Top 1950s Costumes for a Delightfully Retro Halloween!

By Shrey Sankalp

1950s costumes are a reflection of the times.  The story of the 1950s is an interesting one, whether we factor in the stylish costumes the decade bestowed upon us or not. Riding a wave of post-war jubilation, there was an electricity in the atmosphere that has been seen scarcely since. Every sphere experienced a welcome boost creatively thanks to it, from fashion to art, to movies and music among the infinitely many, and thanks to copious contributions from some of these spheres, we have a fairly good idea of what life must have been like in the 1950s. There’s certainly a very considerable allure for a taste of that life, for there swathes of enthusiasts, both costuming and otherwise, who are eager to taste life as it might have been on any typical day between the years 1950 and 1959.

As with all things historical, costumes play a major role, with 1950s costume allowing enthusiasts to experience the effect to varying degrees of authenticity depending on their costume. The demand for 1950s costumes has only grown in recent years as more and more people clamor for said costumes thanks to being exposed via some form of art more and more, and we decided to curate a list of some of the best 1950s costume an enthusiast can get their hands on today for a delightfully retro Halloween.
This is that list.

1. Vintage Hollywood Diva Girls Costume

Product #: WC41140

Look at the style that practically drips off of this costume.

The first costume on our list is one that you may have come across in some form or the other – the appropriately titled Vintage Hollywood Diva Girls Costume.
In this day and age, there isn’t a typical “Hollywood actress costume” (unless you consider the countless eye-wateringly priced and elaborately styled gowns they wear on red carpet events), but that wasn’t the case back in the 1950s.
Hollywood actresses were divas back then, and they dressed like it – cocktail gown, fur stoles, elbow gloves and all.
This costume is meant to be a celebration of that aesthetic, and comes with a rhinestone tiara comb, a pair of large round sunglasses, a lovely dress with matching elbow gloves, and a faux-fur stole, all of which look like they could have adorned the bodies of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn back in the day.
And the best part is it provides you the opportunity to accessorize when it comes to jewelry, footwear, and other accompanying items, thus allowing you to create a look that’s uniquely yours.

2. Marilyn Monroe Women's Costume Deluxe

Product #: WC21706

Recreate what is arguably the most iconic picture ever taken of an actress.

It is only fair that a list of 1950s costumes having a Hollywood diva costume on it follows it up with a costume that pays tribute to arguably the greatest Hollywood diva of them all – Marilyn Monroe.
Far too much has already been written on Marilyn Monroe and how she was a style icon ahead of her time for us to contribute anything more that is of new significance, but allow us to reiterate it by presenting the Marilyn Monroe Women's Costume Deluxe. The costume is a perfect homage to the iconic photo of Marilyn Monroe with her skirt blowing as she holds it down. With this costume, you get the white dress with the folds perfectly angled to recreate the look, but there’s also interesting customization options depending on what look you’re aiming for – if it’s a classic recreation you want, pair the costume with a Marilyn Monroe wig and some white shoes and you’re good to go, but if you want a unique take on it that’s all you, you can style the hair as you wish and opt for different footwear.

3. 50s Sweetheart Girls Costume

Product #: WC42467

As 50s as a 50s costume gets!

Very few costumes capture the 50s aesthetic as well as the 50s Sweetheart Girls Costume right here! The genius of the costume lies in how it cherry picks all the typical 50s stylistic flourishes you might find in various 50s costumes and combines them all in one place with the collar, the buttons, the monogram, and of course, the poodle motif. Combined with the option of adding your own glasses and shoes (which you can pick from the countless period-appropriate options you can find in the accessories section of Wonder Costumes), you have the perfect opportunity to create the perfect 50s costume!

4. Trixie Sue Diner Waitress Women's Costume

Product #: WC43601

Ready to roll!

As far as typical 50s aesthetics go, that of the diner – and the diner waitress, in particular – is a surprisingly prevalent one, from books to art, to film, whether they originated in that era, or were written in the modern one.
The Trixie Sue Diner Waitress Women's Costume is in many ways the perfect celebration of that aesthetic, with how deftly the costume combines all the elements you might find in a typical 50s diner waitress costume. The pink shade is instantly eye-catching, and the checkerboard trim that accents the costume only furthers the eye candy factor.
With a judicious use of accessories, such as a tray (ready to serve food on it optional), a pair of roller-skates and anything else that’s period-appropriate will make your 50s instantly eligible for the best 50s costume around.

5. Coca Cola Soda Girl Women Costume

Product #: WC38164

You know what they say about Coke, kids.

You’d be hard pressed to find something more America, more 50s, and more America in the 50s than Coke – it’s baffling, we know.
The  Coca Cola Soda Girl Women Costume, then, is perhaps your best bet when it comes to finding a 50s costume that is as 50s as it gets!
The satin red dress is perfectly complemented by the Coca Cola apron and hat, and you’ll have a real looker of a costume if you can pair the costume with the right footwear, and style your hair perfectly (or get a wig from us, whatever floats your boat).
Oh, and do make sure you’ve got the instantly recognizable Coke bottle in your hands – it puts a finishing touch to the costume unlike any other.

6. Elvis Men Costume Deluxe

Product #: WC10228

The King is in the house.

To attempt to offer any kind of introduction for the Elvis Presley would be futile – he’s simply too well known for that. Elvis is one of the few musicians who enjoy worldwide popularity away from the barriers presented by time periods, and the mind bogglingly consistent popularity of Elvis costumes is testament to that.
And since Elvis had a considerable presence in the 1950s, Elvis costumes often overlap with 1950s costumes, creating a situation that’s mutually beneficial as both categories of costumes enjoy a significant boost in popularity by virtue of association with the other category.
But let’s be real, association or no association, the possibilities presented by the elaborate white jumpsuit, coupled with that iconic hairstyle, those shades, and those shoes alone are enough to entice one into purchasing this costume.

7. Grease T-birds Men Costume

Product #: WC39732

Do the Cha-Cha.

The T-birds and Grease in general seem to have a special place in the pantheon of public consciousness when it comes to certain anachronistic properties, and the demand for Grease costumes year after year is proof of that.
An excellent addition to the rank of 50s costumes, the Grease T-birds Men Costume would make for a fine addition to your closet reserved for retro costumes, with the T-birds graphic marked faux leather jacket with its attached buckle opening up a world of possibilities, from a faithful recreation of the look courtesy of the right wing and the right shoes, to a modern take with your own signature touches.

8. Fabulous 50s Women Costume

Product #: WC39299

Polka dots, polka dots everywhere!

We say this without any exaggeration whatsoever, but if the 50s aesthetic were to be described using two words, and two words only, those two words for most people would be ‘polka dots’.
And we’re sure by this point in the list you must have begun to wonder why polka dots hadn’t made an appearance, so here they are in all their glory, courtesy of the Fabulous 50s Women Costume.
The scarf and skirt have enough polka dots to fulfill your heart’s desire, but should you desire even more, you can add a top, a pair of shoes, a headband and other accessories as well.
All full of polka dots, of course.

9. Pop Art Comic Book Printed Dress Women Costume

Product #: WC52474

That’s the good stuff.

As our list nears completion, we move to the more outré costumes, starting with the Pop Art Comic Book Printed Dress Women Costume. Meant to serve as a celebration of both the pop art and the comic books popular in the 1950s (who’d have thought the two could ever intersect), this is a costume for the true enthusiasts, those who really want to go for something unique.
To accentuate the effect the costume brings further, get yourself a bright wig (we’ve got an excellent selection) and a Pop Art makeup kit, and put the finishing touches on your costume that take will take it to a whole another level.

10. 50s Sock Hop Zombie Womens Costume

Bringing past back from the dead in style.

The final item on our list, the 50s Sock Hop Zombie Womens Costume is all the genre transcending quirky goodness you might expect from a costume with a name such as this.
The costume has all the pizzazz of a 50s costume that you might expect of it but features a unique zombie spin on all of it. Couple it with the right make-up and some carefully pieced together accessories, and you have yourself a costume that stands a chance of being the best costume in both the zombie costumes and 50s costumes categories.

…and that’s it! But fret not.
While this list of impressive 50s costume may have been only 10 items long, these are just the tip of the iceberg we at Wonder Costumes call Stunning 50s Costumes.
So visit our 50s costumes section for all sort of anachronistic goodness, and make your Halloween one for the ages!