So now that we’ve established my love for Halloween, we can move onto the true point of this holiday: being scared. Ever since a bad experience with the original Halloween when I was ten, I have never been one for horror films, but I still have seen many, if only to get into the spirit of the holiday. Oh, and also for the clothes. Horror films from the 1960s and 1970s are full of terrible sights, but, as with all vintage movies, the fashions are wonderful to look at. To me, Halloween is a time to dress as something terrifying, but there should be no need to sacrifice fashion, which is where these costume ideas come in. Enjoy impressing your friends and scaring little children!

The Birds (1963): Hitchcock’s movies, chock full of both stylish blondes and suspense, could fill this list by themselves, but my personal favorite is The Birds. For this costume, any retro 1960s dress will work, with the add-on of a giant bird perched on your shoulder, and plenty of scratches and scrapes drawn on with red eyeliner.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968): This movie is almost as famous for it’s creepy story as it is for Mia Farrow’s pixie cut. If you already have short hair, this costume is perfect for you! Otherwise you need a short blonde wig, vintage-looking nightgown, and a demonic baby as a prop.

The Exorcist (1973): Universally recognized as one of the scariest movies ever, this costume requires a lot of makeup. Anything to make yourself look as evil and possessed as possible. For the clothing part, wear a child-size nightgown backwards to give the impression that your head can spin 360 degrees.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): If you really want to scare people, you can go as Leatherface, but for a more mild and fashion-forward costume, I recommend bell-bottoms and a peasant top smeared with gobs of fake blood. Bonus points for a fake chainsaw inserted through your body.

Carrie (1976): This look is really more blood than costume, but a 70s-inspired prom dress underneath the buckets of red paint really completes the ensemble. Props include corsage and really creepy eyes.

The Omen (1976): There are bound to be hundreds of girls wearing skimpy red dresses with devil horns, but a much better (and creepier) costume is Damien. This costume can work for a guy or a girl, all you need is a suit, a cute little newsboy cap, and the numbers “666″ drawn on your forehead.

Suspiria (1977): A less commercial film from horror master Dario Argento, this costume is great for film buffs, or those trying to be.  Since most of the movie takes place at a ballet studio, a tutu and tights are prerequisites.  As is tons of fake blood and creepy makeup.

Dawn of the Dead (1978): I’ll save my comprehensive look at Night of the Living Dead, which was George A. Romero’s predecessor to this film, for next time but both movies make for great zombie costumes. Really any late-70s ensemble will work, as long as your face is painted blue-white and you look as if you just ate a human.

Halloween (1978): There are two ways to go with this costume. Either you can be the über creepy Michael Myers, white mask and all, or you can go for Jamie Lee Curtis’ role by wearing a silky blue button-down and carrying a knife at all times. Add-ons: frizzy hair, a traumatized look, and a really great scream.

Alien (1979): Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley is one of the best female characters ever, and the great thing is that there is more than one look to choose from. You can go with late-70s pilot Ripley (pictured), alien-fighting badass Ripley (GIANT gun, denim jumper), or, if you want a hint of sex appeal, there is always right-out-of-hyper-sleep Ripley (white tank top, white undies, no bra). Whichever you choose, you need a fierce scowl and brown curly wig to complete the look.