Halloween Outfit With Retro Vibes

Creating the Perfect Halloween Outfit

I was inclined to check out Etsy for unique Halloween finds. I’ve shopped at Etsy for awhile now and they have a huge selection of the most classy, quirky, and custom items I have ever seen. I absolutely love it. While looking for a Halloween top I ran across the shop Mischief Made. Guys, I am literally obsessed. Mischief Made has a great selection of fun t-shirts and sweaters. She revolves her shop around pin-up girls and I just can’t get over it. I love pin-up & Halloween so this shop is the perfect mix. She even has Halloween cardigans. I mean seriously so cute! I’m linking just a few of my favorite items from this shop below, including the pin-up witch shirt I’m wearing.

Another Day, Another Circle Skirt

Once I found this retro Halloween t-shirt, I needed to complete my outfit. In keeping with the pin-up theme I knew I wanted to have a circle skirt. I was hoping I could find something similar to Modcloths retro Halloween skirts on Amazon for cheaper but…they were all just so tacky. That was not what I was going for. So I decided why not make another circle skirt? I’ve made a handful of them now so why not one for Halloween? This time however, I decided I didn’t want an elastic waistband…oh boy. What did I get myself into. I knew I wanted this skirt to be perfect so I was sure to take my time. There were two pin-up-esque Halloween fabrics that I looked at using. I took to Instagram to have you guys help me pick which fabric to use! The orange pin-up fabric from Spoonflower just narrowly won. But honestly it goes together so well. Needless to say, I wish I could dress for Halloween longer because I adore this outfit.

Shop the Look:

Circle Skirt with Zipper Instructions

So I’ll be honest, I didn’t really follow any one set of instructions. I mostly made it up as I went from my original circle skirt DIY with an elastic band. But I’ll try my best to break it down simply, logically, and in a way that’s easy to understand.

What You’ll Need: Minimum of 2 yards of fabric, zipper, thread

1. Measure your waist (where you want the skirt to sit) and divide that number by 6.28.
2. Cut the Skirt – Fold your fabric into 4ths. In the corner measure your number calculated in Step 1 and mark where to cut. (Pictures and details here). Measure from the top cut the desired length of the skirt. This length is right at about 17″.
3. Cut the Waist Band – This should be your waist measurement plus extra. Better to have extra length than too little! Add 7inches to be safe.
4. Attach the Waist Band – Use an iron to create finished seams. Then pin the waist band to the top of the circle skirt. Leave the back (where the zipper will go) un-pinned.
5. Cut & Pin Your Zipper – Cut a straight line down the back of your circle skirt where the zipper will go. Follow instructions on how to pin the zipper (or just wing it like I did. Those instructions were wayyy confusing).
6. Sew the Skirt – I started with attaching the waistband, then I attached the zipper, and finished with the top seam of the waistband. I didn’t finish the bottom of the skirt yet as I’m afraid it’ll be too short.

So like I said, I mostly just made it up as I went. If you’ve made a basic circle skirt with elastic before it’s pretty simple to figure out how to add a zipper. Most importantly be sure to measure & pin twice, cut & sew once. I hope this helps and I’d love to see your circle skirt creations!

Find a more complete Circle Skirt DIY here.