1. Size: how costume wigs fit
Almost every adult costume wig is sold as one size. The cap is elastic, and many have an adjustable inner cap with hooks or straps at the nape, so one wig fits most adult heads. As a rule of thumb, one-size adult wigs are made for heads of roughly 21 to 23 inches (53 to 58 cm) around.
| Your head | What usually fits | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20.5" (52 cm) | Child wig | Pick a child-size wig, or tighten an adult cap fully and pin it. |
| 20.5–21.5" (52–55 cm) | Petite adult or large child | Adult wig with an adjustable cap, straps pulled in. |
| 21.5–22.5" (55–57 cm) | Standard adult | Any one-size adult wig. |
| 22.5–23.5" (57–60 cm) | Standard to large adult | Adjustable cap, straps let out; avoid tight elastic-only caps. |
| Over 23.5" (60 cm) | Large | Check the listing for "large" or a stretch cap, and wear a thin wig cap. |
Not sure where you fall? The cap size finder turns your measurement into a cap size in a minute. Wigs with an adjustable cap are marked in our Adjustable cap filter and on each wig's page under Cap.
2. Measuring your head
Use a soft tape measure (or a piece of string and a ruler):
- Start at the middle of your forehead, at the hairline.
- Run the tape just above the ear, round the back of the head at the nape, over the other ear and back to the start.
- Keep it snug but not tight, and flatten long hair first (or measure over the wig cap you'll wear).
Our full guide to measuring your head for a wig adds the front-to-nape and ear-to-ear measurements, and what to do when a listing gives no size.
3. Buying for a child
Child wigs are made smaller and lighter, and they are the only ones that will sit right on most children under about ten: an adult wig slides down over the eyes. Look for Child or Kids in the name, or use the Kids filter. For school plays and World Book Day, a wig cap and two bobby pins keep it on through a day of running about. Popular choices include Elsa, Ariel, Belle, Princess Jasmine and Zoey.
4. Choose the cut first, then the colour
People recognise a character by the shape of the hair before the shade: Wednesday's braids, Leia's buns, Mia Wallace's blunt fringe. A wig with the right cut in a slightly different colour still reads as the character; the right colour in the wrong cut doesn't. Start from the character pages, which show the wigs with the right cut for each, or use the Style filter on the cosplay wig listing.
For length, remember that a wig's length is measured from the crown, so a "long" wig falls lower on a shorter person. The length visualiser shows where each length lands on the body.
5. Synthetic fibre and heat
Costume wigs are made from synthetic fibre. It holds a style through rain and a long night, and costs a fraction of human hair, but standard fibre melts under a straightener, curling iron or hot hair dryer.
- Heat-resistant wigs (marked on the wig's page, and in the Heat-resistant filter) take low heat. Test a hidden section first.
- For everything else, reshape with steam (a kettle or garment steamer held at a distance) or a dip in hot water, then let it set on a stand.
- Hair dye won't take on synthetic fibre: buy the colour you need. Our Can I dye it? tool explains why, and the heat styling guide covers safe temperatures if you're working with a heat-resistant or human hair wig.
6. Caps, lace fronts and keeping it on
Most costume wigs have a standard cap: the hair is sewn onto stretchy wefts, and the front edge is visible, which a fringe, a hat or a headband hides. A lace front (filter: Lace front) has a fine mesh at the hairline so the hair looks like it grows from the skin, which matters in photos and close up. See cap constructions compared for how the different caps are built.
To keep any wig on:
- Flatten your own hair (braids or pin curls for long hair) and put on a wig cap.
- Put the wig on from front to back, line the front up with your hairline and tighten the straps.
- Pin through the wig into the cap at the crown, temples and nape. A grip band helps on a long day; wig caps and grip bands explains which does what, and the starter kit builder lists the basics.
7. Colour, light and camera
Bright colours read lighter and brighter under stage lights and flash, and darker in dim rooms. If you're matching a character, compare the wig's photo with a still from the film in similar light. For natural shades, the colour matcher helps you pick a shade that suits your skin tone, and many wigs here come in several colours: pick one on the wig's page to see it.
8. When to order
Order two weeks before the event: time for delivery, a try-on and any styling. In October and before major conventions, order earlier, because licensed character wigs sell out. Our Halloween wigs and character wigs show only what's in stock now.
9. Care between wears
- Detangle from the ends up with a wide-tooth comb, never when wet.
- Wash rarely, in cool water with a little shampoo; blot, don't rub, and dry on a stand.
- Store it on a stand or in a hair net so it keeps its shape. Daily care and storage covers the options, and the care schedule tells you how often to wash.
Our longer guide to choosing and styling cosplay wigs goes further into making a character read. For ideas, see Halloween wig ideas and costume wigs for every occasion, and if a convention is your first big outing, follow the week-by-week convention plan.
10. Questions people ask
What size cosplay wig do I need?
Measure around your head along the hairline, over the ears and around the nape. Adult costume wigs are one size and made to fit most heads of roughly 21 to 23 inches, with an elastic or adjustable cap; child wigs are smaller. Over 23 inches, look for an adjustable cap; under 21, a child or petite wig, or tighten the cap and pin it.
How do I keep a cosplay wig from slipping?
Wear a wig cap to flatten your own hair, tighten the adjustable straps if the wig has them, then pin the wig to the cap with bobby pins at the crown, temples and nape. A grip band under the wig helps on a long day.
Can I use heat on a cosplay wig?
Only if it is sold as heat-resistant, and then on a low setting, after testing a hidden section. Standard synthetic fibre melts under straighteners and curling irons; reshape it with steam or hot water instead.
Can I dye a synthetic cosplay wig?
Not with hair dye: it is made for human hair and won't take on synthetic fibre. Buy the wig in the colour you need, or use fabric dye and markers made for synthetics if you are experienced.
How early should I order a costume wig?
Two weeks before the event leaves time for delivery, a try-on and any styling. In October and before big conventions, order earlier: popular characters sell out.
What is the difference between a cosplay wig and a human hair wig?
A cosplay or costume wig is synthetic, cheap enough to buy for one character, and made to hold a styled shape. A human hair wig costs far more and is made to be worn as your everyday hair. They are separate sections of this site.
Ready to pick one?
Answer a few questions and we'll match you to a wig, or browse by character or occasion.