Vintage-Inspired Halloween Couples Costumes

It’s already October and as much as I want the year to slow down, I am really looking forward to putting together a Halloween couples costume! I love dressing up, so any occasion where I have an excuse to get creative and make a costume or special outfit, I’m all about it. I would almost go so far as to say I enjoy planning a costume more than going out to celebrate the holiday, but maybe that’s the introvert in me talking. Today I’m sharing the best Halloween couples costumes my Guapo and I have worn over the years.

I take Halloween costumes very seriously, and thankfully my Guapo is usually on board with my ideas. Every year the costume and party stores release new couples costumes inspired by popular movies, TV shows or other characters in the mainstream, but our costumes always have a vintage or historical edge. I really can’t think of any party we’ve gone to where we wore “modern” costumes.

Where to shop for vintage-inspired Halloween costumes

Shopping at second-hand stores is the way to go when it comes to putting together a vintage-inspired Halloween costume. We’ve rarely purchased costumes from the store. We usually piece them together from items we already own and a few affordable add-ons. It’s more fun this way! You can find pretty much everything you need at Goodwill, thrift stores and vintage stores. You might even find an item you’ll enjoy wearing past Halloween.

Search “vintage Halloween costumes” online and you’ll come across some pretty creepy stuff. The masks alone can cause nightmares, in my opinion. I much prefer costumes that are a bit more glamorous, like retro Barbie and Ken, or a 1920s couple; however, if creepy is your thing, creep on, creeper, creep on.

To aid you in your decision making, I’m sharing our best Halloween couples costumes through the years. They’re all vintage-inspired, ranging from the 1910s through the 1980s, and easy to put together.

Flapper and Newsboy 1920s Couples Costume

An easy Halloween couples costume is a 1920s couple. The 1920s is my favorite decade—I’ve even hosted a 1920s-themed dinner party—so I had a lot of fun with this one. I wore a black flapper-style dress that had fringe on the bottom with fishnet stockings, long lace gloves, a long pearl necklace, black bob wig and headband. I also had a black faux-fur scarf to keep me warm. Guapo wore a newsboy cap, dark vest and denim shirt with khaki jogger pants that were pulled up to show off his socks. We wore these costumes to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center for a special concert where an organ player performed live with the showing of classic horror film Nosferatu.

Flapper and Jay Gatsby 1920s Couples Costume

No, I will never tire of dressing like a flapper! This is from a photo booth at the Party Like Gatsby event in Nashville from the spring of 2019. There was a live band, a group of dancers that taught the Charleston, a sword swallower and amazing acrobats that walked around the party performing stunts. It was a ton of fun! Guapo channeled Jay Gatsby in a black suit and bow tie and I dressed as a flapper in a full fringe dress, fishnet stockings, T-strap heels and a gold necklace that I wore as a headband. I skipped the wig this time and instead followed this tutorial by Kayley Melissa to get 1920s finger waves. For makeup, I was inspired by the look Lisa Eldridge created for Eva Greene in Dumbo and followed her 1920’s-inspired Collette Marchant makeup tutorial.

Villain and Damsel in Distress Couples Costume

This is probably my favorite Halloween costume that we’ve ever done! When you hear “damsel in distress” you might picture an old film or cartoon of a woman tied to the train tracks and a scheming villain nearby twirling his mustache with an evil grin. That’s the look we were going for here. Guapo wore a black shirt, pants and vest with a red tie, black cape and top hat, and I drew on a twirly mustache with eyeliner. I wore a white corset, tulle petticoat and white knee-high stockings. Then we got some rope from the hardware store to wrap me up! A word of advice: do not tie these ropes too tight, unless you don’t want to dance or drink all night. Also, you could fall and break your face, and that would not be fun.

Moon & Stars Costume

For a costume with minimal effort, focus on accessories. One year we went as “the night sky.” As “the moon,” my husband wore a white suit and silver beaded moon pin that I found at a vintage shop. As “the stars,” I wore a navy gown with a black velvet jacket and found a rhinestone star tiara on Etsy. I was partially inspired by the giant moon photo backdrops that were popular in the 1920s. However, while we were out that night someone asked if we were dressed up as the main characters in A Court of Thorns and Roses. I wasn’t familiar with the book but after looking it up I can see it. So if you’re into that series this would also be an easy costume to pull off!

Miami Vice / ‘80s Couples Costume

This was not a Halloween costume for us, but it definitely could be! One summer we went to a Miami Vice-themed birthday party so of course we had to watch a few episodes of the ’80s TV show for inspiration. You could go the Sonny Crockett route and wear a white suit with a bright T-shirt and Ray-Ban sunglasses, or wear tropical prints like we did. Guapo wore clothing he already owned, while I found an ’80s All That Jazz dress from my favorite vintage store. I wore it with a white 1950s purse from an earlier vintage shopping excursion and shoes that I already had. The most important step for this costume? Tease the heck out of that hair!

Scarface/Tony Montana and Elvira Hancock Couples Costume

Guapo grew up in Miami and is Cuban, and Michelle Pfeiffer is on my list of people I would like to be reincarnated as, so a Tony Montana and Elvira Hancock couples costume was a natural fit. Guapo wore a black suit with a white shirt that was unbuttoned and some gold chain necklaces.

Obviously, I need to explain the white powder on his nose, right? I had no idea he was planning this, but as we parked the car near the house party we were going to he pulled out a little plastic bag filled with flour and started dabbing it on his nose to get the full drug dealer effect. Talk about commitment to a role. I was freaking out that the police would roll up next to us at any moment and get completely the wrong idea and it wouldn’t end well at all, but that didn’t happen.

For my part, I wore a dark slip dress with a giant cocktail ring and a blonde bob wig. For makeup, I did a smokey brown eyes and a lot of blush and bronzer. Easiest costume ever!

More retro Halloween couples costume ideas:

Lucy and Ricky Ricardo
Retro Barbie and Ken
Vintage Circus Performers
Vintage Base Ball Players
Saturday Night Fever / ’70s Disco Couple
Pink Ladies or Sandy and Danny from Grease
Morticia and Gomez Addams
Captain America and Agent Carter
Mary Poppins and Chimney Sweep
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein
Popeye and Olive Oyl
Beetlejuice and Lydia
Bonnie and Clyde
Johnny Cash and June Carter

Surprisingly, we have yet to decide on our couples costume for Halloween this year, but I’m not worried—yet. Follow along on Instagram to see what we decide on!

Get more vintage style and beauty tips and fun retro recipe ideas by following The Dapper Dahlia on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Save this post to Pinterest: