Kids Costumes

Getting the size right

Costume sizes run by age but are cut more generously than everyday clothing, and they vary between makers. Check the measurements on the product page rather than relying on the age label, and size up when you are between two.

A costume with room in it can go over a jumper on a cool night and stands a chance of fitting again next year. A snug one is a single-use purchase.

Book Week without the last-minute scramble

Book Week costumes need to connect to a book, and schools vary in how strictly they apply that. Some accept any superhero on the grounds that comics count; others want a title named on the day.

Dependable choices are storybook animals, historical figures from biographies, wizards and witches, pirates, and anything from a series your child is genuinely reading. If you are unsure, sending the book along with the costume settles the question before it is asked.

Halloween in an Australian spring

Halloween falls in warm weather here, which flips the usual advice. Heavy layered costumes and full-body suits get uncomfortable quickly. Lighter fabrics, shorter designs and separates that can lose a layer work better.

What children will actually keep on

Elastic waists, no scratchy seams at the neck, and masks with proper eye and mouth openings. If a costume relies on a restrictive mask, consider face paint instead — it lasts the whole event rather than the first ten minutes.

Beyond the event

The costumes that get worn hardest are the ones that end up in the dress-up box afterwards. Capes, hats, wings and simple character pieces have a long second life; elaborate one-piece designs usually do not.