Ah, braces. The things that temporarily (see: for years) erode self-confidence for the purpose of improving self-confidence for the rest of our lives! I had them. You probably have them, or did. 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 costume for people with braces? They kinda stand out and can ruin the vibe for some costumes, like Lord Voldemort or Barbie. Still, 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 that you have to have them!
So, I’ve put together a list of Halloween costumes with braces for both boys and girls, kids and adults, of every shape and size! You’ll also find a few that specifically are wearing their post-braces retainer and even a couple with full-on headgear.
I’ve also gone a step further and listed all the clothes and accessories you need to complete the look and where to buy them. Putting together your pop culture Halloween costume has never been easier!
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a scary Halloween costume with braces, you won’t have much luck – the scariest person I could find with braces was Sid from Toy Story! (To be fair, I found 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, I say – fair enough. You can get fake braces for your Halloween costume here!
Halloween Costumes with Braces for Girls + Women
Darla (Finding Nemo)
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 sweatshirt
- Rock n Roll Girl sticker to put on the sweatshirt
- white collared shirt
- yellow plaid skirt
- black mary jane shoes
- white knee-high socks
- eye pencil for freckles
- Nemo toy (to put in a plastic bag with water)
Kari the Babysitter (The Incredibles)
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 OR/AND plush Jack Jack
Tootie (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 two-ponytail wig
Eliza (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
- red turtleneck
- yellow v-neck dress
- fabric squares (to make red pockets)
- circle-framed glasses
- pale blue socks
- brown (faux) leather shoes
- eye pencil for freckles
- backpack
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 whatevs. And 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
- craft wire to make the headgear
- red glasses
- hot pink lipstick
- purple ball ponytail elastics
- pink turtleneck
- denim overalls
- braided pink belt
- pink and blue socks
- colorful crocs
What You’ll Need for the Second Look
- curly brown wig
- super-bright eyeshadow
- hot pink lipstick
- bright 80s earrings
- hot pink long-sleeved crop top
- lime faux-leather mini skirt
- green belt
- bright bangles
- yellow high heels
Betty Suarez (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. 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
- wig with bangs
- red glasses
- gold ‘B’ necklace
- patterned shirt
- red vest
- gaucho shorts
- knee-high socks
- red mary jane shoes
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. 20 years later, this look is still one of the most recognizable Halloween costumes with braces.
What You’ll Need
- hot pink wig with bangs
- hot pink eyeshadow
- fuchsia lipstick with a glossy topcoat
- black dress
- hot pink scarf
- black ankle boots
Josie Geller at Prom (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 with Braces for Boys + Men
Mike Wazowski (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
- Mike Wazowski onesie
- lime green boots or lime green socks, if you don’t need support
- Monsters University baseball cap
Sid (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
Ted (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
Kip (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
Chuckie (All Grown Up)
Rugrats was my #1 favorite cartoon as a little kid. I didn’t get into All Grown Up right away – I mean, how DARE they, 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
- crazy red wig
- purple glasses
- short-sleeved light blue button-down
- green pants
- red tennis shoes
- purple sling backpack
- eye pencil for freckles
Jimmy Fallon as “Sara” (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
- blonde wavy wig with bangs
- pink headband with bow
- pink lipstick with gloss
- heart necklace
- purple dress
- hot pink tights
- silver ballet flats
- silver bangles
Murray (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
Now you have some Halloween costume ideas with braces to choose from! I have to admit, I was surprised I couldn’t find more pop culture icons that were famous for wearing braces. I had them when I was a kid, and a lot of other kids at my school wore them, too. One of my friends even got braces as an adult!
Which of these Halloween costumes with braces is your favorite? Who will YOU be dressing up as for Halloween this year? Let me know in the comments below!
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!!!