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The best fairytale fancy dress for girls is a character she knows from a storybook: Little Red Riding Hood, a storybook princess, or a mermaid. Our girls' Little Red Riding Hood costume comes with the dress and the red hooded cape in one pack, in four sizes from age 4 to 14. In the five weeks to World Book Day 2026 (1 February to 5 March), our four top-earning girls' fairytale and storybook costumes on morphsuits.co.uk were Alice, Dorothy, the metallic mermaid, and Little Red Riding Hood.
What is the best Red Riding Hood costume for girls?
The best Red Riding Hood costume for girls includes the red hooded cape, because the red hood is the detail the two best-known versions, Perrault's and the Brothers Grimm's, both keep. Charles Perrault published the first written version in 1697, with the girl in a hooded red cloak, and the Grimms called her "Little Red Cap" in their first folktale collection of 1812 to 1815 (Britannica). After the cape, a checked dress and a basket finish the look. Red Riding Hood also sits alongside the bigger names in our Best Kids Halloween Costumes guide, because a storybook character works in October as well as March.
Girls Little Red Riding Hood Costume: the dress and the hooded cape in one pack
Our Girls Little Red Riding Hood Costume pairs a red and white dress, with the checked apron front attached, and a matching red hooded cape. Nothing else is needed for the character to read straight away; a basket and a pair of tights are the extras worth adding. It is 100% polyester, lightweight for easy movement through a busy day, and it comes in S (4 to 6 years), M (7 to 9), L (10 to 12), and XL (12 to 14). If she sits between two sizes, our product page says to size up.
Which princess dress suits a storybook theme?
A long dress with a crown or a bow suits almost any castle story, because the tale on the cover matters more than an exact copy of one film. Our princess pick below comes in four sizes, from age 4 to 14. For more princess and fairy styles, our kids' fairytale costumes range keeps them together in one place.
Girls Sleeping Princess Costume: blue, yellow, and gold trim, up to age 14
The Girls Sleeping Princess Costume is a long blue and yellow dress with red accents, a white collar, and gold trim, and it comes with a matching red bow headband. It is 100% polyester and designed for easy movement, so it works for a school parade, a play, or a garden party. It comes in S (4 to 6 years), M (7 to 9), L (10 to 12), and XL (12 to 14). Ballet flats from her own wardrobe finish it.
Does a mermaid count as a fairytale costume?
A mermaid counts as a fairytale costume, because "The Little Mermaid" is one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales (The Hans Christian Andersen Centre). That makes it a fair answer for a fairytale party or a book day, and the look is finished straight out of the box, because the wig and the headband are included.
Girls Metallic Mermaid Costume: the wig and the headband come in the box
Our Girls Metallic Mermaid Costume arrives as a full set: a dress with a sequin-dot bodice, a holographic scale skirt, and a mesh fishtail, plus a long curly red wig and a metallic shell headband. The fabric is 100% polyester and stretchy, so she can dance in it. Four sizes run from Toddler (3 to 4 years) through S (4 to 6), M (7 to 9), and L (10 to 12), and the listing's own advice is to size up between two sizes, so the skirt frills sit at a comfortable length. It was one of our four top-earning girls' fairytale and storybook costumes in the five weeks to World Book Day 2026.
What about Alice, Dorothy, and Goldilocks?
Alice, Dorothy, and Goldilocks each have their own guide on our blog, so we keep this page to the three looks above and point you to the right one. Alice and Dorothy sat in the same top four as Red Riding Hood and the mermaid in the five weeks to World Book Day 2026.
- Alice: the blue dress and the white apron are the whole character. Our Alice in Wonderland costumes guide covers the kids' and women's versions.
- Dorothy: blue gingham and hair bows do the work, with sparkly shoes as the extra. Our Dorothy and Wizard of Oz costumes guide has the picks.
- Goldilocks: a simple dress and golden curls. Our storybook and fairytale costumes for World Book Day guide covers her alongside the wolf, the prince, and the queen.
If a parent or a teacher is joining in, our fairytale fancy dress range for adults has matching grown-up characters. Across every range, as a brand we run over 500,000 quality checks a year.
What size fairytale costume should you buy?
Buy the size that matches her age band, and go up one if she sits between two, because all three of our product pages give that same advice. The table sets the three side by side, with what comes in the pack and what you add from home.
| Costume | In the pack | Add from home | Sizes (ages) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girls Little Red Riding Hood Costume | Dress with checked apron front, red hooded cape | Basket, tights | S 4-6, M 7-9, L 10-12, XL 12-14 |
| Girls Sleeping Princess Costume | Long dress, red bow headband | Ballet flats | S 4-6, M 7-9, L 10-12, XL 12-14 |
| Girls Metallic Mermaid Costume | Dress with fishtail, curly red wig, shell headband | Nothing needed | Toddler 3-4, S 4-6, M 7-9, L 10-12 |
Washing is one rule for all three: hand wash in cool water, then air dry flat, and keep them out of the washing machine. Wash the mermaid wig separately from the dress, and store the wig and headband apart so they keep their shape for the next outing.
How do you keep a costume comfortable for a school day?
Layer it, because World Book Day falls in early March (Thursday 4 March in 2027) and most of the day is spent in a classroom and a playground, not on a stage. A long-sleeved top and tights under the dress keep her warm without hiding the costume, and our Red Riding Hood product page suggests tights for cooler days. The hooded cape adds a layer of its own on the walk to school. Our Red Riding Hood page also carries the standard costume warning: keep away from fire.
Can one fairytale costume do World Book Day and Halloween?
One fairytale costume can do both, because a storybook character reads the same at a March parade and an October party. Our Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Princess product pages list Halloween among their occasions, next to World Book Day and school plays. A second outing changes the sums: a 2025 Opinium survey of 2,000 people across the UK, commissioned by Rakuten, found parents expected to spend £19 per child on World Book Day, and just over a fifth (22%) felt the need to impress (Perspective Media). World Book Day 2027 falls on Thursday 4 March (World Book Day). For an October look, our Halloween costumes for girls guide has the spookier options, and our kids' World Book Day costumes range has every other book character.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best fairytale costumes for girls?
The best fairytale costumes for girls are characters she can name from a storybook. Our three picks are a Little Red Riding Hood costume with a red hooded cape, a long blue and yellow sleeping princess dress with a bow headband, and a metallic mermaid dress that includes its curly red wig and shell headband. Between them they cover ages 3 to 14.
What comes with a Little Red Riding Hood costume?
Our girls' Little Red Riding Hood costume includes a red and white dress with an attached checked apron front and a matching red hooded cape. A basket and tights are the only extras worth adding. It comes in four sizes, from S (4 to 6 years) to XL (12 to 14 years).
What age are kids' fairytale costumes sized for?
It depends on the costume. The Red Riding Hood and sleeping princess costumes run from age 4 to 14 across four sizes, and the metallic mermaid runs from age 3 to 12, starting with a Toddler size. If she sits between two sizes, size up.
How do you wash a fairytale fancy dress costume?
Hand wash it in cool water and air dry it flat, away from direct heat; do not put it in the washing machine. For the mermaid costume, wash the wig separately and store the wig and headband apart so they keep their shape.
