Sexy Halloween Outfits

A sexy Halloween outfit is a costume made to feel good on and look good in photos, and to come off easily when the night calls for it. It is usually a few pieces rather than one: a costume or corset as the base, then ears, wings, hosiery and pasties that finish the character.

The look has shifted back to the early 2000s. Furry animal costumes with a fur hood, a lace-up corset, a tail and fluffy leg warmers are everywhere again, and the original sets from that era are hunted down secondhand. New sets made in that style give you the same silhouette in a size that actually fits, with no worn out fur.

The thing most shoppers miss: a costume that separates is really several outfits. A corset, a set of ears or a pair of wings can build a different character next year with different bottoms, and the same pieces go straight into a rave or festival look long after October.

Build it from the base up, then finish it.

• Costumes and cosplay: full character sets, from devils, cops and nurses to mermaids and skeletons. Start here if you want the whole look in one order.
• Furry animal costumes: 2000s style sets with fur hoods, tails and fluffies, plus hooded animal bodysuits with ears. Made new, in the style people are hunting for.
• Corsets and bustiers: steel boned and overbust styles in satin, velvet and vinyl. The base for a character, and the piece you will actually wear again.
• Bedroom costumes: lingerie takes on the classic characters. Made for staying in rather than going out.
• Mermaid looks: shell pasties, iridescent pieces and sheer layers. The pieces that turn a costume into a mermaid.
• Wings: holographic and flower wings, plus body harnesses with wings attached. The fastest way to turn a bodysuit into a fairy or a bug.
• Ears, headbands and crowns: lace and faux fur ears plus crowns. One piece on your head does most of the identifying.
• Pasties: themed, glitter and holographic shapes for anything sheer or cut out. They double as part of the costume.
• Stockings: fishnets, rhinestone fishnets and sheers. Almost every costume assumes you already own a pair.
• Glitter and jewels: body jewels and glitter for the face and collarbones. The detail that shows up in flash photos.
• Festival hair and braids: jumbo braids and hair pieces that change the whole character in a few minutes.