Modest Purim Costume Ideas for Women and Girls

Every year I tell myself I'll plan our Purim costumes early, and every year I end up pulling things together the week before. Over time I've learned that the best modest costumes don't come from a costume store at all. They start with a long skirt or dress you already love, and the costume is built on top.

Store-bought women's costumes are often short, sleeveless or low cut, so it's usually easier (and cheaper) to put your own together. Here are the ideas that have worked best for me and my girls, plus a few tips for getting through a long day of mishloach manos runs and the seudah in comfort.

Start with a modest base

Almost every costume below starts with the same simple pieces. If you have these, you're most of the way there:

• A long skirt or maxi dress in a solid color. Black, cream, navy, brown and deep red are the most versatile.
• A fitted long-sleeve top or shell with a high neckline to layer under anything with a wider neck or shorter sleeves.
• Opaque tights and comfortable flat shoes. You'll be on your feet for hours.
• A headscarf, snood or hat if you cover your hair. Many costumes look even better with a themed head covering.

Once the base is set, the costume comes from one or two strong details: a cape, an apron, a crown, a color story. That keeps it modest and keeps it easy.

Queen Esther (the classic)

There's a reason Queen Esther shows up at every Purim party. It's the most natural modest costume there is.

• Wear a long flowing dress in a rich color like gold, burgundy, emerald or royal blue. Velvet and satin look especially regal.
• Add a long cape or a sheer scarf draped over the shoulders.
• Finish with a crown or tiara and some statement jewelry. If you cover your hair, a crown sits beautifully over a smooth wrapped scarf.

For little girls, a party dress in their favorite color plus a crown is all it takes. Moms and daughters both dressed as queens is one of the sweetest family looks.

Storybook and fairy tale characters

Classic storybook characters already dress modestly, which makes them perfect for Purim.

• Little Red Riding Hood: a long dark skirt, a white blouse and a red hooded cape. Carry a basket and use it for mishloach manos.
• Snow White: a navy top with puffed long sleeves, a long yellow skirt and a red headband or bow.
• Cinderella before the ball: a long brown or gray skirt, a simple top, an apron and a kerchief. Kids love carrying a little broom.
• Belle: a long blue dress with a white apron, or a gold gown for the ball version.

Most of these use pieces you can find at home or pick up second hand, and they're easy to adapt for any age.

Vintage and decade looks

Fashion from the past was often naturally modest, so decade costumes are a favorite of mine.

• 1950s housewife: a full midi or long skirt, a cardigan or fitted blouse, pearls, a scarf tied in the hair and an apron.
• 1920s lady: a long drop-waist dress, long gloves, a beaded headband and a string of pearls.
• Victorian lady: a high-neck lace blouse, a long dark skirt, a shawl and a small hat or bonnet.
• Pioneer girl: a long calico or floral dress, a white apron and a bonnet. This one is a hit with little girls.

Search for photos from the decade you pick and copy one or two details like the hairstyle or jewelry. The details are what make it read as a costume.

Professions and everyday heroes

These are easy to put together, comfortable to wear all day and fun for kids.

• Baker or chef: a long skirt, a white top, an apron and a chef's hat. Bonus points if your mishloach manos are baked goods.
• Doctor or nurse: scrubs top over a long skirt, or a white coat over a simple dress, with a toy stethoscope.
• Teacher: a cardigan, glasses, a long skirt and a stack of books or a little chalkboard.
• Artist: a smock or oversized button-down shirt over a long skirt, a beret and a paint palette.
• Flight attendant: a navy dress or skirt suit, a neck scarf and a little hat.

Easy family and group themes

Matching costumes are a big part of Purim for many families, and themes make it easy to coordinate everyone from babies to grandparents.

• Garden theme: mom as a gardener with a straw hat and apron, girls as flowers with petal headbands, boys as bees or ladybugs.
• Royal court: a queen, princesses, a king and a few knights.
• Bakery: a baker, cupcakes, a donut and a loaf of bread.
• Seasons or colors: each person dresses head to toe in one color or as one season.

Themes also help with mishloach manos. Many families match their packages to their costumes, which makes the whole day feel pulled together.

Tips for a comfortable, modest Purim

A few lessons from years of Purim mornings:

• Do a sit-down test. Sit, bend and lift your arms in the full costume before the day. Capes and skirts can shift more than you expect.
• Layer for the weather. Purim can still be chilly. Plan a coat that goes with the costume, or make the coat part of it, like a cape or a long cardigan.
• Choose comfortable shoes. Between deliveries, shul and the seudah, you'll be walking a lot. Flats or low boots beat heels.
• Skip anything itchy for kids. Line scratchy tulle or sequins with a soft long-sleeve tee and leggings so little ones don't want to take it off by 10 AM.
• Keep makeup and props simple. One great prop, like a basket, crown or wand, does more than a whole bag of accessories.

Reuse what you already have

The best part of building costumes around your own wardrobe is that nothing goes to waste. The velvet dress from your Queen Esther costume works for Shabbos and simchas all winter. The cape becomes a cozy layer. The long skirts go right back into your closet.

Start with what you have, add one or two fun details, and you'll have a costume that feels like you: pretty, comfortable and modest from morning to night. Freilichen Purim!

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