Costume Wigs for Every Occasion: Decade Parties, Christmas, Drag, School Plays and More

Halloween gets the attention, but most costume wigs are bought for something else: a 70s birthday, a nativity play, a hen party, a Christmas parade, a drag night. Each occasion asks something different of a wig. A theme party wig needs to read instantly, a stage wig needs to look right from the back row, and a child's wig needs to stay on through a day of running about.

Here's an occasion-by-occasion guide, with ideas and the things worth checking for each. All the wigs mentioned are in our cosplay & costume wig section, which is kept separate from our human hair shop.

Decade and theme parties

Decade parties are where a wig does the most work. Nobody can tell a 1920s dress from a 1930s one at a glance, but everyone knows a flapper bob.

What to look for

The single feature that says "this decade" is nearly always the shape, so choose the silhouette first and the colour second. The decades & historical wigs are grouped by era in their names, and the style filters (fringe, buns, curls, spikes) help narrow it down.

Ideas by decade

• 1920s: a short, sleek bob with finger waves or a blunt fringe. Think flappers and Gatsby parties. A short black bob also gets you to Betty Boop.
• 1950s: pin-up curls with a rolled fringe, or a greaser quiff. Marilyn Monroe's platinum curls and Elvis's pompadour are the two everyone recognises. Lucy Ricardo is a brilliant, less obvious choice.
• 1960s: the beehive and the mod bob. A tall black beehive also gets you Amy Winehouse, a 60s look from the 2000s.
• 1970s: shags, flicks, afros and disco curls. A choppy black shag is Joan Jett; long locs are Bob Marley.
• 1980s: big, teased and bright. Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, a rock mane or a Joe Dirt mullet.
• 1990s: grunge and the "Rachel". Long, undone hair and middle partings.

Historical and themed nights

For murder mysteries, period dramas and history-themed parties, the powdered 18th-century looks are the showstoppers: Marie Antoinette's towering pouf, or a white colonial wig for George Washington (who, fittingly for a party fact, powdered his own hair rather than wearing a wig).

Christmas and holiday parties

What to look for

Holiday wigs are mostly about Santa, and Santa is about the beard as much as the hair. A wig-and-beard set matches the white exactly, which a separate wig and beard often don't. If you'll be the office or school Santa every year, it's worth buying a better set, since you'll wear it for hours with children pulling on it.

Ideas

• Santa Claus: there are several wig-and-beard sets at different prices, from a quick party set to deluxe, fuller versions.
• Mrs. Claus: a grey or white low bun (there's one in the funny & everyday character wigs), wire glasses and an apron.
• Elves and fairies: bright, short wigs from the fantasy wigs.
• Silver tinsel or white party wigs for a New Year's Eve look.

Remember that a heated room, a Santa suit and a full beard get warm. Plan breaks.

Drag, Pride and festivals

What to look for

Stage wigs are built to be seen from a distance, under lights. Look for volume, length and colour: long curled show wigs, platinum, bright neon and two-tone. Bright colours read lighter under stage lights and camera flash, so check photos of the wig in good light before you choose. A lace front gives a more convincing hairline in close-up photos (use the Lace front filter), and heat-resistant fibre lets you restyle it for different numbers (Heat-resistant filter).

Ideas

• Diva hair: long, curled, voluminous blonde or auburn, from the drag, stage & festival wigs.
• Icons: Dolly Parton, Cher, Madonna or Tina Turner.
• Festival colour: pastel, neon and rainbow wigs from the fashion & colour wigs and fantasy wigs. Filter by colour to find exactly the shade.
• Rock and glam: long, layered rocker manes and 80s glam.

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School plays, theatre and World Book Day

What to look for

For children, size comes first. Child wigs are made smaller, so they don't slide down over the eyes, which is what happens with most adult wigs on a child under about ten. Use the Kids filter to see only child sizes. A wig cap and two or three bobby pins will keep it on through a performance or a day at school.

For adult amateur theatre, the priority is that the wig reads from the back of the hall, so a clear silhouette matters more than a realistic hairline.

Ideas for children

• Storybook and Disney characters: Elsa, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Rapunzel.
• Classic book characters: Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz, with braids and blue ribbons, or an Oompa Loompa for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Historical figures for school projects: George Washington (there's a child-size colonial wig) or Albert Einstein.

Ideas for the stage

• Period wigs from the decades & historical wigs for anything set before 1950.
• Gandalf-style long grey hair and beard sets for wizards, kings and old men.
• Character wigs from the movie, TV & game character range for adaptations.

Hen parties, birthdays and photoshoots

What to look for

For a night out or a shoot, the wig is part of the fun: a colour you'd never commit to, a sharp cut, a matching look for the whole group. Several colours of the same wig are perfect for a group, because everyone gets the same cut in a different shade. Look for wigs marked "in N colours" (filter: Sold in several colours).

Ideas

• Matching group bobs: a blunt bob with a fringe in a different colour for each person. The same cut in black is Mia Wallace.
• Pop-star nights: Billie Eilish, Madonna or Cher.
• Pastel mermaid or unicorn looks for birthdays, from the fantasy wigs.
• Funny wigs for the groom's side: mullets, comb-overs and surfer hair from the funny & everyday character wigs.

For a photoshoot specifically, a lace front looks far more natural close up, and a colour that suits your skin tone matters more than usual. Our colour matcher helps with natural shades.

Conventions and cosplay

Conventions get a guide of their own, because a wig has to survive eight hours in a crowded hall. Our first convention cosplay wig plan goes week by week from choosing a character to packing a wig kit. For ideas, browse the anime & cosplay wigs and the character pages.

And Halloween

For forty Halloween costumes you can make recognisable with one wig, from Wednesday Addams to the Sanderson sisters, see our Halloween wig ideas.

Before you buy, whatever the occasion

• Measure your head. Most adult costume wigs fit heads of roughly 21 to 23 inches around. The first-time buyer's guide explains how costume wigs fit, and the cap size finder does the maths.
• Order early. Leave time for delivery and a try-on, especially before Halloween, Christmas and big conventions.
• Keep heat away unless the wig is sold as heat-resistant. Synthetic fibre melts; steam reshapes it.
• Use a wig cap and pins. It's the difference between a wig that stays put and one you adjust all night. See wig caps and grip bands.

Not sure where to start? The cosplay wig quiz asks what it's for, who's wearing it and the look, and suggests wigs and characters. And if an occasion has you thinking about a wig to wear every day, our human hair shop and Wig Finder are the place for that.