Halloween costumes don’t have to come from a plastic bag at a big-box store, and honestly, they’re a lot more fun when they don’t. Whether you want a fully assembled costume, are hunting for the perfect weird accessory, or just want to sneak a little Halloween into your everyday wardrobe, there are plenty of local options. Here’s where to start.
Ready-to-Wear Costumes
If you want to buy (or rent!) a costume that you can put on and go, these local shops have you covered.
Pib’s Exchange has a wide selection of new and used adult costumes and accessories, including makeup and temporary hair dye. If you’re building your own costume, the shop also has a solid vintage clothing section.
👗 Costumes you can find here: Flapper, alien, fairy, Elvis, cowboy
Taylor Maid in Provo is a theater kid’s dream, with a huge selection of makeup, wigs, and fake blood. You can also rent more elaborate costumes by phone or in-store if your Halloween plans require a little more production value.
👗 Costumes you can find here: Two-person horse, Cinderella, or a bald cap that could transform you into any number of Utah politicians.
Also in Utah County, Scera Costume Shop rents pieces to local theater companies, but you don’t have to be in a production to take advantage of the selection. The shop has costumes and pieces from dozens of recent Scera shows, so you can get a little more theatrical with your Halloween look.
👗 Costumes you can find here: Shrek and Fiona, Mary Poppins and Bert
Costume Elements
Skip the corporate thrift shop and check out local vintage and consignment stores for pieces you can mix, match, and wear again.
iconoCLAD has locations in Salt Lake City and offers new and used clothing and consignment. It’s a good place to start if your costume needs something a little more fashion-forward — or a little more revealing.
👗 Costumes you can find here: Sexy…anything, Coachella attendee, rave king or queen
Rooted Vintage is perfect for costume pieces you’ll actually want to wear again. The curation leans celestial Y2K, ’90s art teacher, Lilith Fair attendee — basically the clothes we wanted to wear but our moms wouldn’t let us.
👗 Costumes you can find here: Any mythical being, Phoebe Buffay, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Not a Costume Person?
Look for Halloween-inspired clothes and accessories that can work beyond Oct. 31, whether you want a subtle nod to the holiday or something that says, “Yes, I celebrate Halloween year-round.”
- Retro Betty has fun, kitschy clothes and accessories for men and women with just enough Halloween flair to feel festive without being a one-day-only purchase. I’m particularly into this candy corn skirt, black cat dress, and bats Hawaiian shirt.
- Skeleton tees are about as low-commitment as Halloween fashion gets. This skeleton tee from My Little Bellville and skeleton friends tee from Salt City Handcraft let you celebrate Halloween without worrying about storing a full witch costume for a year.
