Spooky Through the Ages: Iconic Halloween Costumes from 1865 to Today
With inflation rates still relatively high, upcoming Halloween expenditures seem to have spooked many American shoppers. A September 2024 survey from the National Retail Federation found that spending for the holiday is expected to decrease to $11.6 billion this year, compared to a record-setting $12.2 billion in 2023.
👇🏼Keep Scrolling for the Creepy (and Cool) Costume Photos 👇🏼
More consumers also plan to complete their holiday shopping earlier than usual, with 38% of respondents saying they hope to avoid the stress of last-minute purchases. And of that overall $11.6 billion in Halloween spending, $3.8 billion will likely go toward costumes. NRF data predicts that most kids will don superhero (especially Spiderman), ghost, and princess outfits to go trick-or-treating. Meanwhile, most adults say they'll stick with witch, vampire, and cat costumes—classic choices that date back decades.
RELATED: How Halloween Has Changed in the Past 100 Years
To celebrate the tradition of dressing up for Halloween, Stacker scoured the archives to find 50 photos of Halloween costumes from 1865 to today. The usual suspects pop up throughout the centuries—cats, witches, ghosts, and ghouls—but timely references also make an appearance, from Darth Vader to Ronald Reagan.
LOOK: Classic Halloween costumes from 1865 to today
Gallery Credit: Stacker
LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years
Gallery Credit: Brit McGinnis