Nailing down the best Halloween costume is like finding a needle in a haystack—you have to know where to look!
You can cobble together a spooky look by shopping from NYC’s best thrift stores and flea markets, sure, but NYC has some of the best Halloween costume stores around, from Abracadabra to Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company.
And often, these shops also sell Halloween decor (skeletons, bats, dismembered body parts, spider webs and all things creepy and crawly), too.
We’ve compiled a list of the best Halloween stores in NYC based on our experience, hopping from shop to shop to find the best costumes and decor.
Once you’re set with Halloween trimmings, get in the spirit by checking out a haunted house or all the NYC-area Halloween events on tap. You can even pay a visit to some of the city’s real-life haunted places. But before all that, make sure your costume is on point and your decorations are spot on with a trip to the best Halloween stores in NYC.
These outfits may give your wallet a pinch—the Unisex Handmande Loin Cloths retail for more than $50, which is pretty steep for a get-up you could easily mistake for a fancy dinner napkin.
Best for: High-quality gear and its in-house makeup, called Abracosmetics.
This spot is flush with clutch vintage digs. If you’re going to a blast-from-the-past bash and want to wear legit old school threads, then you should pop in here. It’s also a choice outfitter for mind-blowing Burning Man or Coachella duds.
Best for: Costumes portraying the fashion of past decades.
When all the other stores don’t go dark enough, you can count on Gothic Renaissance. This East Village haunt, owned by the same folks behind the now-shuttered Halloween Adventure (RIP), sells edge, alternative wear but also corsets, vampire swag, cool handmade masks, gigantic platform boots, and custom pieces. Best of all, it’s queer-owned, -run and -operated, and aims to be a safe space to shop for your outfit.
Best for: Goths, vampires and delicious devils.
No shop in New York understands the need to express yourself through a cold-weather protector than one of Manhattan's new vintage shops Spark Pretty. The store describes its aesthetic as “I Want My MTV” meets '80’s hair bands, crossed with the flash of '70’s glam-rock, so if either of those looks are what you're going after this Halloween, you know what to do next.
Good for: Vibrant, glam looks.
If you’re throwing a themed soirée or are in need of niche balloons that match your paper plates, hit this place up. It appears to have the most robust bachelorette party section in the city (and possibly the world). Surprise your favorite bride-to-be with a gaudy pink goblet inscribed with Sexy Bitch and a penis-adorned curly straw. So classy.
Good for: Kitschy party supplies and props.
If you’re looking to dress up as a convincing Slash or Debbie Harry, pop into this punk-clothing mother lode. Festooned with feather boas and neon signs—it’s where the aforementioned rock idols actually shop for their everyday threads—the bi-level store features a mix of punk, goth, mod and classic rock gear from brands such as Underground and T.U.K, as well as Trash and Vaudeville's own eponymous line. Pay homage to Guns N’ Roses’s lead guitarist by scooping up a seven-inch top hat and tight pleather pants.
Good for: Edgy rock band costumes.
Why dress up as a standard-issue superhero when you can create your own character? At this Brooklyn shop, you choose from a variety of stick-on emblems—bombs, mustaches, rabbits and stars—and belts to customize your leotard. Finish your look with the all-essential cape; the basic style comes in a variety of colors. Arrive at your Halloween bash armed with a bottle of Truth Serum—the perfect icebreaker—and keep enemies away with your Photon Shooter.
Good for: Kids who wanna be superheroes.
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