Thrift Store Halloween Costumes in Fort Worth

Seasonal · Style Guide

Skip the $60 polyester bag costume. Everything you need is already hanging on our racks — you just have to know where to look.

Every October, the same thing happens. Someone walks into a pop-up Halloween shop, pays $60 for a thin polyester costume in a plastic bag, wears it once, and throws it out in November. Multiply that by a few million people and you start to understand why Halloween is one of the most wasteful holidays on the calendar.

There's a better way, and it's been sitting in Haltom City and Fort Worth the whole time. Thrift store Halloween costumes cost less, look better in photos, and no one else at the party will be wearing the same thing. Here's how we'd do it.

Start earlier than you think

The single biggest mistake people make is waiting until the last week of October. By then, every thrifter in DFW has already picked through the good stuff.

Our Halloween inventory starts hitting the floor in early September — costumes, decor, wigs, accessories, and the seasonal pieces people donated after last year. The selection is at its absolute best in September and early October, and it thins out fast.

Halloween is on the floor now

Costumes and decor go out at both locations starting in early September. Come early — the best pieces don't sit around.

Costume ideas hiding in every section

The trick to thrifting a costume is to stop looking for a "costume" and start looking for the pieces that make one. Here's where to hunt:

The 80s Workout

Bright leggings, an oversized sweatshirt cut at the neck, leg warmers, a headband. Athletic section, women's, accessories.

Tourist

Loud Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, socks with sandals, a camera and a bucket hat. Men's shirts, accessories.

90s Grunge

Flannel, band tee, ripped jeans, combat boots. We have a whole flannel section — this one practically assembles itself.

Cowboy / Cowgirl

Pearl snap shirt, denim, belt with a big buckle, boots. It's Texas. We're never short on these.

Office Worker Gone Wrong

Ill-fitting suit, clip-on tie, briefcase. Add fake coffee stains and exhaustion. Menswear and the accessories wall.

Disco

Anything sequined, wide-leg pants, platform shoes, gold jewelry. Check the formalwear rack — that's where the sparkle lives.

Golfer

Polo, plaid pants or shorts, a visor, argyle socks. Bonus points if you carry one club around all night.

Vintage Prom Date

The louder the dress the better. Puffy sleeves, taffeta, and a corsage. Formalwear section, and yes, we get these constantly.

Kids' costumes are the real bargain

Kids grow out of everything in a year, which means our children's section is full of costumes and dress-up pieces worn exactly once. If you have more than one kid to outfit, the math gets very hard to argue with — you can usually dress a whole family for less than one store-bought costume.

• Check the kids' clothing racks, not just the costume rack — superhero tees, tutus, and character pajamas all work
• Oversized adult shirts make great wizard robes, lab coats, and painter smocks
• Our toy section often has props — wands, swords, hats, and masks

How to make a thrifted costume actually look good

Five rules we swear by

1

Commit to one detail. A great costume usually has one unmistakable signature piece. Find that first, build around it second.

2

Fit beats accuracy. A well-fitting approximation looks better in every photo than a screen-accurate costume that hangs wrong.

3

Shop the wrong section. Menswear has the best oversized blazers for women's costumes. Formalwear has the best sparkle. Don't stay in your lane.

4

Accessories do the heavy lifting. Hats, belts, glasses, and jewelry are what make people instantly recognize what you are.

5

Buy it if you're close. At our prices, grabbing two options and deciding at home costs less than one trip back — and the piece won't be there tomorrow.

Time it with a sale day

Here's where thrifting a costume goes from cheap to almost free. Every item in our store has a colored price tag, and different colors go 50% off throughout the week. Regular sale days are every Monday and Thursday, with store-wide sales scattered through the year.

If you plan your costume trip around a sale day, you can walk out with a full outfit for the price of a couple of coffees. Check the Sale Calendar before you come, or join our VIP text list and we'll tell you before it happens.

And when November hits

Don't throw it out. Bring it back. Costumes, decor, and the pieces you pulled together all get a second life on our racks next year — and every donation supports Leukemia Texas, funding patient aid and research right here in our state.

That's the part we like most about thrifting Halloween. The costume doesn't end up in a landfill in November. It ends up back in the store, waiting for whoever needs it next.

Come build your costume

Two DFW locations, 4,000+ new items daily, and Halloween on the floor right now.

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