"I don’t know if this is embarrassing to admit or not, but I’ve been obsessed with American Girl dolls for about 30 years. As a millennial born in 1992, my childhood was smack dab in the golden years of popularity for the brand’s historical dolls—and I couldn’t get enough. I was gifted my first American Girl, Samantha Parkington, at age 6 and have, basically, been making the fact that I’m “a Samantha” a core tenet of my personality ever since. So when the iconic company announced the launch of their new American Girl doll Halloween costumes for adults and kids this week, it essentially broke the internet—and made millennial girlies all over the country (including myself!) grab their wallets and hit *add to cart*.
When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to collect several historical American Girl dolls thanks to a generous Santa and a family member who worked at Pleasant Company’s headquarters (I seriously owe ya, Aunt Barb!). But my love for AG didn’t stop there. As I grew into adulthood and millennial-driven content surrounding American Girl nostalgia started making waves online, I was brought right back to my days of hanging with my gals Samantha, Molly, Addy, and Kit. From Buzzfeed quizzes titled ‘Which American Girl Doll Are You?’ to meme IG accounts like @modernamericangirldolls, the brand remains one of my favorites—and I can’t wait to introduce my own kids to the magic of American Girl when I become a mom one day.
Though I never dressed up as an American Girl doll for halloween back in AG’s heyday, I will admit I’ve considered it more than once or twice as an adult. But unless you went all-in on a homemade outfit or thrifted a vintage Pleasant Company costume like some very impressive ladies on the internet have, there wasn’t an easy way to dress up as your favorite doll—until now. Read on for everything you need to know about American Girl’s new Halloween costumes, plus shop some other fun adult American Girl merch!
Does American Girl sell Halloween costumes?
Yes! On Wednesday, October 2, the official @AmericanGirlBrand Instagram account announced the launch of their new American Girl doll Halloween costumes for adults and kids by posting a photo carousel of models wearing the outfits with the caption, “Dress as favorite AG characters this Halloween with costumes for kids and adults 🎃.”
The post immediately garnered lots of excitement and attention from fans who have been long-awaiting the day American Girl would create adult costumes. “AMAZING!!!” IG user @carly commented with another, @agbob_dollpants, similarly adding, “These are so fun!! I dressed up as Molly for Halloween when I was in the 5th grade and I still have such fond memories from it ❤️.” Another iconic doll, Barbie, even chimed into the convo by commenting, “Love it! 👏” from the official @barbie Instagram account.
According to the Instagram post, the brand is currently selling eight Halloween costumes modeled after American Girl’s collection of historical dolls. In adult sizes, fans can choose from Kirsten Larson from 1854, Kit Kittredge from 1934, Molly McIntire from 1944, and Samantha Parkington from 1904. Additionally, kids can choose costumes for Courtney Moore from 1986, Julie Albright from 1974, Maryellen Larkin from 1954, and Melody Ellison from 1964.
Some commenters were quick to lament that a few of their most-loved OG historical dolls didn’t make the costume-selection cut, including Felicity Merriman from 1774, Addy Walker from 1864, and Josefina Montoya from 1824. “JUSTICE 👏 FOR 👏 FELICITY 👏,” @katie_n_straub wrote. “We need Josefina!!!!” @lilypace added.
You also might be thinking it’s hard to believe that American Girl hasn’t sold Halloween costumes prior to this launch—but it’s true! When I was little, the brand made outfits for girls that matched some of the historical dolls’ looks, but those have since been discontinued. The AG website still offers clothes in girls’ sizes, including some doll and kid matching outfits, but this is the first time they’ve offered official costumes, especially in adult sizes. “These are amazing! I never had one of the Pleasant Company dress like your doll outfits, so to finally be able to match my childhood Samantha doll is a dream come true!” @angibelle1 commented on their announcement post.
Where can I buy American Girl doll Halloween costumes?
The new American Girl halloween costumes for adults and kids are manufactured by Rubies and available for purchase at Target, Amazon, and Costumes.com. In addition to the eight historical doll costumes—which include the doll’s full outfit, excluding shoes—the website also offers accessories like matching wigs for Kirsten, Kit, Molly, Samantha, Julie, and Courtney. The best part? You can also buy a ‘Doll Box Costume’ that is, quite literally, a plush American Girl doll box that you can add on top of any of the character costumes to really complete your look!
With some variation depending on the retailer, the adult costumes cost about $38-$44, with Kirsten’s outfit currently a bit more expensive at $58, likely due to its added accessories. The kids costumes range from $32-$38, the wigs are $15-$25, and the doll box costume is $32-$38.
Shop the American Girl Halloween Costumes below!
What sizes do the American Girl doll Halloween costumes come in?
The American Girl doll Halloween costumes are available in adult sizes small, medium, large, and extra-large and the kids sizes include extra-small, small, medium, and large. The accessories, including the matching wigs and the doll costume box, are all one size fits most.
Despite many AG fans’ excitement over these new costumes, some are understandably disappointed that the outfits aren’t available in a bigger size range, including plus sizes for women. “Plus sizes please! We’re tired of being an afterthought when so so so many of us fit into that category! Please be inclusive!” @vicksipixiecosplay commented on the announcement Instagram post. Another user, @laf13, echoed this sentiment by commenting, “Guysssss, I went to buy this and the XLs are sold out at every retailer. And no plus sizes. Come on. These are adorable.”
Is there more American Girl adult merch I can buy?
Yes! On July 23, 2024, American Girl revealed on TikTok that the beloved brand had launched adult merchandise on Amazon. “We heard you! 🤗 Adult clothing is now available on our Amazon shop 😍,” the post, which now has more than 114,000 views, announced. Not surprisingly, tons of women who loved playing with American Girl dolls as a kid flocked to the comments to exclaim their happiness over the adorably-designed tees and hoodies. “BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!” @lauraownby commented. Another TikTok user, @intuitivelynourishedrd, added, “My childhood 🥰🥰.”
Most of the adult merch in the AG Amazon shop includes nostalgic branding and features the OG historical dolls, giving millennial shoppers all the girlhood feels. There are T-shirts showcasing the original dolls—Molly, Kirsten, Josefina, Addy, Samantha, and Felicity—with sayings like “All my friends are dolls” and “The original fashion influencers” and items with the throwback Pleasant Company and American Girl logos. There’s also doll-specific tees that say “I’m a Samantha” or “I’m a Kirsten” as well as an option that simply states, “Proud to be an American Girl.” My personal favorite of the bunch? The collection of T-shirts adorned with the book cover of each historical doll’s accompanying story (remember those?!). Whatever you choose to purchase, these pieces are clearly designed with us ’90s gals in mind and might just be a must-add to your (or a friend’s!) closet.
Shop More Adult American Girl Merch Below!
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With more than 10 years of editorial experience, Julia is passionate about bringing motherhood stories to life and providing moms with interesting and informative parenting content. Prior to joining The Everygirl Media Group in 2019, she served as Executive Editor at Closer Weekly. As The Everymom’s Senior Managing Editor, Julia helps manage the brand’s editorial calendar and content strategy.