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The best ghost costume for a child is a white tabard or hooded poncho with the face already on it, so the child looks out through an open hood or mesh panels instead of two wandering holes in a sheet. Children are most of what reaches us: about six in ten of the ghost costume search impressions our UK site earned between 1 September and 7 November 2026 named a child. Adults get a burgundy ghost groom suit or a Ghostbusters jumpsuit; the doorstep gets a 4ft inflatable.
Why is a bedsheet a poor ghost costume?
A bedsheet fails as a ghost costume on five counts: the eye holes move, the hem trips, nothing on it reflects, it replaces the coat, and nobody has tested it to a flammability standard. The image is old: HISTORY traces it to the white burial shroud and quotes a 1584 account of "some one knave in a white sheet" fooling thousands into thinking they had seen a ghost. Children have worn it trick-or-treating since the 1930s, so it has had nearly a century to collect those faults.
Parents notice the sightline first. RoSPA's Halloween safety guidance puts it plainly: "Ensure masks do not make seeing difficult." A sheet with two scissor holes is a full-face mask that slips. The fix is to buy the face rather than cut it: a tabard that leaves the child's own face in the open, or a poncho with the face printed on and mesh panels where the eyes go. We make both.
Flammability is the count nobody sees. The same RoSPA page notes that homemade costumes, or costumes not tested to recognised flammability standards, "may ignite more easily and burn more quickly". In 2024 the Office for Product Safety and Standards tested 128 costumes for under-sevens from online marketplaces, a targeted sample picked for low price and poor reviews rather than a national estimate, and more than 80% failed at least one basic safety test (28 of 128 failed on flammability; 98 of 128 failed on labelling). All of our kids' products are safety tested by accredited labs.
Who is actually buying a ghost costume?
Children come up in most of the ghost costume searches that bring people to our UK site, with an adult fringe and a film franchise attached. Our own Search Console data shows the split. Between 1 September and 7 November 2026, about six in ten (60%) of the Google web-search impressions our UK site earned on searches containing ghost (Ghostface aside) together with costume, outfit, fancy dress, or dress up also named a child, a toddler, an age, a boy, or a girl. About one in ten (10%) of those impressions named Ghostbusters. Impressions naming an adult, a man, or a woman were under 1%, so adults get one section here, not half the post.
The wider UK picture points the same way. YouGov's October 2026 survey of 2,161 UK adults found 16% expected their children or grandchildren to dress up, against 12% of adults planning to dress up themselves. Finder's 2026 Halloween statistics put UK Halloween spending at a projected £1.16 billion, an average planned spend of £21 per person. Our best kids Halloween costumes guide covers the wider field.
Which ghost costume suits a child, by age?
Under four, choose a tabard and hood, which leaves the child's face in the open; for older children, a pull-on poncho with mesh eye panels gives the classic sheet-ghost shape without the sheet-ghost sightline. Those are the two ways we build a kids ghost costume, and both go on over everyday clothes, so the coat stays on underneath.
Kids Ghost Tabard Costume: the first-Halloween ghost
The Kids Ghost Tabard Costume is a white ghost tabard with a matching hood, in three age sizes from 6 months up to 4 years. It is a tabard and a hood, not a mask, so a toddler who hates anything over the face still gets to be a ghost. Both pieces are 100% polyester with a loose fit, and a hook-and-loop fastening at the centre back makes it quick on and off. Add your own white long-sleeved top and white tights underneath. Fasten the hook and loop before cleaning, and air dry away from direct heat.
For older children, the Kids Novelty Ghost Costume takes over: a white poncho with a foam-backed pointed hood, a spooky printed face, mesh eye panels that keep the view clear, and shaped armholes so the child can carry a bucket, ring doorbells, and wave without the costume slipping round. It is one size for most children, with a roomy drape that fits over layers. For a floating ghost in photos, put a black top and black trousers underneath so only the white shows after dark. For a ghost who would rather be a ghoul, our best Halloween costumes for boys and best Halloween costumes for girls guides carry the next options, and the whole kids Halloween costumes range sits behind them.
Three ways to see out of a ghost costume:
- Tabard and hood: nothing sits over the face, so sight, hearing, and breathing are as normal. Sized for babies and toddlers.
- Mesh eye panels (the poncho): the printed face sits where it should and the child sees through mesh. One size for most children.
- Cut eye holes (the bedsheet): the holes move with the fabric, not the head, which is the kind of thing RoSPA's line about masks is about.
What do adults wear as a ghost?
Adults wear a ghost as a character rather than a shape: a groom who never made it to the reception, a striped-suit spectre, or a chain-rattling spirit with a veil. A white sheet on a grown-up reads as a last-minute dodge; a ghost groom in a burgundy wedding suit reads as a decision. These are our favourites from the adult Halloween costumes range.
Men's Ghost Groom Wedding Suit Costume: the wedding that went wrong
The Men's Ghost Groom Wedding Suit Costume is a complete formal outfit in burgundy: jacket, matching trousers, white shirt, coordinating bow tie, and a character wig, all 100% polyester, in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL. Finish with pale face paint and your own black shoes. Put our White Bridal Flower Crown with Veil on a partner and the ghost bride and groom arrive together. Hang the jacket and trousers to air dry.
The striped-suit ghost is the other adult classic. Our Women's 80s Striped Suit Ghost Costume carries it for grown-ups, and the Boys 80s Beetle Ghost Suit Costume gives a child the same 80s ghost-suit idea, so a parent and child can pair up; our family Halloween costumes guide stretches that to a whole household. For the classic clanking ghost, drape the Adult Fake Rusty Chain Prop over any of these.
What about a ghost for the doorstep?
A four-foot inflatable ghost on the front lawn tells trick-or-treaters which houses are playing, and it sets itself up in about 30 seconds from the moment it is plugged in. Nobody wears this one; our wearable inflatable costumes live in their own range.
Inflatable Phantom Ghost Halloween Decor 4ft: the house that says yes
The Inflatable Phantom Ghost Halloween Decor stands 4ft (about 120 cm) tall once inflated, with a built-in fan and built-in LED eyes, so it glows on the lawn after dark without extra lights. The box holds the ghost, a mains plug, a 170 cm power cable, four ground stakes, and rope ties, enough to anchor it on grass or soft ground. The heavy-duty fabric is water-resistant, so an October shower need not end the display. It is spot-clean only: unplug it, wipe it, let it dry fully, and it folds back into the loft for next year.
Is a Ghostbusters costume a ghost costume?
A Ghostbusters costume is the ghost costume for the person who would rather catch one. The tan jumpsuit, logo patch, and proton pack have stayed recognisable from the original film in 1984, through Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire in March 2024. Nothing goes over the face, so the sightline question never comes up.
Men's Ghostbusters 80s Deluxe Costume: who you gonna call
The Men's Ghostbusters 80s Deluxe Costume is a jumpsuit modelled on the original 1984 film plus an inflatable proton pack with its wand. It works for an 80s party as well as Halloween; check the size selector on the product page. Children get the same look in the Kids Ghostbusters 80s Deluxe Costume, a full-length boiler suit with the logo and a name badge, plus its own inflatable proton pack and wand, so a parent and child can run the same crew.
How do you keep a ghost visible, warm, and school-friendly?
White fabric, a torch, and a strip of reflective tape keep a ghost visible; a coat underneath keeps it warm; and the school's disco letter decides the mask question. RoSPA's guidance notes that "Children wearing dark costumes can be less visible to motorists, particularly in poor weather or on poorly lit streets", and asks families to "Carry a torch to help you see and be seen" and to "Add reflective materials to costumes where possible". RoSPA's autumn road-safety note adds that Halloween is "a particularly risky time, especially between 5pm and 8pm when children are out trick-or-treating". A white tabard with a reflective strip on the hem and a torch in the bucket answers all three.
Warmth is a date problem as much as a fabric problem. The UK clocks went back on Sunday 25 October in 2026, so trick-or-treating ran in full dark, and in 2027 the change falls on Sunday 31 October, Halloween itself. The Met Office's 1991 to 2020 averages (UK tab) give the UK an October mean minimum of 6.42 °C and a November mean minimum of 3.56 °C. A sheet replaces the coat; a tabard or poncho goes over it, and that is the biggest practical gap between the ghost you buy and the one you cut.
For a school disco or dress-up day, read the letter before you buy anything that covers the face. A no-masks or no-face-paint rule leaves the tabard untouched, because the face is open. If the letter rules out anything over the face, the tabard is the disco pick and the poncho keeps for the street. Banned props mean the chain waits for the adults' party.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a ghost costume that isn't a bedsheet?
Start with a white tabard or a hooded poncho that already has the face on it, so nobody cuts eye holes, then add white tights and a long-sleeved top for a bright ghost, or black underneath for a floating one. Both go over a coat. Add a reflective strip to the hem and a torch for the walk.
What age is a ghost costume for?
Our Kids Ghost Tabard Costume comes in 6-12 months, 1-2 years, and 3-4 years, and the Kids Novelty Ghost Costume is one size for most children with a roomy drape over layers. Adults have the ghost groom suit in sizes M to XXL and the Ghostbusters jumpsuit in the sizes shown on its page. Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks. The size guide linked from each product page has the measurements, so measure against it before you order.
Can a child see out of a ghost costume?
Yes, if the costume is built for it. A tabard and hood puts nothing over the face, and a poncho's mesh eye panels sit in the hood where the eyes go, so the view stays clear. RoSPA asks families to make sure masks do not make seeing difficult, and cut eye holes in a sheet are the kind of thing that line is about.
Is a Ghostbusters costume a ghost costume?
It is the ghost costume for anyone who would rather catch the ghost: about one in ten of the Google web-search impressions our UK site earned on ghost costume, outfit, fancy dress, and dress-up searches between 1 September and 7 November 2026 named Ghostbusters. Our Men's Ghostbusters 80s Deluxe Costume is a jumpsuit modelled on the 1984 film with an inflatable proton pack and wand, and the kids version carries the same look.
How do you wash a white ghost costume?
Our Kids Novelty Ghost Costume is hand wash only in cool water, then air dry flat. The Kids Ghost Tabard air dries away from direct heat, with the hook and loop fastened first so it does not catch the fabric. The inflatable doorstep ghost is spot-clean only, and must be fully dry before it is folded away.
How do you keep a child warm in a ghost costume?
Put the ghost costume on over the coat, not instead of it. Both our kids ghost costumes are cut to go over layers, and the Met Office puts the UK's October mean minimum at 6.42 °C, so a long-sleeved top, tights or leggings, and a coat go under the white. White gloves and a hat under the hood keep the look.
Put the ghost on over the coat, clip a torch to the bucket, and go and haunt the street. Our kids Halloween costumes and Halloween costumes ranges have the rest of the cast. We make your best times better.
