Costume

Background

* History
* Industry
* Costume coordination
* Use of costume in Athenian tragedy
* Wardrobe supervisor

Society and culture

* Fursuit
* Cosplay
* Costume party
* Masque
* Masquerade ball
* Parade
* World Costume Festival

Design

* Costume design
* Costume designer
* Spirit gum

Elements and methods

* Body painting
* Disguise
* Fake moustache
* Fatsuit
* Illusion costume
* Inflatable costume
* Rubber mask
* Zentai

Traditional

* Faubourg Marigny Mardi Gras costumes
* French Quarter Mardi Gras costumes
* Halloween costume
* Santa suit

Theatrical

* Costumed performer
* Creature suit
* Dance costume
* Dead-character costume
* Domino mask
* Gorilla suit
* Kumadori
* Leotard
* Pantomime horse
* Stage dress
* Titan the Robot

Period

* Plague doctor costume
* Modern dress

Children

* Sesame Street
* Zoobilee Zoo

Fictional

* Batsuit
* utility belt
* Ghostface
* Girdle of Gaea
* Monokuma

Organizations

* Angels Costumes
* Costume Designers Guild
* Western Costume

Awards

* Laurence Olivier
* AACTA
* Academy Award
* Africa Movie Academy
* BAFTA
* Critics' Choice
* César
* David di Donatello
* Filmfare
* Golden Arena
* IIFA
* National Film Award
* Robert
* Satellite
* Costume Designers Guild (TV)
* Costume Designers Guild (fantasy)

People

* Category:Costume designers

Museums

* Centre National du Costume de Scene
* Costume Museum of Canada
* Kastoria Costume Museum
* Devonshire Collection of Period Costume
* Korea Museum of Modern Costume
* Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume
* Museum of the History of the Greek Costume
* Portugal National Museum of Costume and Fashion
* Scotland National Museum of Costume

* v
* t
* e

Halloween costumes are costumes worn on Halloween, typically while trick-or-treating (going door to door to ask for treats). Although traditionally based on frightening supernatural or folkloric beings, by the 1930s costumes based on characters from mass media—such as film, literature, and radio—gained popularity. Halloween costumes have traditionally been worn mainly by young people, but since the mid-20th century increasingly by adults as well.

## Historical roots

[edit]

An early 20th-century Irish Halloween mask (a "rhymer" or "vizor"), displayed at the Museum of Country Life in Ireland.

The custom of wearing Halloween costumes may have originated in a Celtic festival held on October 31 to mark the beginning of winter, at which costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits.[1][unreliable source?] Called Samhain in Ireland and Scotland and on the Isle of Man, but Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany, the festival is believed to have pre-Christian roots. After the Christianization of Ireland in the 5th century, some of these customs may have been retained in the Christian observance of All Hallows' Eve in that region. Although the festival continued to be called Samhain and Calan Gaeaf, it blended ancient traditions with Christian ones.[2][3] The time of year was seen as liminal, when spirits or fairies (the Aos Sí) and the souls of the dead could more easily come to the world of the living.[4] It was also believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived winter.

From at least the 16th century,[5] the festival included mumming and guising,[6] which involved people going door to door in costume or disguise and usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food.[6] Originally, this may have been a tradition in which people impersonated the Aos Sí or the souls of the dead and received offerings on their behalf. Impersonating these beings or wearing a disguise was also believed to protect oneself from them.[7] It has also been suggested that the mummers and guisers "personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune".[8] F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient pagan festival included people wearing masks or costumes to represent the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from the sacred bonfire.[5]

In parts of southern Ireland, a man dressed as a láir bhán or white mare led youths house to house reciting verses—some with pagan overtones—in exchange for food. If the household gave food, it could expect good fortune, whereas not doing so would bring misfortune.[9] Similarly, in 19th-century England, youths went house to house with masked, painted, or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed.[6]

In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod,[6] while in some places, young people cross-dressed.[6]

Although mumming and costumes were part of other yearly festivals elsewhere in Europe, in Celtic-speaking regions, they were "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers".[6]

It has also been suggested that the wearing of Halloween costumes developed from the custom of souling, which was practiced by Christians in parts of Western Europe from at least the 15th century.[10][11] At Allhallowtide, groups of poor people would go house to house, collecting soul cakes—either as representatives of the dead[12] or in return for praying for them.[13] The Christian tradition of acknowledging the danse macabre is also suggested as the origin of dressing up on Halloween.[14][15][16][17]

One 19th-century English writer said that Allhallowtide "used to consist of parties of children, dressed up in fantastic costume, who went round to the farmhouses and cottages, singing a song, and begging for cakes (spoken of as 'soul-cakes'), apples, money, or anything that the good wives would give them".[18] The soulers typically asked for "mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake".[19] Shakespeare mentioned the practice in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593).[20][21] Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh wrote on the wearing of costumes: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. To avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities".[22]

In the Middle Ages, statues and relics of martyred saints were paraded through the streets at Allhallowtide. Some churches that could not afford these things had people dress as saints instead.[23][24] Some believers continue the practice of dressing as saints, biblical figures, and reformers in Halloween celebrations today.[25] Many Christians in continental Europe, especially in France, believed that on Halloween, "the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival," known as the danse macabre, which has often been depicted in church decoration.[26] An article published by Christianity Today claimed the danse macabre was enacted at village pageants and court masques, with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society" and suggested this was the origin of Halloween costume parties.[27][28]

Facial makeup as masquerade is popular on Halloween, often referring to horror archetypes or various characters from movies or TV shows

The custom of guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.[29] In 19th century America, Halloween was often celebrated with costume parades and "licentious revelries."[30] However, efforts were made to "domesticate" the festival to conform with Victorian-era morality. Halloween was made into a private rather than public holiday, celebrations involving liquor and sensuality were de-emphasized, and only children were expected to celebrate the festival.[31]

Early Halloween costumes emphasized the gothic nature of Halloween and were aimed primarily at children. Costumes were also made at home or using items (such as make-up) that could be purchased and utilized to create a costume. In the 1930s, A. S. Fishbach, Ben Cooper, and other firms began mass-producing Halloween costumes for sale in stores as trick-or-treating became popular in North America. Halloween costumes are often designed to imitate supernatural and scary beings. Costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts,[32] skeletons, witches, goblins, trolls, devils, etc. In more recent years, such science fiction-inspired characters include aliens and superheroes. There are also costumes of pop culture figures like presidents, athletes, celebrities, or characters in film, television, literature, etc. Young girls often dress as entirely non-scary characters for Halloween, including princesses, fairies, angels, animals, and flowers.

People in Halloween costumes

Halloween costume parties generally take place on or around October 31, often on the Friday or Saturday before the holiday. Halloween parties are the third most popular party type held in the United States, falling behind only to Super Bowl and New Year's Eve parties.[33]

## Economics

[edit]

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Much of the research cited is quite old and thus not of much use today. In addition, the wording of this section is often predictive as if the years being referred to had not already passed.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (May 2025)

|

In a National Retail Federation (NRF) study in the United States, it was found that 53.3% of consumers planned to buy a Halloween costume in 2005, spending $38.11 on average, up $10 from the year before. They were also expected to spend $4.96 billion in 2006, up significantly from just $3.3 billion the previous year.[34] But the troubled economy caused many Americans to cut back on Halloween spending, and in 2009, the NRF anticipated that American households would decrease Halloween spending by as much as 15% to $56.31.[35]

In 2013, Americans spent an estimated $6.9 billion to celebrate Halloween, including a predicted $2.6 billion on costumes (with more spent on adult costumes than for children's costumes) and $330 million on pet costumes.[36][37] In 2017, it was estimated that Americans would spend $9.1 billion on Halloween merchandise, with $3.4 billion of that towards costumes.[38] Another survey by the NRF showed that 67% of Halloween shoppers would buy costumes, spending $3.2 billion in 2019.[39] It was estimated that the Halloween spending in 2022 would reach $10.6 billion.[40]

## Criticism

[edit]

Halloween costumes in the contemporary Western world sometimes depict people and things from present times and are sometimes read in terms of their political and cultural significance.

When costumes uncritically use stereotypical representations of other groups of people such as gypsies and Native Americans, they are sometimes denounced for cultural appropriation.[41][42][43] For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Secretary Julie Myers was involved in a scandal in 2008 at ICE's Halloween party when she made the Best Costume award to someone dressed as an "escaped Jamaican prisoner" with dreadlocks and blackface.[44]

Woman dressed up for Halloween

Halloween costumes can also generate controversy through overt sexualization of many women's costumes,[45] despite a surprisingly long history of it,[46][47][48] and even those intended for young girls. Costumes for women are often far from what would be considered accurate for the clothing usually worn by women in those fields, and focus on sexualization of the wearer and often the concept portrayed. Although there are costumes for men of various occupations—like student, police officer, academics, clergy, or nurse—they are often at least relatively accurate to the clothing that men employed in any of these fields would wear.[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

* Ben Cooper, Inc.
* Cosplay
* Fetish fashion
* Gothic fashion
* Punk fashion
* Rubber mask

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Vizor, Sabrina (2024-08-13). "All Hallows Eve Meaning & Why We Wear Halloween Costumes". Mad About Horror. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
2. ^ Santino, Jack. The Hallowed Eve: Dimensions of Culture in a Calendar Festival of Northern Ireland. University Press of Kentucky, p.95
3. ^ Hutton, p.379
4. ^ Monaghan, Patricia. The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. Infobase Publishing, 2004. p.41
5. ^ a b McNeill, F. Marian. Hallowe'en: its origin, rites and ceremonies in the English tradition. Albyn Press, 1970. pp.29–31
6. ^ a b c d e f Hutton, pp.380-382
7. ^ Hole, Christina. British Folk Customs. Hutchinson, 1976. p.91
8. ^ Peddle, S. V. (2007). Pagan Channel Islands: Europe's Hidden Heritage. p.54
9. ^ Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Volume 2. 1855. pp.308-309
10. ^ Jackson, Jeanne L. (1 January 1995). Red Letter Days: The Christian Year in Story for Primary Assembly. Nelson Thornes. p. 158\. ISBN 9780748719341. "Later, it became the custom for poorer Christians to offer prayers for the dead, in return for money or food (soul cakes) from their wealthier neighbours. People would go 'souling' - rather like carol singing - requesting alms or soul cakes: 'A soul, a soul, a soul cake, Please to give us a soul cake, One for Peter, two for Paul, have mercy on us Christians all.'"
11. ^ Rogers, 2002, p. 24-26.
12. ^ Cleene, Marcel. Compendium of Symbolic and Ritual Plants in Europe. Man & Culture, 2002. p.108. Quote: "Soul cakes were small cakes baked as food for the deceased or offered for the salvation of their souls. They were therefore offered at funerals and feasts of the dead, laid on graves, or given to the poor as representatives of the dead. The baking of these soul cakes is a universal practice".
13. ^ Rogers, Nicholas (2001). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Oxford University Press. pp. 28–30. ISBN 0-19-514691-3.
14. ^ Pulliam, June; Fonseca, Anthony J. (26 September 2016). Ghosts in Popular Culture and Legend. ABC-CLIO. p. 145\. ISBN 978-1440834912. "Since the 16th century, costumes have become a central part of Halloween traditions. Perhaps the most common traditional Halloween costume is that of the ghost. This is likely because ... when Halloween customs began to be influenced by Catholicism, the incorporation of the themes of All Hallows' and All Souls' Day would have emphasized visitations from the spirit world over the motifs of spirites and fairies. ... The baking and allowing them to go door to door to collect them in exchange for praying for the dead (a practice called souling), often carrying lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips. Around the 16th century, the practice of going house to house in disguise (a practice called guising) to ask for food began and was often accompanied by recitation of traditional verses (a practice called mumming). Wearing costumes, another tradition, has many possible explanations, such as confusing the spirits or souls who visited earth or rose from local graveyards to engage in what was called a Danse Macabre, basically a large party among the dead."
15. ^ Books & Culture: A Christian Review. Christianity Today. 1999. p. 12\. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. "Sometimes enacted as at village pageants, the danse macabre was also performed as court masques, the courtiers dressing up as corpses from various strata of society...both the name and the observance began liturgically as All Hallows' Eve."
16. ^ Morrow, Ed (2001). The Halloween Handbook. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 19. ISBN 978-0806522272. "Another contributor to the custom of dressing up at Halloween was the old Irish practice of marking All Hallows' Day with religious pageants that recounted biblical events. These were common during the Middle Ages all across Europe. The featured players dressed as saints and angels, but there were also plenty of roles for demons who had more fun, capering, acting devilish, and playing to the crows. The pageant began inside the church, then moved by procession to the churchyard, where it continued long into the night."
17. ^ Hörandner, Editha (2005). Halloween in der Steiermark und anderswo. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 99\. ISBN 978-3825888893. "On the other hand the postmodern phenomenon of "antifashion" is also to be found in some Halloween costumes. Black and orange are a 'must' with many costumes. Halloween – like the medieval danse macabre – is closely connected with superstitions and it might be a way of dealing with death in a playful way."
18. ^ Publications, Volume 16 (English Dialect Society), Harvard University Press, page 507
19. ^ Santino, Jack (1994). Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life. University of Tennessee Press. p. 84\. ISBN 9780870498138. Retrieved 28 October 2015. "The begging ritual, taken up by nonindigents and by children, involved the recitation of a souling rhyme, which typically requested "mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake.""
20. ^ Hutton, pp.374-375
21. ^ The Two Gentlemen of Verona Act 2, Scene 1.
22. ^ Prince Sorie Conteh (2009). Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue. Cambria Press. p. 132. ISBN 9781604975963. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
23. ^ Youth Spirit 2 (Cheryl Perry), Wood Lake Publishing Inc., page 20
24. ^ The Power of Halloween (Diana Millay), page 47
25. ^ "Eve of All Saints", Using Common Worship: Times and Seasons - All Saints to Candlemas (David Kennedy), Church House Publishing, page 42
26. ^ Descriptive Analyses of Piano Works (Edward Baxter Perry), Theodore Presser Company, page 276
27. ^ Books & Culture. Christianity Today. 1999. p. 12\. "Sometimes enacted as at village pageants, the danse macabre was also performed as court masques, the courtiers dressing up as corpses from various strata of society...both the name and the observance began liturgically as All Hallows' Eve."
28. ^ Hörandner, Editha (2005). Halloween in der Steiermark und anderswo. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 99\. ISBN 9783825888893. "On the other hand the postmodern phenomenon of "antifashion" is also to be found in some Halloween costumes. Black and orange are a 'must' with many costumes. Halloween - like the medieval danse macabre - is closely connected with superstitions and it might be a way of dealing with death in a playful way."
29. ^ Rogers, p.76.
30. ^ Lherm, 2001, p. 194.
31. ^ Lherm, 2001, p. 194-195, 204.
32. ^ Rook, Dennis W. (Dec 1985). "The Ritual Dimension of Consumer Behavior". Journal of Consumer Research (Univ. of Chicago Press) 12 (3): 251–264. Accessed November 14, 2010.
33. ^ "5000+ Halloween Costumes for Kids & Adults 2018 | Oriental Trading Company". www.orientaltrading.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
34. ^ Grannis, Kathy; Scott Krugman (September 20, 2006). "As Halloween Shifts to Seasonal Celebration, Retailers Not Spooked by Surge in Spending". National Retail Federation. Archived from the original on 2006-12-27. Retrieved 31 October 2006.
35. ^ "Halloween - Retail Horror Story?". Orlando Sentinel. October 29, 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
36. ^ "Halloween Is a $6.9 Billion Unstoppable American Cultural Juggernaut". Businessweek. October 14, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
37. ^ "NewsOne Minute: Study Finds Barely Anyone Buys Father's Day Presents". Newsone. Jun 6, 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
38. ^ "Halloween Headquarters". National Retail Federation. 2014-09-21. Archived from the original on 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
39. ^ "Social media influencing near-record Halloween spending". NRF. 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
40. ^ "Halloween Data Center". NRF. Archived from the original on 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
41. ^ Kjerstin Johnson, "Don't Mess Up When You Dress Up: Cultural Appropriation and Costumes Archived 2015-06-29 at the Wayback Machine", Bitch magazine, 25 October 2011.
42. ^ Wade, Lisa (11 October 2012). "Race-Themed Events at Colleges (Trigger Warning)". Sociological Images. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013.
43. ^ Nancy Kelsey, cleveland com (2023-10-29). "Halloween costume choices can dehumanize Indigenous women, amid crisis of the many who are missing or murdered: Nancy Kelsey". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
44. ^ Lipton, Eric (April 9, 2008). "Official Had Controversial Photos Deleted, Report Says". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2008-04-09."The staff member who won the “most original costume” prize wore a dreadlock wig, what looked like a prison jumpsuit and black face paint. “I’m a Jamaican detainee from Krome — obviously, I’ve escaped,” the employee, referring to a detention center in Miami, announced to the judges..."
45. ^ Lennon, Sharron J.; Zheng, Zhiying; Fatnassi, Aziz (2016-10-28). "Women's revealing Halloween costumes: other-objectification and sexualization". Fashion and Textiles. 3 (1): 21. doi:10.1186/s40691-016-0073-x. ISSN 2198-0802.
46. ^ Suzanne Labarre (2011-10-31). "Slutty Halloween Costumes: A Cultural History". Fast Company.
47. ^ Meredith Galante (2011-10-28). "A Brief History Of The Slutty Halloween Costume". Business Insider.
48. ^ Laura Stampler (2014-10-31). "The Definitive History of Sexy Halloween Costumes". Time.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Addis, M.E. Leicester. "Allhallowtide." Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly. 40:5 (November 1895).
* Dunwich, Gerina. A Witch's Halloween. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media, 2007.
* Denny, Dann. "Adults go for sexy or funny looks on Halloween." Herald-Times, (Bloomington, IN) 28 Oct. 2010: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
* Dowling, Melissa. "Sexy Sells Halloween Costumes." Multichannel Merchant 6.10 (2010): 56. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
* "Halloween." In Encyclopedia of the End: Mysterious Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More. Deborah Noyes, ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008.
* Levinson, Stacey, Stacey Mack, Dan Reinhardt, and Helen Suarez, Grace Yeh (1992).[citation needed]
* "Halloween As a Consumption Experience", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research, 19. John F. Sherry Jr. and Brian Sternthal, eds. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 219–228.
* Lherm, Adrien. "Halloween — A 'Reinvented' Holiday." In Celebrating Ethnicity and Nation: American Festive Culture from the Revolution to the Early Twentieth Century. Geneviève Fabre, ed. New York: Berghahn Books, 2001.
* Nelson, Adie. "The Pink Dragon Is Female." Psychology of Women Quarterly 24.2 (2000): 137. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
* Northrup, Lesley A. Women and Religious Ritual. Washington, D.C.: Pastoral Press, 1993.
* Ogletree, Shirley Matile, and Larry Denton. "Age And Gender Differences In Children's Halloween Costumes." Journal of Psychology 127.6 (1993): 633. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
* Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
* Seltzer, Sarah. "Embracing Our Inner Monsters." The New York Times 28 Oct. 2012: n. pag. Print.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Galembo, Phyllis. Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Halloween costumes at Wikimedia Commons
* Santino, Jack. "The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows", The American Folklife Center, 2009

* v
* t
* e

Halloween

Main topics|

* History
* Samhain
* Allhallowtide
* Geography

Traditions|

* Trick-or-treating
* Trunk-or-treating
* Costumes
* Apple bobbing
* Cards
* Halloween Tree
* Jack-o'-lantern
* Stingy Jack
* Connecticut field pumpkin
* Prayer for the dead
* Pangangaluluwa

Food|

* Apple cider
* Barmbrack
* Bonfire toffee
* Candy apple
* Candy corn
* Candy pumpkin
* Caramel apple
* Caramel corn
* Feetloaf
* Monster cereals
* Pão por Deus
* Pumpkin
* Pumpkin pie
* Soul cake

Events|

* Bonfire
* Haunted attraction
* Hell house
* Pumpkin Queen

Media|

* Books
* Films
* Music
* Television

Related
events|

* Festival of the Dead
* Bon Festival
* Chuseok
* Day of the Dead
* Gai Jatra
* Pitru Paksha
* Qingming Festival
* Totensonntag
* Ghost Festival
* Veneration of the dead
* Kaddish
* Yizkor

Other events|

* Allantide
* All Saints' Day
* All Souls' Day
* Beggars Night
* Dziady
* Eid il-Burbara
* Hop-tu-Naa
* Kekri
* Korochun
* Mischief Night
* Old Halloween
* Punkie Night
* Saci Day

Category

* v
* t
* e

Clothing

* History
* Industry
* Technology
* Terminology
* Timeline

Headwear|

* List of hat styles
* List of headgear
* List of fur headgear
* Beret
* Cap
* baseball
* flat
* knit
* Crown
* Hat
* boater
* bowler
* fedora
* homburg
* top
* Helmet
* Hood
* Kerchief
* Mask
* Turban
* Veil

Neckwear|

* Bands
* Choker
* Collar
* Clerical
* Lavallière
* Neckerchief
* Neck gaiter
* Necktie
* ascot
* bolo
* bow
* kipper
* school
* stock
* Scarf
* Tippet

Underwear
and lingerie|

| Top|

* Bra
* List of bra designs
* Camisole
* Undershirt

|

Bottom|

* Diaper
* Training pants
* Leggings
* Panties
* Plastic pants
* Slip
* Thong
* Underpants
* boxer briefs
* boxer shorts
* briefs

Full|

* Bodysuit, adult
* Bodysuit, infant
* Long underwear
* See-through
* Teddy

Tops|

* Blouse
* cache-cœur
* crop top
* halterneck
* tube top
* Cycling
* Kurta
* Mantle
* Shirt
* dress
* Henley
* polo
* sleeveless
* T
* crew neck
* Sweater
* cardigan
* guernsey
* hoodie
* jersey
* polo neck
* shrug
* sweater vest
* twinset
* Waistcoat

Bottoms|

| Trousers|

* Bell-bottoms
* Bondage
* Capri
* Cargo
* Chaps
* Formal
* Go-to-hell
* High water
* Lowrise
* Jeans
* Jodhpurs
* Overalls
* Palazzo
* Parachute
* Pedal pushers
* Phat
* Shorts
* Bermuda
* cycling
* dolphin
* gym
* hotpants
* running
* Slim-fit
* Sweatpants
* Windpants
* Yoga pants

|

Skirts|

* A-line
* Ballerina
* Denim
* Men's
* Miniskirt
* Pencil
* Prairie
* Rah-rah
* Sarong
* Skort
* Tutu
* Wrap

Full-Body
Wear|

| Suits and
uniforms|

* Ceremonial dress
* academic
* court
* diplomatic
* Folk
* Jodhpuri
* Jumpsuit
* Military
* full
* mess
* service
* sailor
* combat
* Miner
* Pantsuit
* Political
* Religious
* cassock
* clerical
* vestment
* School
* Prison
* Workwear
* boilersuit
* cleanroom
* hazmat
* space
* scrubs

|

Dresses
and gowns|

| Formal, semi-
formal, informal|

* Backless
* Bouffant gown
* Coatdress
* Cocktail
* little black
* Evening
* ball gown
* debutante
* Plain
* Prairie
* Princess line
* Strapless
* Wedding
* Wrap

|

Casual|

* House
* Jumper
* Romper suit
* Sheath
* Shirtdress
* Slip
* Sundress

Coats
and
outerwear|

| Overcoats|

* Car
* Chesterfield
* Covert
* Duffel
* Duster
* Greatcoat
* British Warm
* Guards Coat
* Greca
* Over-frock
* Riding
* shadbelly
* Trench
* Ulster
* Cloak
* opera
* Paletot
* Pea
* Polo
* Raincoat
* Mackintosh

|

Suit coats|

* Frock coat
* bekishe
* rekel
* Mess jacket
* Suit jacket
* Blazer
* smoking
* sports
* Teba
* Tailcoat
* dress
* morning

Other|

* Apron
* pinafore
* Blouson
* Cagoule
* Cape
* ferraiolo
* Inverness
* Mantle
* monastic
* royal
* mozzetta
* pellegrina
* Coatee
* Cut-off
* Gilet
* Jacket
* down
* flight
* goggle
* Harrington
* leather
* mackinaw
* Norfolk
* safari
* Jerkin
* Lab coat
* Parka
* Poncho
* Robe
* bathrobe
* dressing gown
* Shawl
* Ski suit
* Sleeved blanket
* Windbreaker

Nightwear|

* Babydoll
* Babygrow
* Blanket sleeper
* Negligee
* Nightgown
* Nightshirt
* Pajamas

Swimwear|

* Bikini
* Burkini
* Boardshorts
* Dry suit
* Monokini
* One-piece
* Rash guard
* Sling
* Square leg suit
* Swim briefs
* Swim diaper
* Trunks
* Wetsuit

Legwear|

* Sock
* Hold-ups
* Garter
* Pantyhose
* Stocking
* Tights

Footwear|

* List of shoe styles
* List of boots
* Boot
* Dress boot
* Flip-flops
* Sandal
* Shoe
* Dress shoe
* Court shoe
* Sneaker
* Slipper

Accessories|

| Adornments|

* Armband
* Belt
* Boutonnière
* Coin purse
* Cufflink
* Cummerbund
* Gaiters
* Glasses
* Sunglasses
* Gloves
* Headband
* Handbag
* Inro
* Jewellery
* Livery
* Muff
* Pocket protector
* Pocket watch
* Sash
* Spats
* Suspenders
* Wallet
* Watch

|

Non-worn items|

* Hand fan
* Umbrella
* Walking stick

Dress codes|

| Western|

* Formal
* morning dress
* white tie
* Semi-formal
* black lounge suit
* black tie
* Informal
* Business casual
* Smart casual
* Casual

|

Related|

* Clothing fetish
* Clothing swap
* Costume
* creature suit
* Halloween costume
* Cross-dressing
* Environmental impact
* Fashion
* haute couture
* made-to-measure
* ready-to-wear
* Fur clothing
* types
* Fursuit
* Global trade of secondhand clothing
* Laundry
* Laws
* List of individual dresses
* Reconstructed clothing
* Right to clothing
* Vintage clothing

Clothing portal
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template