What material were the first store-bought Halloween costumes made from?

The first store-bought Halloween costumes were made from crepe paper.

Before ready-made costumes became widespread, families usually created Halloween outfits from ordinary clothing, fabric scraps, cardboard, and household materials. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, however, crepe paper became a popular commercial craft material for costumes, decorations, masks, hats, and accessories.

The American company Dennison Manufacturing helped popularize these outfits by selling crepe paper and publishing instructional booklets, including its famous Bogie Books. The material was inexpensive, colorful, flexible, and easy to gather or shape over a cloth foundation. It allowed people to make elaborate-looking costumes without buying conventional garments.

“Store-bought” does not necessarily mean a modern boxed costume. Early commercial offerings often consisted of paper, patterns, or kits intended for home assembly. Boxed costumes with printed character designs, plastic masks, and textile-like materials became much more common later, particularly in the mid-20th century.