Halloween Costume With a Red Hoodie: 12 Easy Ideas
A halloween costume with a red hoodie is basically Red Riding Hood waiting to happen: hood up, a basket in your hand, and you're done. That same red hoodie also makes a devil (add horns and a tail), a ladybug (black felt dots and antennae), a crab (claws made from red gloves) or a firefighter (a black helmet and reflective tape). Here are 12 easy ideas, from zero effort to full group costume.
If you've got a red hoodie and just want someone to tell you what it should be, The Costume Rack matches your closet and vibe to a costume in about two minutes, then shows you the pieces: Start my costume.
Red Riding Hood from a hoodie
The red riding hood halloween costume is the top search for a reason: it's the one character whose whole look is literally a red hood. It's also from a public-domain folk tale, so you can style it any way you like.
Red Riding Hood costume DIY (10 minutes)
You need:
- Red hoodie (zip-up works best, left open)
- A skirt or dress underneath (white, black, plaid or denim)
- A basket (any basket, or a tote bag with a gingham napkin)
- Optional: white tights or knee socks, boots
Steps:
- Put the hood up. Always. That's the costume.
- Fill the basket with snacks and a napkin draped over the top.
- Add a ribbon in your hair or a braid peeking out from the hood.
Variations:
- Cute: white dress, knee socks, flowers in the basket.
- Spooky: torn skirt, smudged eyeliner, a "scratch" drawn on your cheek, a plastic axe. Red Riding Hood after she dealt with the wolf.
- Grunge: red hoodie over a black tee, plaid skirt, combat boots. Our plaid skirt costume ideas cover the red plaid version.
Big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood costume
This is the easiest duo you'll find. One person in the red hoodie. The other in a grey or brown hoodie with wolf ears and fur scraps on the cuffs. Optional: the wolf wears a granny nightcap and glasses. Iconic.
Devil from a red hoodie
The devil costume with red hoodie is the lazy classic, and it works for literally anyone. Great red halloween costume for men and women alike.
Easy devil costume
- Red hoodie, hood up or down.
- Black or red pants. Black jeans read "red and black halloween costume" instantly.
- Horns: buy a cheap headband, or make horns from red felt stuffed with tissue and pinned to the hood.
- Tail: a strip of red felt with a triangle at the end, pinned to your back waistband.
- Prop: a pitchfork made from a cardboard tube and a paper fork shape.
No-makeup version: skip face paint entirely, the horns and red outfit say everything. With makeup: a little red eyeshadow or a dark lip.
Pair it with a friend as an angel (white hoodie, halo) for the classic duo.
More red hoodie costumes
Red hoodie costume ideas beyond the big two:
| # | Costume | Add this | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ladybug | Black felt dots, black antennae headband | 15 min |
| 4 | Crab | Red gloves with cardboard claws, googly-eye headband | 20 min |
| 5 | Firefighter | Black pants, yellow reflective tape, toy helmet | 15 min |
| 6 | Strawberry | Green felt leaves on the hood, black seed dots | 15 min |
| 7 | Lobster | Like the crab, plus antennae | 20 min |
| 8 | Tomato / apple | Green felt stem on the hood | 5 min |
| 9 | Superhero (original) | A cape, a homemade logo on the chest | 15 min |
| 10 | Red crayon | Paper cone hat, black "label" band | 10 min |
Red hoodie costume for guys
For guys, the easy picks are devil, firefighter, crab and superhero. Pair with black jeans and sneakers and you're done in 15 minutes. More ideas in our lazy halloween costumes for guys post.
Red hoodie costume for girls
For girls, Red Riding Hood, ladybug, strawberry and devil are the easy wins. Pair with a skirt, leggings or jeans depending on the vibe.
The hard part is picking between twelve ideas and working out which ones you can finish with what's in your room. The Costume Rack does that for you: you tell it your vibe, your closet and how you feel about face paint, and it matches you to one costume with where to find each piece and a no-makeup version. Start my costume
Red hoodie group ideas
A red hoodie group costume is super easy because red pairs with loads of themes.
- 11. Fairytale crew: Red Riding Hood, Big Bad Wolf, Grandma (nightgown and glasses), the Woodcutter (flannel and a cardboard axe).
- 12. Angel, devil and the confused middle: red hoodie devil, white hoodie angel, grey hoodie person holding a sign that says "undecided."
More group ideas:
- Traffic light: red hoodie, yellow hoodie, green hoodie. Stand in a vertical line for photos.
- Fruit salad: strawberry (red hoodie), banana (yellow), grape (purple).
- Ocean floor: crab, lobster, a fish and a mermaid.
- Fire squad: firefighters in red hoodies, one person as a flame in orange.
Doing the hoodie trend with the boys? Our lazy costume ideas include black hoodie vampires and bats that pair perfectly with a red hoodie devil for a red and black group theme.
Finishing touches
A red hoodie is a strong base, but these small details are what stop it looking like your gym outfit.
Checklist:
- Hood up for Red Riding Hood, devil and ladybug. Hood down for firefighter and superhero.
- Match your bottoms: black for devil and ladybug, white or a skirt for Red Riding Hood.
- Something on the head: horns, antennae, a stem, ears.
- Something in the hand: a basket, a pitchfork, claws, a hose (a rolled-up yellow towel works).
- Pin, don't glue: safety pins keep your hoodie wearable after Halloween. Felt pins on and off easily.
UK note: if you're heading to a fancy dress night at uni, a red hoodie devil is the most reliable "I got invited 3 hours ago" costume there is.
Your red hoodie costume in two minutes
A halloween costume with a red hoodie is easy, but picking the one is where people stall. The Costume Rack asks about your vibe, what's in your closet and face paint, then matches you to a classic costume like devil, splits it into pieces and gives you three put-together steps. Send friends the link so they can claim their costumes on your rail.
FAQ
What can I be for Halloween with a red hoodie?
Red Riding Hood, devil, ladybug, crab, firefighter, strawberry and superhero all start with a red hoodie. Red Riding Hood is the most recognizable because the hood is the whole costume.
How do I make a red riding hood halloween costume?
Put on a red hoodie with the hood up, wear a skirt or dress underneath, and carry a basket with a napkin over it. Add knee socks and boots for the classic look, or smudged makeup and a torn skirt for a spooky one.
What is an easy red and black halloween costume?
A devil: red hoodie, black jeans, horns and a tail. A ladybug also works, with black felt dots on the red hoodie and a black antennae headband.
What's a good red halloween costume for men?
Devil, firefighter, crab and superhero are the easiest red costume ideas for guys, all built on a red hoodie. Pair with black jeans and one prop to make it read.
Can I do a halloween costume with a black hoodie instead?
Yes. A black hoodie works for bat, black cat, vampire and werewolf. It also pairs with a red hoodie devil for a red and black duo or group costume.