11 Ways to Accessorize A Maxi Dress to Create A Halloween Costume

Spooky season is upon us, which can only mean one thing, Halloween costumes and lots of candy! So it’s time to explore your creativity and design unique Halloween costumes using accessories. Moreover, designing your costume offers an affordable alternative to overpriced Halloween outfits.

Thanks to the versatility of maxi dresses, you can design insanely realistic costumes. The best part is the freedom to go beyond black maxi dresses and incorporate print and bold colors. From skeletons to kitty outfits, you’ll be giving Halloween costume stores a run for their money.

Below, I highlight five of my favorite Halloween looks, including accessories that will take your maxi dress from basic to spooky.

P.S 1
If you don’t want to buy a ready-made costume, you can consider getting yourself a maxi dress in the closest thrift store, or borrow from a friend.

P.S 2
If for some reason you don’t want ideas and didn’t find anything, and you gave up – consider searching in HalloweenCostumes.com. If not for customers, perhaps for ideas.

1. Red Cape and Basket

The little red riding hood costume is always a good idea. It’s simple and cute, and all the little ones can identify you at first glance. You’ll need a monochromatic maxi dress, a red cape, and a basket for this outfit. You can also throw in a few apples to make the costume realistic, but I often use my basket to carry candy or personal items if I’m attending a Halloween party.

The first idea is simple, but you can make it sexier if you’re going for the sexy red riding hood. Apart from the cape and basket, pick out a red maxi dress with a slit on the side, a corset, and thigh-high boots. Add a bold red lip and dark eye makeup, and tie your hair in a ponytail.

2. A Hat, Belt, and Pendant Chain

This outfit brings out the cooler version of the wicked witch of the east. It is an all-black look, so it’s only right that you pull out the black maxi dresses. The best accessories for this look include black boots, a black statement belt, a pendant necklace, and a hat.

I wear a large cowboy hat to make the look dramatic and bring out the witchy vibes. In addition, Halloween is one of the only times I’ll wear dark eye makeup with a black lip. However, you can switch it up depending on your makeup preference; I love getting into full character with every costume.

3. Black Cape and Black Lipstick

This costume is an alternative to the witch costume above. You’ll need a black maxi dress, a black hooded cape, a lamp, and black lipstick. It is easy to accessorize because the outstanding accessories are the black cape and lipstick.

However, you can add a small black lamp or witch broom to finish off the look. I love how the hooded cape allows you to move undercover as you leave candy on people’s front porches, almost like secret Santa.

4. Print Choker and Ear Headband

Animal characters are a hit during Halloween. Everyone dresses like a cat, mouse, rabbit, dog, or dinosaur. Hey, the ideas are endless! So, why not pull up to the party like a sexy leopard in your print maxi dress?

It’s a simple DIY look. All you need is a leopard print maxi dress, which you can find on Dressbarn and other retail sites. For accessories, you’ll need a pair of heels, a leopard print choker, and a leopard ears headband. Finish the look with clean and glowy makeup, and you’ll be ready to let the claws out.

You can create a DIY leopard tail if you’re wearing a tube or bodycon maxi dress. You can either sew the tail onto the dress or create a faux fur tail and attach it to a belt. This costume applies to several animal-inspired outfits; you have to switch up the prints for the dress and accessories.

5. Maleficent

If Angelina Jolie can pull off the maleficent look, so can you, right? Ever since the movie premiere, you’re likely to bump into several maleficent characters every Halloween. However, we want to stand out with a unique and cheaper costume version by utilizing the timeless maxi dress.

So, find the perfect black maxi dress, a black cape, and a maleficent horn cap. The dress can either be flowy or bodycon, depending on the version you’re trying to channel. If you’re a sexy maleficent, the bodycon works perfectly, but if you’re the regal and royal maleficent, you can go for something flowy.

You can either purchase or DIY the horn cap because it is a significant part of the outfit. Similarly, finding a cape with some detail around the neck would be more realistic, just like the actual maleficent. Once the cap and hat are in order, go for the black lip and complete the look with Maleficent’s magical wand.

6. Viking Babe

I enjoy Viking movies and TV shows, but not just for the storylines. I love how creative the outfits are and the accessories they use to complete the looks. Furthermore, Viking babes live in maxi dresses, so it’s only right that we re-create some of their outfits for Halloween.

Here, you’ll need a flowy maxi dress with heavy material, like denim or velvet. Next, find a belt that doubles up as a waist bag and a few pendant necklaces made of brass, copper, or iron. However, you can replace the belt with a corset.

Boots are the perfect shoes for this outfit, and don’t forget to let your hair down as the Viking chics did back in the day. Remember Khaleesi?

7. Painted Face and a Mock Sickle

There’s no better way to scare people during Halloween than with the grim reaper outfit. You’ll need a black flowy maxi dress and a version of grim reaper’s sickle to pull it off. You can pair the look with flat or ankle boots so you can easily chase after people for a fun scare. 

However, the most crucial accessory is your painted face, where you’ll use black and white makeup to recreate the infamous grim reaper mask. If that’s too much, you can opt for a fabric mask.

8. Inspired by Cleopatra

You can never go wrong with a Cleopatra outfit for Halloween. Therefore, find a black or white maxi dress and get ready to show up as Egyptian royalty. For accessories, the look goes well with a gold-inspired headpiece, wristlets or bangles, a waistband and matching neckpiece, and anklets. Complete the look with an Egyptian staff because that was one of Cleopatra’s signature items.

9. Skeleton

Skeletons and Halloween go hand in hand. So, for this look, you will show up as a skeleton dressed in black and white. For starters, find a black and white tube maxi dress. It’s even better if you can find a dress that already has skeletons on it. Then, once you have the dress, you only need black and white body makeup to accessorize the look.

Let a professional transform your face and neck into a skeleton, and add skeleton studs to top off the spooky look.

10.Gatsby

The Great Gatsby costume doesn’t deviate from the elegance of the maxi dress. In fact, you will never go wrong with a maxi dress for a Gatsby-inspired look. All you need is a shimmery bodycon maxi dress, a feathery headpiece, gloves, and pearl necklaces. Remember to pair the look with a sexy pair of heels and makeup.

11. Bavarian Girl

Brush up your German accent and make yourself a dirndl. Here you can find an Octoberfest guide to turning your maxi dress into a Bavarian dirndl.