A nun costume comes down to 3 pieces: a long black habit, a black veil with a white band across the forehead, and a cross on a cord. The hem should reach the ankle; any shorter and it stops reading as a habit. Our Women's Nun Costume puts all 3 in one pack.
Between July 6 and October 3, 2026, Google showed our store to US shoppers more than twice as often for "nun outfit" as for "nun costume". Some of those searches ask what the pieces are called, so we start there. You can browse every look in our religious costumes range; more ideas sit in our best Halloween costumes guide.
Table of Contents
- What are the parts of a nun outfit called?
- How do you build a classic nun costume?
- How do you make a nun costume scary?
- What does the priest half of a couples costume need?
- How do you dress a group as nuns?
- How do you keep a religious costume respectful?
- Which size fits, and how do you wash each piece?
- Frequently asked questions
What are the parts of a nun outfit called?
A nun's whole outfit is called a habit, and a traditional one is built from 5 main parts: the tunic, scapular, coif, veil, and cincture, with the wimple and guimpe sitting inside the coif.
- Tunic: the loose central dress that drapes to the ground (Wikipedia, Religious habit). In a costume, the long black dress or robe.
- Scapular: a chest-wide strip of cloth hanging front and back to just above the feet (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912). Our sets leave it out.
- Coif: a hood-like cap worn under the veil (Merriam-Webster). On a costume, the white band at the forehead.
- Wimple (part of the coif): a cloth covering the head, neck, and chin (Merriam-Webster). The white face frame.
- Guimpe (part of the coif): a short, cape-like panel over the chest (Wikipedia, Religious habit). A costume's white collar stands in for it.
- Veil: the drape pinned over the coif. Professed sisters commonly wear black and novices white; costumes copy the black.
- Cincture: the belt, in leather, wool, or cord.
How do you build a classic nun costume?
A classic nun costume is built in 5 steps, from the hem up. Costume money is serious money this year: the National Retail Federation forecasts $4.4 billion in US Halloween costume spending for 2026, pet costumes included (NRF, 2026 Halloween survey).
- Start with a long black habit, hemmed at the ankle.
- Add the veil and white band. Center the band so the veil hangs evenly.
- Finish the neckline in white. A round collar or a neck cover frames the face.
- Hang a cross on a cord. Center it on the chest.
- Wear plain black shoes. Flats or low heels.
Here are 3 ways to get there from our range: 2 complete sets, and a headpiece for anyone who already owns a long black dress.
| Women's Nun Costume | Women's Nun Robe Costume | Adult Nun Habit Headpiece | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the pack | Long black dress with white collar, headdress, cross necklace | Full-length black robe, veil headpiece, gold rope belt, cross necklace | Headband with attached black veil |
| You add | Black shoes | Black shoes | Long black dress, white collar, cross, shoes |
| Sizes | Extra Small to XXL on the size selector | Extra Small to 3XL on the size selector | One size, fits most adults up to XL |
| Care | Hand wash, air dry | Hand wash in cool water, air dry flat | Spot clean only |
The full classic look in one pack
The Women's Nun Costume covers steps 1 to 4: a long black dress with a white collar, a headdress with a white band and a long black veil, and a cross necklace, all in 100% polyester.
The robe set, with a rope belt
The Women's Nun Robe Costume adds the cincture. In the pack: a full-length black robe, a veil headpiece with a white neck cover, a gold rope belt that adjusts at the waist, and a cross necklace. It is 100% polyester with reinforced stitching.
The build-your-own route: the Adult Nun Habit Headpiece is the veil on its own, a headband with a white band at the front and a black veil attached, 36 inches wide and 20 inches long laid flat. One size, fits most adults up to XL. The pack is the headpiece only, so pair it with your own long black dress, a white collar, and a cross.
How do you make a nun costume scary?
You make a nun costume scary with make-up: keep the classic habit and change the face. Steps 1 to 4 follow a theatrical make-up tutorial (Mehron half-face zombie tutorial); step 5 is our own finish:
- Apply a white water-activated base with a damp sponge.
- Draw the outline of the eye sockets and cheekbones in black, then blur the edges while wet.
- Shade inside the eye sockets with a dark pigment, stopping at the bone around the eye.
- Add white to the areas you want to raise, so the sockets sink further.
- Finish with pale or gray lips.
The US Food and Drug Administration adds two safety points. Test new face paint with a dab on your arm a couple of days ahead, and believe any "not for use near the eyes" label (FDA, novelty makeup). Skip non-prescription colored contacts: the FDA classes decorative lenses as medical devices that need a prescription, and warns that infections from them can cause blindness (FDA, decorative contact lenses). More dark looks are in our scary Halloween costumes guide.
What does the priest half of a couples costume need?
An everyday priest look needs only dark clothes and a white clerical collar: day to day, priests wear a black cassock or plain dark clothing with one (Wikipedia, Religious habit). The long, narrow stole with a cross on it is worn for Mass and the sacraments (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912). Color signals rank: priests wear black, and cardinals wear scarlet for ceremonies (Wikipedia, Cassock).
A clergy look over your own clothes
The Mens Vicar Costume sits over your own clothes. It holds a black bib with a white ring collar, a white scarf with gold crosses worn like a stole, a cross necklace, and glasses. The kit is named for a vicar, the Anglican parish priest, and in that tradition the bib is called a rabat, a vest or shirtfront worn by clergy (Episcopal Church glossary). Wear it over a black top or jacket so the sleeves match.
The statement half: pope robes
The Men's Pope Robes Costume is the red-and-white option: a white robe under a red and gold ceremonial cape with gold crosses, and a tall mitre hat. It is polyester with some stretch and leaves room to layer underneath.
Every pairing works:
| Nun look | Partner look | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Nun Costume | Mens Vicar Costume over a black top | A classic parish pair |
| Women's Nun Robe Costume | Men's Pope Robes Costume | A ceremonial, dressed-up pair |
| Either nun set with scary make-up | Mens Vicar Costume with matching make-up | A haunted parish pair |
More two-person ideas: our best couples Halloween costumes.
How do you dress a group as nuns?
Dress a nun group in one black-and-white palette and vary the details. Mix the 2 complete sets above with the headpiece on a black dress, and the group reads as one convent, not identical outfits.
- The parish: add one Mens Vicar Costume as the priest.
- The procession: the Men's Pope Robes Costume at the center, nuns on either side.
- Classic to spooky: same costumes, graded make-up, from a clean face at one end to the full 5-step skull at the other.
More themes for big crews: our group Halloween costume ideas.
How do you keep a religious costume respectful?
A religious costume stays respectful when it plays the look, not the faith. Nuns and priests are real people with real vocations.
- Keep the habit long, as both sets above are, and the cut traditional.
- Leave prayer, sacraments, and scripture out of the act.
- Wear it to the party, not to a place of worship.
- If you go scary, let the 5-step make-up carry the fright, not the faith.
Which size fits, and how do you wash each piece?
The nun sets' size ranges are in the table above; check the chart on the page you buy from. Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks. Every fabric piece takes a cold hand wash and an air dry, with two exceptions: the headpiece is spot clean only, and the mitre just needs storing somewhere cool and dry.
- Both nun sets: hand wash, then dry flat or hang; no tumble dryer. The robe set calls for cool water, with the necklace off.
- Men's Pope Robes Costume: Medium and Large. Hand wash the robe and cape separately, then dry flat.
- Mens Vicar Costume: one kit worn over your own clothes. Hand wash the bib and scarf, then dry flat.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nun's outfit called?
A nun's outfit is called a habit, built from 5 main parts. The long dress is the tunic, the white piece framing the face is the wimple, and the black drape over the head is the veil. Most habits also have a belt called a cincture, and many add a scapular over the tunic.
How do you make a nun costume scary?
Keep the classic habit and change the face: a white base, dark shaded eye sockets, outlined cheekbones, and pale or gray lips. Patch test new face paint a couple of days ahead, and skip non-prescription colored contacts, which the FDA regulates as medical devices.
What do you need for a priest costume?
A priest costume needs dark clothes and a white clerical collar; a cross necklace and a stole finish it. Our Mens Vicar Costume is a kit you wear over your own black top: a black bib with a white collar, a white scarf with gold crosses, a cross necklace, and glasses.
What goes with a nun costume for couples?
A priest or a pope goes with a nun costume. The Mens Vicar Costume makes a classic parish pair, and the Men's Pope Robes Costume, with its cape and tall mitre, makes a ceremonial one.
How do you wash a nun costume?
Take the cross necklace off, hand wash the dress or robe, and let it air dry; skip the tumble dryer. The Women's Nun Robe Costume calls for cool water. The Adult Nun Habit Headpiece is spot clean only, so store it flat to keep the veil's shape.
