Help identifying the age of this vintage Halloween outfit?

[Azhurel]

I’m trying to dress up in a historically accurate early 20th century Halloween costume. Could you guys perhaps identify the age of the photo based on the clothing? My guess is early 1930s. I’m going to try to remake the short one in front’s outfit. Any tips or ideas as to exactly what he’s wearing would also be greatly appreciated!
So far I believe this is his outfit, but I may be wrong:
-Wool Overcoat
-White scarf
-White Button Up
-Short boy shorts, likely plaid or wool
-Wool stockings
-Black leather Mary Jane shoes

 

[Azhurel]

I can't give you a date for this photo but I wanted to let you know about 'Haunted Air', the most fantastic book of old Halloween photos.

This Photo was in Haunted Air actually

 

[lkranieri]

I am just taking a wild guess as to the age, based largely upon the style of the photo and would suggest it is from the very early 1920s.

Also, I think the child in the front and the person right behind that child are female, primarily because of their shoes and what looks like a bracelet on the arm of the person behind the little child. Also, I think the child in front is wearing a skirt, rather than boy shorts.

The figure on the far right seems to be wearing masculine shoes and seems to have large hands, so I think that might be a male.

 

[Azhurel]

I am just taking a wild guess as to the age, based largely upon the style of the photo and would suggest it is from the very early 1920s.

Also, I think the child in the front and the person right behind that child are female, primarily because of their shoes and what looks like a bracelet on the arm of the person behind the little child. Also, I think the child in front is wearing a skirt, rather than boy shorts.

The figure on the far right seems to be wearing masculine shoes and seems to have large hands, so I think that might be a male.

Early 1920s huh? Interesting! And you seem to be correct on the skirt part, so I think I’ll switch it over to boy shorts for the costume as I am a male afterall

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Hmmmm, why do these old Halloween costumes look so much creepier than the current slasher/bloody/etc costumes we see today??

 

[Jonathan]

I agree that its more likely 20s because of the Mary-Jane shoes, and that the figure is a girl, but they have added a boy's jacket over her dress.

 

[Azhurel]

Donna, this is fascinating for me as well. The new costumes are perfect with the most sophisticated looking blades and accessories yet they don't send a shiver like the old costumes.

For instance, those white hoods with three uneven holes scare the hell out of me. This has to be psychological?? Right?? But why? It is a piece of cotton with three holes!

Perhaps the eerie feeling of the “unknown” associated with vintage pictures due to us modern day people not being able to relate to the time period, mixed in with the sloppy handmade look of the costumes giving the appearance it was made by a psychopath (despite it simply being a lack of better costume making equipment) as opposed to these modern costumes which look like they were made, by a factory...because they were.

 

[Azhurel]

I agree that its more likely 20s because of the Mary-Jane shoes, and that the figure is a girl, but they have added a boy's jacket over her dress.

Ok good to know, i’ll begin to refer to it as 1920s Halloween costume! Although my theory was that perhaps those were hand me down clothes from an earlier era despite the photo being taken in the 1930s. Afterall, with the massive economic downfall of the 1930s I’m sure hand me down clothes made in the 20s would be far more likely to be used in a costume. Unless of course it was just the girl’s normal attire minus the mask. I don’t really know if they made entire costumes back then or not.