Beetlejuice & Lydia

In 1988, Tim Burton made a movie about a dead couple trying to scare a family out of their house, and the ghost they hired for the job turned out to be worse than the living. Beetlejuice, the "ghost with the most," wore a black-and-white striped suit, green-tinged hair and a grin that looked like it had been left in a basement for a century. The goth teenager Lydia Deetz almost married him in a blood-red wedding dress, which has since become one of the most copied Halloween looks around. After Beetlejuice Beetlejuice came out in 2024, the two looks are more popular than ever. HalloweenCostumes.com sells both under its FUN Costumes label: a Beetlejuice Costume for Men on sale for $34.99, down from $49.99, and a Red Gothic Women's Wedding Dress Costume for $59.99.

That's $94.98 for the pair, which is a pretty reasonable price for a couples costume where one person gets married and the other gets banished to the afterlife.

Unlike a lot of licensed costumes, these two have plenty of reviews. Beetlejuice has 29 and Lydia's dress has 42, so there's a lot of real feedback to go on. The short version: buyers like both, Beetlejuice has some fit quirks in the arms and waist, and almost everyone who bought the dress has an opinion about the plastic hoop in the hem. Here's what you need to know.

Beetlejuice, stripes first

The Beetlejuice costume (item FUN1454AD) is officially licensed and a Made By Us exclusive. It includes three pieces: a jacket, pants and a shirt front with an attached collar and tie. Everything is 100% polyester.

The jacket is the famous black-and-white striped one, with a single button in front. The pants match and have an elastic waistband. The shirt front is a dickey, which means it's just the front of a shirt with a collar and satin tie attached, and it fastens with hook-and-loop at the back. The tie has plastic buttons.

The site says it's "inspired by Tim Burton's 80s film" and invites you to "bring the ghost with the most to life." What it doesn't include is the hair, the shoes or the makeup, which are pretty important for this character. We'll get to those.

According to the Q&A, the costume was "designed and created by our design staff here in Minnesota" and made at the company's factory in China. That's more detail about origin than most costume listings bother with.

How Beetlejuice fits

The Beetlejuice costume comes in X-Small through X-Large, all at $34.99. Plus sizes and a kids' version are sold separately.

The jacket chest runs from 38 inches on the X-Small to 52 on the X-Large, going up 2 to 4 inches per size. Sleeves are 26 to 27 inches, and jacket length goes from 29¼ to 31¼ inches. The neck on the dickey is 19 inches in every size.

The pants waist is elastic, with these ranges: 24 to 32 inches on the X-Small, 26 to 34 on the Small, 31 to 38 on the Medium, 35 to 42 on the Large and 39½ to 44 on the X-Large. The inseam is 29 inches on the two smallest sizes and 29½ on the rest, with outseams from 41½ to 43½ inches.

Those waist ranges look generous, but a few reviewers say they're optimistic. Keep reading.

What Beetlejuice buyers said

The Beetlejuice costume has 29 reviews and a 4.3-star average. Most are five stars, with 69% five-star, 17% four-star, 7% two-star and 7% one-star. The detailed reviews tell a pretty clear story.

The fans are happy and often tall. Meny, who's 6'2", wrote, "It fitted right! I'm 6'2" and XL was perfect! It was the best costume of the party!" Trish bought two costumes for people who are 6'3" and 5'6" and said "they were both good quality and sized appropriately. See you next year!" Paul, who's 6 feet and 210 pounds, wrote, "I order a costume every year, I'm always super happy with my experience, Beetlejuice this year (ITS SHOWTIME)." Other buyers kept it simple: "Comfortable and well constructed," and "It was everything that I expected."

The sweetest review came from RobertXsMom, titled "Roomie and authentic." "My child struggles with the feel of certain items. He was perfectly comfortable in this costume. There was room for layers if needed."

But the arms come up a lot. One buyer wrote, "Slightly tight under the arms." Jorge, who's 5'11" and 210 pounds, said "the sleeves are a bit tight." A buyer who's 5'10" and 180 pounds and wore a Large said, "I have decent arms but not huge 'guns', the arms were kind of tight, felt like they could rip if I moved wrong." He also "had to get some suspenders to hold the pants up." His summary of the night: "the 3 b's: beautiful women, beer and beetlejuice!"

Matt, who gave it one star, called the cut "completely wonky" and asked, "How are the shoulders so huge (even on me, and I'm fairly broad-shouldered) yet the sleeves are so tight?"

The waist is the other issue. Jeff Mcfarland gave it two stars, titled "Sizing." "The sizing chart says true to size and when the 'L' waist said 35 - 42..... They mean 35 max. I had to purchase another size XL and the waist said 39.5 to 45. It was extremely snug and I wear a 38." He added, "Other then the size being completely wrong I thought the outfit was great. Just pay attention to sizing."

And one more buyer, who's 5'10" and 225 pounds, had the opposite problem with the top: "a huge jacket that fit like a tent and tight pants that threatened to split every time I sat, kneeled, or bent over." They also said the fabric is "so thin and sheer you can see right through it" and pointed out that there are "NO POCKETS on the pants or jacket."

So here's the pattern. The jacket body runs big, the sleeves run tight, and the pants waist runs smaller than the chart says. If your waist is near the top of a size range, size up. If you have muscular arms, know that the sleeves may feel snug. And bring a bag or a fanny pack for your phone, because Beetlejuice has nowhere to put it.

One more practical note, from AlliG25: "The tux shirt and tie is kind of a cut out piece so more like a bib that you wear so it's nice for my husband cause he gets hot but if you wanted to take your jacket off, you can't." So wear a white T-shirt under the dickey if you think the jacket might come off at some point.

Finishing the Beetlejuice look

Beetlejuice needs his hair and his face. The site recommends a Men's Bald Front Beetlejuice Costume Wig for $19.99, which gets the receding-hairline look right, and a Men's Beetle Guy Costume Wig for $14.99. For makeup, there's White Foundation Makeup for $7.99 and Black Foundation Costume Makeup for $7.99, which covers the pale face and dark under-eyes. A little green eyeshadow or face paint along the hairline completes the moldy look.

If you want to skip makeup entirely, there's an Adult Beetlejuice Deluxe Injection Mask for $59.99. That's more than the costume itself, which feels very on-brand for a character who's always trying to get something extra out of a deal.

Lydia, in red

The Red Gothic Wedding Dress Costume (item FUN2151AD) is a Made By Us exclusive. It isn't officially branded as Lydia, but it's the dress people buy to be Lydia, and it's listed on the site's Lydia Deetz and Beetlejuice pages. The listing says, "nothing says gothic wedding quite like a dramatic red dress."

It includes three pieces: a dress, a hoop and a veil. The dress is 100% polyester satin, tulle and lace, and it zips up the back. The bodice and skirt are red satin with interlock sleeves, and the front has a tulle V-placket edged with a wide lace ruffle. The skirt is three tiers of lace edged with satin ribbon over a satin base layer.

The veil is 25 inches long, with tulle and lace on a satin-covered headband. The hoop is a 48-inch-diameter plastic ring that threads into the hem to make the skirt flare out.

The Q&A confirms that the sleeves are opaque, not see-through. That's good news if you were worried about showing off more than a 19th-century bride would.

How Lydia fits

The dress comes in X-Small through X-Large, all at $59.99, with plus sizes sold separately. The Small is labeled 4-6, Medium 8-10, Large 12-14 and X-Large 14-16.

The chest runs from 34 inches on the X-Small to 44.5 on the X-Large, and the waist from 25 to 35.5 inches. The dress is long, 59 to 60.5 inches, which on most women will reach the floor or close to it. Sleeves are 23 to 24 inches.

Most reviewers say the size chart is accurate. Lisa Scott, who has a 34-inch bust, said a Small "fit perfectly." Melviar39 wrote, "Perfect fit! I'm 34DDD and 43" waist and medium worked great!" Chloe Roberts, who's 5'2", said it was "Really good quality and perfect length, which isn't often for someone 5'2!" One buyer said the dress "runs a little small," and another, C, said the "sleeves are really short so I pull them up and rest them on elbows."

The big takeaway: the chart is reliable, but the sleeves are on the short side. If you have long arms, consider a pair of red elbow-length gloves ($9.99 on the site), which will hide the gap and look intentional.

The hoop problem

Now, the hoop. Of the 42 reviews, a lot of them mention it, and not kindly.

A buyer in 2019 gave it two stars and wrote, "I have no idea how to use the hoop that came with it. My husband and I searched everywhere for a slot or somewhere to insert it with no luck." Jennifer said, "Only downside is finding the spot in the seam to thread the hoop through. Still looking for it now." Another buyer wrote, "I'd give it 5 stars if only there was an easy way to insert the dress hoop in the hem line. They just give you a hoop. No insert area or snaps. Nothing."

But Amy W figured it out: "Other reviews said you needed to cut the dress in order to put in the hoop BUT there is actually a small opening in the seam for just that purpose, you just have to look a little closer." The site's Q&A says the same: "There should be a small slit in the bottom hem to slide that into."

So there's a slit. It's just hard to find. Look closely at the bottom hem before you give up.

Getting it in isn't the only problem, though. Several reviewers said the hoop twists or curls once it's there. Jeff Mcfarland, the same buyer who reviewed Beetlejuice (so, presumably, the other half of a couple), wrote, "the only downfall was the ring to keep the dress flared at the bottom kept twisting so we just took it out." Another buyer said the hoop "would not stay properly," and a parent said her daughter got so annoyed with it she "finally took it out."

The site suggests a fix: if the hoop curls from being stored coiled in the package, take it out, lay it "flat on a warm surface for a bit to let it relax into a rounder shape," then thread it back in. And several reviewers, including Lady.Fantomah, said they skipped the hoop altogether, and "it still looks good." The site's Q&A notes that many people choose to wear the dress without it.

The site also sells a Women's Red Mesh Petticoat for $19.99, which is a softer way to add volume without a plastic ring.

What else Lydia buyers said

Aside from the hoop, the reviews are glowing. The dress has a 4.8-star average from 42 reviews, which is a very strong rating for a costume.

Natalia wrote, "This costume made my Halloween I feel so special in it. Everyone made the face of WOW, and best part it was comfortable not itchy at all and over all the quality was great." Another buyer said, "Fabulous absolutely fabulous! I got so Many compliments. It was comfortable too. Worth every penny." And one wrote, "The dress looks better in person than in the picture! My sisters couldn't believe how well made for the price!"

Two couples left especially fitting reviews. One from 2014 said, "We were a huge hit as Lydia and Beetlejuice." Another, from 2016, said, "I was Lydia and my boyfriend was Beetlejuice the costumes are extremely well made and are exactly like they describe!"

Not everyone found it comfortable, though. Lady.Fantomah said it was "a little itchy at times," and the 2019 buyer who couldn't find the hoop slot said "The material is insanely scratchy and considering it is right up against my neck there is no way I can wear it for an entire party." A soft camisole or a thin long-sleeve top underneath might help with the lace at the neck.

Finishing the Lydia look

Lydia's hair is dark with choppy bangs. The site sells a Women's Beetlejuice Lydia Deetz Costume Wig for $24.99 and a Women's Deep Black Bob Wig for $19.99. For shoes, there are Women's Patent Faux Leather Mary Jane Shoes for $59.99 or Patent Red Gogo Boots for $29.99 to $34.99. White foundation for $7.99 will give you Lydia's pale face.

If you want a fancier dress, the site also has a Women's Premium Red Wedding Dress for $99.99 to $109.99 and a Women's Premium Lydia Deetz Wedding Dress Costume for $129.99 on pre-order. But given the reviews, the $59.99 version seems like a very safe pick.

Summary

The Beetlejuice costume is a cheap, recognizable striped suit with a dickey, and most of its 29 reviewers are happy, especially tall ones. The fit quirks are tight sleeves, a pants waist that may run small and thin fabric with no pockets. The Red Gothic Wedding Dress is a well-reviewed satin and lace gown with a veil, and most of its 42 reviewers say it's great quality and true to size. The weak spot is the plastic hoop, which is hard to insert and often gets left out. Together, it's a well-reviewed couples combo with a lot of real feedback behind it.

So, is this couple worth it?

Yes, for almost everyone. At $94.98 for both, you're getting two instantly recognizable costumes with a lot of positive reviews. The dress is the standout, with very strong feedback for a $59.99 costume. The Beetlejuice suit is a bargain at $34.99, as long as you check the waist size and don't mind snug sleeves.

I'll admit I was surprised by how many people fought with the same plastic hoop. It's a small piece, but it's clearly caused more frustration than anything else in either costume. The good news is that the dress looks great without it, according to the people who gave up.

So measure your waist and size up for Beetlejuice if you're close to the top of a range. Look very closely at the hem for Lydia's hoop slot, or skip it and grab a petticoat. Get the wigs and some white face paint, and bring a bag for your phone. Then just try not to say his name three times in a row. You know what happens.