Adult Halloween onesie: dressing up while staying warm

The adult Halloween onesie is the costume that doesn't give up on you at 10 pm: a one-piece hooded onesie, as a pumpkin, a monster or a shark, that you pull on for the party and keep on until the credits roll on the horror film. No itchy costume, no slipping wig, just a character you can spot from across the room and fleece that keeps you warm. Here's how to choose the right one, finish the look in ten minutes and wear it without any nasty surprises.

Why pyjamas for Halloween?

The classic Halloween costume has two flaws: you only wear it once, and you can't wait to take it off. The pyjama costume solves both.

• You can wear it all evening. A roomy onesie lets you sit on the floor, sit down to eat, hand out sweets on the doorstep or end up sprawled on the sofa.
• It reads instantly. A character hood is all it takes: a pumpkin, a shark's jaws, a monster's head. Nobody asks you "so what are you meant to be?".
• It'll get worn again. On 1 November, it goes back to being pyjamas for autumn and winter evenings. That's what sets it apart from a costume that ends up at the bottom of a bag.

Halloween pyjamas for women or men: the question of fit

People often search for "women's Halloween pyjamas" or "men's Halloween onesie", but with a hooded onesie, the real question isn't gender: it's size and character. The shop's onesies are unisex and deliberately roomy, with a size guide based on height (from M to XXL, from 150 to over 180 cm).

A few pointers for choosing well:

• Between two sizes, take the larger one. A loose cut works better than a onesie that pulls at the shoulders when you sit down.
• Think about what you'll wear underneath. For an evening at home, a T-shirt is enough. To answer the door to the neighbourhood kids, a thin jumper under the fleece.
• Check the leg length. If they drag, roll them up or tuck them into slippers: stairs in the dark and trouser legs that are too long don't mix.

Our guide to choosing the right adult onesie size explains the method in detail.

Three characters for a comfy Halloween costume

The pumpkin, the effortless classic

It's the whole Halloween theme on its own. The Pumpkin Onesie is made of orange coral fleece, with a pumpkin embroidered on the front pocket and the word "Pumpkin" across the chest. Its hood is an orange monster head with long fur, big round eyes and white teeth: enough to go from friendly pumpkin to pumpkin that bites.

The monster, for that "creature under the bed" feel

The Big Mouth Monster Pyjamas are all about the hood: a plush monster head with a wide-open mouth and fabric teeth, which frames your face when you pull it up. For a more understated take, the Monster Pyjamas, with their horned hood and big embroidered eyes, make a friendlier monster, ideal if the evening has as many laughs as frights.

The shark, for scaring people while laughing

The Shark Kigurumi, in blue flannel with a dorsal fin and a tail fin at the back, makes it look as if you're being swallowed by the beast. Perfect if your evening revolves around a shark film, or for a duo with someone dressed as a pumpkin.

To find out exactly what a kigurumi is and how it differs from an ordinary onesie, read what is a kigurumi and how to choose one.

Turning your pyjamas into a Halloween costume in ten minutes

The onesie does most of the work. Three touches are all it takes to go from pyjamas to costume:

1. Simple make-up. For the pumpkin: an orange or black nose and freckles. For the monster: dark circles and frowning eyebrows. For the shark: two or three lines on the cheeks, like gills. Use make-up made for skin, test it on a small area the day before and take it off before you go to sleep.
2. A prop. A sweet bucket, a torch, a fake mug of "potion". It's what you hold in your hand that makes the photo.
3. An attitude. A walk, a roar, a catchphrase. The character depends more on that than on the costume.

A guest turning up empty-handed? Our list of last-minute costumes will bail them out.

Horror film night or trick-or-treaters: two ways to wear it

The sofa version. A throw, a bowl of popcorn, lights off and a film chosen in advance. The onesie becomes the best seat in the house: you curl up under the hood when it gets too scary. To organise the evening from start to finish with grown-ups, see our grown-up pyjama party.

The front door version. Handing out sweets to the neighbourhood kids? The pumpkin or the monster is more reassuring for the little ones than a realistic mask. Keep your face uncovered or the hood pushed back: a visible smile is already less scary for a four-year-old.

If the party is a family affair, with children accompanied by their parents, our plan for a family Halloween party at home covers decorations, food and games.

Candles, pumpkins and fleece: the safety rule

A roomy onesie, a hood, wide sleeves: that's exactly what brushes against a candle on a coffee table. The rule is simple: no naked flames within reach of the costume.

• Put LED candles in carved pumpkins and lanterns. The London Fire Brigade points out that flameless candles are a much safer alternative, and that celebrations where people dress up and light candles increase the risk of fire (London Fire Brigade, Candles).
• If you keep real candles, never leave them unattended and keep them away from any fabric (Pas-de-Calais prefecture, house fires, in French).
• With children in the house, keep matches and lighters out of reach, and give them a torch instead. An adult stays around for as long as the party lasts.

In short

A successful adult Halloween onesie is a hooded onesie with a real character, in the right size, finished with light make-up and a prop, and worn well away from flames. The Pumpkin Onesie covers the theme on its own; the big mouth monster and the shark play on a hood that devours. And on 1 November, none of them ends up at the back of the wardrobe: they become your winter pyjamas. To see every style, browse the shop.

Cover photo: Beth Teutschmann / Unsplash