Want to buy Indian Halloween costumes? Read on to find out about the different variety of Halloween costumes and find the perfect Indian Halloween costume for you…
Native American costumes are very popular among both boys and girls on Halloween. Many outfits are available for both children and adults in retail department stores as well as specialty costume stores in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Recently, dresses from the Indian sub-continent have also started becoming popular with parents sometimes throwing together these colorful and exotic ensembles from store-bought fabric at home.
Native American Girls Costumes for Halloween
Probably the most popular Native American Indian costume for girls is the Princess costume. The main component of this ensemble is a half-sleeved knee- or calf-length shirt which is usually tan or fawn in color although lighter colors such as white or pink are also popular alternates. The neckline and hemline of the dress is usually frilled in tessellated lace that is a contrasting darker color to the dress fabric. Rawhide style strips may also be used in place of fabric in the tassels.
The princess costume may be worn with or without matching buckskin style trousers. To differentiate princesses, there is usually a more elaborate feather-style headgear compared to normal Native American little girl costumes and more distinctive and decorative bead jewelry may be included for both the neck and arms. The princess outfit may also come with a Navajo-style embroidered satchel for the goodies and matching embroidery if used on the hemline above the tassels also looks good. Tessellated toy tomahawks can also be used as accessories. Footgear is usually frilled moccasins although ankle-strap sandals are also used specially in costumes for older girls or adults.
Native American Boys Costumes for Halloween
Earth tone buckskin-style shirts are popular for boys and adults. These may be half- or full-sleeved and are generally only thigh-length. Matching buck trousers with simple hems are almost invariably included in a full costume. Bead necklaces are usually not an accessory with the boy’s costumes and headgear is usually a matching leather-look bandana with a feather for a brave or a full regal head of feathers for a chief’s costume.
Tomahawks, less frilly than for the girls with usually just a rawhide-type strap, are also popular for boys as are axes and knives. Some outfits come with matching bow-and-arrow sets or if not, all of these accessories may be bought separately. Moccasins or soft leather boots round out the ensemble.
Indian Costumes for Halloween
Costumes from the Indian sub-continent have started to become popular with Halloween goers. Outfits for girls can be made at home: saris require a good length of Asian-style printed fabric worn over a petticoat or tights by wrapping the fabric around the waist a few times and leaving enough in the end to go over the shoulder. Blouses are worn as tops. Care should be utilized in choosing an authentic floral or Indian artwork style fabric for the sari – Pacific or Southeast Asian style batik or sarong fabric may look out of place.
Girls can also wear shalwar kameez suits with matching dupattas or long scarves: these are basically loose block-printed or embroidered shirts with matching baggy trousers that are usually plain but may also match the block prints of the shirt. Boys also wear shalwar kameez which are usually plain colors but may be lightly embroidered. These shalwar outfits are best bought in specialty Indian stores found in larger cities such as New York, Toronto, or Vancouver.
