23 Halloween Costumes from the ’70s, ’80s, & ’90s That We Miss … Kinda

Back in our day, trick-or-treating meant hunting for full-sized candy bars with an empty pillowcase, an orange UNICEF box, and a coveted Ben Cooper plastic costume. Sure those masks had no ventilation and the coats our moms made us wear ruined the effect, but man, those were the (spooky) days. Here’s a look back at some of the best ensembles from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Which one did you have?

We didn’t even know She-Hulk was a thing. 

Jem from Jem and the Holograms.

“Show’s over, Synergy!”

Road Runner 

Beep, beep! Can’t catch me!

A Popple

Remember these little guys? Did we ever figure out if they were teddy bears with tails?

Barbie Cowgirl

“I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.”

Wonder Woman

Even the Lasso of Truth won’t be able to save you from this trainwreck of a mask.

 

Princess Leia

The force was strong with this costume, but good luck fitting a cinnamon bun hairdo under that mask.

Pound Puppy

Who could resist those (pound) puppy dog eyes?

Cabbage Patch Kid

So that’s where cabbage patch kids came from!

He-Man

By the power of Greyskull! Now that we’re older, we have a deeper appreciation for built-in abs.

Glo Worm

Unfortunately, the costume didn’t come with that special inner glow.

Lisa Simpson

This was the costume if you had a pesky big brother and constantly felt like the smartest person in your family.

Chuck Norris

There was no tougher costume than the Karate Kommando himself.

Strawberry Shortcake

It was flame retardant, so that’s a relief.

Smurfs

Isn’t this costume smurfy?

Luke Skywalker

Luke, you sound just like your father.

The Real Ghostbusters

Animated TV series, not the Billy Murray film

 

Max Headroom 

This is MMMMMMMMaaaaaxxxxx.

 

Six Million Dollar Man

We can rebuild him.

 

Planet of the Apes

Cornelius or Zira? Who knows, we could never tell them apart …

 

The Fonz

Frequently mistaken for Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan by those answering the door.

 

Scooby-Doo 

The irony was, you couldn’t fit ANY sandwiches in your mouth through that mask.

Morticia Addams

Were you Team Munsters or Team Addams Family?

The Hulk 

Based on the Marvel comic, not to be confused with the Lou Ferrigno/Bill Bixby TV series.

If this post makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic, we’re happy to report there is a cult following for vintage Ben Cooper costumes on eBay, so have at it. When your kid complains about how “itchy” their $90 Plush Minions costume is, you can break into a righteous “When I was a kid …” speech with the goods to back it up.

— Jacqui Boland & Abigail Matsumoto

 

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