Ah, braces. The things that temporarily erode self-confidence for the purpose of improving self-confidence for the rest of our lives! I had them. You probably have them, since you’re here. They’re not a necessary evil, per se, but they can be a benefit in the long run.
But how do you put together a Halloween outfit with braces? They kinda stand out and can ruin the vibe for some costumes, like Lord Voldemort. I’d argue you are allowed to wear any costume you want with your braces. On the other hand, braces are quite temporary, and it can be fun to play them up on the Halloween(s) that you have to have them!
For your convenience, this is a list of Halloween costume ideas with braces for both boys and girls, kids and adults! Some are even wearing a post-braces retainer or full-on headgear. I’ve also gone a step further and listed all the clothes and accessories you need to complete the look. Putting together cute Halloween costumes with braces has never been easier!
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a scary character with braces, you won’t have much luck. The scariest person I could find is Sid from Toy Story! To be fair, I did find him pretty weird and creepy when I was little.
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If you don’t have braces and just think it would be funny to dress up with someone as braces, fair enough. You can get fake braces for your Halloween costume here!
Halloween Costumes for Girls with Braces
Tootie from Fairly OddParents
Tootie is the 9-year-old, semi-psychotic, and infatuated neighbor of Timmy Turner in the long-running Nickelodeon cartoon Fairly OddParents. Between the torment of Tootie’s love and her older sister Vicky’s malevolence as his babysitter, I think Tootie slightly won in for Timmy’s preferred brand of crazy.
What You’ll Need
- purple cat-eye glasses
- short-sleeved white collared shirt
- black sweater vest
- grey plaid skirt
- black tights
- black shoes
- black hair in two high ponytails
Finding Nemo Braces Girl, Darla
Do you remember the little girl in Finding Nemo with braces that came to visit her uncle, the dentist? She was certainly scary to any fish she came near, given the 8-year-old’s reputation for sending them belly-up, making her a great choice for a Halloween costume. Also memorable was the headgear wrapped around her head.
What You’ll Need
- purple Rock n Roll Girl shirt
- white collared shirt
- yellow plaid skirt
- black mary jane shoes
- white knee-high socks
- freckle pencil
- Nemo bath toy (to put in a plastic bag with water)
- red hair in two short ponytails
Eliza from The Wild Thornberrys
The show’s lead character, Eliza is the 12-year-old part of a jungle-exploring family and she happens to be able to talk to animals. She is quintessentially, stereotypically nerdy, with red hair, glasses, freckles, braces, and a pigeon-toed stance. Between Darla, Kari, and Eliza, natural redheads will have an easy time putting together Halloween costumes with braces!
What You’ll Need
Miriam from Turning Red
Since Turning Red is a film all about coming-of-age for girls, physically and emotionally, it’s only appropriate that several characters have braces. Miriam is one of Mei Lin Lee’s best friends, and a loyal one at that. A bit of a tomboy, she’s still obsessed with the movie’s fictional boy band 4-Town.
What You’ll Need
Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls
Mabel is a hopelessly optimistic 13-year-old. She’s also a big fan of celebrating holidays, which means Halloween is a great day to honor her! After all, she’s been celebrating it with her brother Dipper since she was only three.
What You’ll Need
The Incredibles Babysitter, Kari
Kari is the 13-year-old all-too-unassuming, overly confident babysitter for Jack Jack in the Incredibles movies. She has to have her memory wiped after a particularly rough night of the baby experimenting with his superpowers! This is one of the easiest Halloween costumes with braces.
What You’ll Need
- yellow-sleeved raglan shirt
- jean capris, rolled/cuffed
- white sneakers
- old-school phone and/or plush Jack Jack
- red hair in a sleek ponytail
Katy Perry in “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” (Two Costumes!)
Braces don’t make Katy Perry any less pretty nor do they make her seem nerdy, but whatever. In the music video, she still has braces in her fantasy house party – so I guess she thinks they look good, too!
There are actually two distinct outfits in the video, so I’ll go over what you need for each one. Each of these looks would also be perfect as a general 80s costume, too. I recommend the first for younger children, and the second for adults – it’s quite revealing!
What You’ll Need for the First Look
What You’ll Need for the Second Look
Betty Suarez from Ugly Betty
Apparently bangs, glasses, braces, and sweaters all put together are supposed to make someone ugly. All I can say about America Ferrara is, she tried. The girl’s just too beautiful to ever really pull off an “ugly” character. Betty’s signature color is red, so if you can get the red glasses, vest or sweater, and shoes, you’re already 75% there.
What You’ll Need
Gwen Stefani c. 1999
I don’t think kids who grew up in the 90s will ever forget when Gwen Stefani got braces. They were so very jarring to see in an older celebrity (and by older, I mean 30), and I think it was even more shocking that she went for the “full metal jacket” instead of something more subtle. Then again, Invisalign was just invented that same year, so maybe she missed the boat. 25 years later, this look is still one of the most recognizable Halloween costumes for women with braces.
What You’ll Need
Josie Geller at Prom in Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed was one of my favorite movies to watch when I was in high school. (It’s possible I related a little too much to her taunt of “Josie Grossy.”) In her flashbacks to her first time going through high school, Josie had braces – and some peculiar 80s fashion choices. Her prom dress is particularly memorable and perfect for a Halloween costume with braces.
What You’ll Need
- shiny pink ruffle dress
- pink scrunchie for your side ponytail
- gaudy tights
- shiny pink flats
Halloween Costumes for Boys with Braces
Mike Wazowski in Monsters University
This is the only character on this list that is actually wearing a retainer instead of braces! If you’re getting your braces off before Halloween but will have to wear a retainer, this is a great choice. All of the premade round costumes are for little kids, so you can either get a onesie-type costume or dig deep into your creativity to make your own round-body costume!
Also, I hope it goes without saying, but this is actually a unisex costume that could easily be pulled off by boys AND girls. (I mean, any costume on this list could be worn by any gender. I’m just saying, monsters are pretty easy to pull off no matter how masculine or feminine you normally are.)
What You’ll Need
Sid from Toy Story
This weird kid is actually perfect for a Halloween costume with braces. He’s very memorable and darkly sinister with his affinity for mutilating toys. As far as a scary Halloween costume with braces goes, Sid is it. And this is one of the easiest Halloween costumes with braces to put together – you probably have most of what you need in your closet already!
What You’ll Need
Chuckie Finster in All Grown Up
Rugrats was my favorite cartoon as a little kid. I didn’t get into All Grown Up right away – I mean, how DARE they try a reboot, right? – but once I accidentally watched an episode, I actually thought it was pretty good. Chuckie was always the “geeky” one of the bunch, so of course, they had to give him the braces in middle school.
What You’ll Need
Ted from Sixteen Candles
This film would be considered highly problematic if it were made today (the sexism, the racism…). But back in the day, it was simply iconic. “Farmer” Ted was the most obnoxious, overconfident, desperate character in the film. Which is precisely why he was so memorable! Bonus points if you wear full headgear and drive a convertible with the top down.
What You’ll Need
- pale yellow button-down shirt
- cuffed jeans
- white canvas shoes
- women’s underpants in your jeans pocket
Scott Farkus from A Christmas Story
It’s been a tradition for as long as I can remember for our family to watch A Christmas Story on Christmas day. Few villains have ever been as realistic as Farkus – the playground bully that relies on intimidation over actual strength. He’s got short red hair under that fur hat, so if you’re a natural redhead, this is a great choice.
What You’ll Need
Ted from There’s Something About Mary
Kids probably shouldn’t watch this movie, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t. Still, the film came out over 20 years ago, so I’m willing to bet it’s mostly adults with braces that would be interested in this costume. Ted’s high school style was excruciating to look at – but not as bad as the scene with the beans and the frank.
What You’ll Need
Butthead of Beavis and Butthead
No one grew up in the 90s without having watched an episode of Beavis and Butthead. His braces were notorious primarily because he appeared to have a negative upper lip. If you’re able to tuck your lip into itself, this is the perfect look for you!
What You’ll Need
Murray from Clueless
The only man of color on this list, Murray is an excellent source of comedic relief as Dion’s boyfriend and passenger seat driver. Let’s not forget the scene where he’s getting his head shaved and Dion threatens to call his mother! I always found her irritation strange, actually, considering he’s literally always wearing a hat anyway. But to make your costume clear, we’re going to make it easy and stick to this particular scene.
What You’ll Need
Kip from Napoleon Dynamite
One of the most boring, yet fascinating, characters in film, Napoleon’s big brother Kip was memorable for his confidence in his own coolness. His wrestling “skills,” and the “babes” he chatted with on the internet, were his claims to cool – in his own mind, anyway.
What You’ll Need
- glasses
- fake mustache
- pale blue polo
- khaki shorts
- brown belt
- beige crew socks
- black loafers
- a piece of cardboard with “LaFawnduh” written on it
Jimmy Fallon as “Sara” in Saturday Night Live
Jimmy Fallon isn’t on SNL anymore, but that doesn’t mean Sara isn’t still an icon. This bit crossed lines and offended untold numbers of people (“I mean, like, EW”), which means it’ll be an excellent attention-getter as a Halloween costume. Please note that while women can wear this costume, the intention might not come across – because a big part of this gag was the fact that it was a dude dressed in drag.
What You’ll Need
Check out some of my fun Halloween activities while you’re here!
- You’ve Been BOOED: Start a pay-it-forward in your neighborhood!
- Printable Halloween mazes for kids
The Ugly Betty is definitely what I’m doing this year, you made it look so simple.
I love this post. Thanks for thinking of children and adults with braces who are not always considered. Great post!
Great ideas for Halloween costumes!!!