These Creative ‘80s Halloween Costume Ideas Are Nostalgic in the Best Way

There’s one Halloween costume theme that will never get old: nostalgia. And the 1980s was a decade we’ll never forget. The best part? Well, it’s hard to choose one best thing from those wild times, but we love that you can still find traces of the ‘80s colorful style influences lingering in today’s era. With the decade’s signature voluminous, permed hair, shoulder pads, and neon spandex (think leggings) galore, you have the perfect ‘80s Halloween costume with little-to-no effort.

When you think of the ‘80s, you might think of bright clothing, leg warmers, and leotards galore. While these trends make excellent additions to any ‘80s costume, there are tons of alternative ways to capture the iconic characters of the decade. Here, you’ll find simple and last-minute costumes, best friend or group costumes, and more that totally fit the ‘80s.

Besides the rad fashion, it was also a booming era for pretty much everything else, ranging from technology to entertainment, including major pop-cultural events, iconic singers (Madonna or M.J., anyone?), and popular movie franchises. So if you find yourself longing for the days where MTV actually played music videos or reminiscing on childhood memories of playing with Cabbage Patch dolls—we can relate.

For the biggest and baddest ‘80s costumes, we’ve rounded up inspiration from music legends like Dolly Parton and Prince, TV babes like Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell, and silver screen beauties like Claire Standish in The Breakfast Club.

Whether you’re looking for a DIY moment or a costume to wear with your best friend, we’ve got 80s Halloween costume ideas that can get shipped to your front door. Go ahead, relive your favorite decade!