Top Halloween and fancy dress costumes compared

About Top Halloween and fancy dress costumes compared

Dress-up shopping turns on three questions: how little you can spend to start, how much the shop actually stocks, and whether it can get the outfit to you in time. This ranking of 21 shops weighs all three, alongside return windows, processing times and the ways you can reach a help desk. The field is mixed on purpose. Some stores are broad generalists that carry costumes, wigs, props and shoes in one basket. Others are specialists, either in tailoring, in plus size fits, or in collectible figures that finish a cosplay rather than the costume itself. A few reach only their home market, and one ships to a long list of countries. The main trade-off is between breadth and speed. Where prices are listed in the same currency they can be compared directly, and where they are not, they cannot.

How we picked

Scores for this category lean on the things a fancy dress buyer actually weighs. Entry price against other stores quoting in the same currency comes first, followed by how much of the range is relevant, whether a costume can be made to measure, how many destinations the store serves, the length of the return window, and how quickly orders are processed before dispatch. Support channels round it out, since a sizing problem the week of the party needs a person to answer it. Facts come from each brand's own pages: about sections for founding year and headquarters, shipping pages for delivery destinations, returns and refund policies for the return window, terms of service for the legal entity, and contact or help pages for support channels and processing times. Where a page states a price, it is taken from a category listing rather than a single promoted item. Where a brand has a paid relationship with the site, it is listed ahead of the rest regardless of score, and the rest follow in score order. Every brand here appears on its own published details, so anything not stated on those pages is left out rather than guessed at.

Our top picks

1. 2. Abracadabra NYC

   Abracadabra NYC is in this ranking for its tailoring. It is one of the few brands here that offers made to measure, alongside Cosplaysky and Miccostumes, and it prepares orders in 0 to 1 days, the quickest turn-around among the stores listed. The range covers cosplay costumes, anime costumes, game costumes and more and shipping is listed for the United States. Uwowo, the brand ranked next, reaches far more destinations but sells standard sizes only, so a fitted costume and a wide reach are the choice laid out between them.

   • Return window: 0 days
   • Made to measure: Yes
   • Processing time: 0 to 1 day

   Pros

   • Made-to-measure work is offered, running from minor adjustments to a complete rework of a costume.
   • Processing is listed as 0 to 1 day, so a confirmed order moves out quickly from New York.
   • Trading since 1981, with a New York City base rather than a recent online storefront.
   • The catalogue runs from outfits to wigs, props, footwear and accessories, so a full look comes from the same shop.

   Cons

   • Sales are final, so a costume that fits badly or disappoints cannot be sent back for money.
   • The store delivers to the United States, a single market, so buyers in other countries are not served.
   • Fit has to be settled before an order leaves, because processing is listed as 0 to 1 day and there is no exchange to fall back on.

2. SH3. Spirit Halloween: best for Spirit Halloween

   Spirit Halloween is a Halloween costume store whose categories include costumes, decorations, animatronics and TV, movie and gaming items.

   • Markets: US

3. FE4. Fun en Feest: best for Fun en Feest

   Belgian party shop with over 60,000 party items, including dress-up and carnival costumes.

   • Markets: BE

4. DD5. Don Disfraz: best for Don Disfraz

   Don Disfraz is a Spanish online costume shop at dondisfraz.com selling costumes and accessories.

5. CP6. Costumalia PT: best for Costumalia PT

   Online shop for costumes, accessories, decoration and make-up.

   • Markets: PT

6. D7. Deiters: best for Deiters

   German costume shop for carnival, Halloween, Oktoberfest and party costumes, with more than 30 stores across Germany.

   • Markets: DE

7. CF8. Costumalia FR: best for Costumalia FR

   French online shop for costumes, accessories, decoration and make-up, operated by Monsieur Deguisement.

   • Markets: FR

8. RD9. Rue de la Fete: best for Rue de la Fete

   French specialist in adult and children's costumes and party decorations for birthdays, carnival and other events.

   • Markets: FR

9. 10. FUN: best for top-pick

   FUN leads this ranking by pairing a low entry price with a long return window and a catalogue that covers most fancy dress needs. Prices start at $4.99, returns run 30 days, and the range covers cosplay costumes, anime costumes, game costumes and more. Orders ship to the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, with help available on email, chat, phone and more. HalloweenCostumes, the brand just behind it, sells a near identical set of categories on the same return terms, so the pair are separated by price rather than choice, and FUN holds the top-pick slot on the lower starting figure.

   • Return window: 30 days
   • Price from: $4.99
   • Markets: US, GB, AU

   Pros

   • Costumes open at $4.99, and full outfits sit beside sale pieces on the costume listings.
   • Returns are allowed when postmarked within 30 days of the original order date.
   • The shop trades as FUN.com, Inc., with a company story that starts at 1992.
   • A loyalty programme lets a return come back as store credit rather than money.
   • Outfits sit beside wigs and props, so a look can be finished in a single order.

   Cons

   • The 30 day postmark rule comes with no stated processing time for a refund.
   • Support runs on email, chat, phone and more, with no published response time for a question.

What to look for

Compare entry prices in one currency

Only dollar figures can be set against each other: FUN starts at $4.99 and Uwowo at $4.50. Amiclubwear lists €7.95 in euros, which is a different kind of number and needs converting before any comparison.

Check whether costumes can be tailored

Abracadabra NYC, Cosplaysky and Miccostumes each offer made to measure work, which matters if you are dressing a specific body shape. Uwowo and Amiclubwear stick to standard sizing, so measure early rather than assuming.

Look at where the store ships

A costume bought from abroad carries customs and delivery risk. Uwowo lists 81 countries including Austria, Australia and Bangladesh, while Miccostumes covers 6 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Several stores here serve only their home market, so check before ordering across a border.

Read the return window before the season starts

Windows range widely, from 7 days at Miccostumes to 14 days at Cosplaysky and 30 days at Dress Up America. Longer windows suit buyers who fit costumes later.

Allow for processing time

Abracadabra NYC turns orders around in 0 to 1 days and Amiclubwear in 2 days, while Cosplaysky needs 7 to 15 days. Count that against the date of the party, not just the delivery estimate.

Buy the whole outfit in one basket

A costume rarely stands alone. FUN sells cosplay costumes, anime costumes, game costumes and more, and Miccostumes covers cosplay costumes, anime costumes, game costumes and more, so wigs, shoes and props can arrive together. Toynk is the exception, stocking figures rather than dress-up clothing.

Frequently asked questions

Top Halloween and fancy dress costumes compared by country

• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• India
• Italy
• Mexico
• Philippines
• Poland
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV