Aliens are the most forgiving costume a man can pick. Nobody can tell you your extraterrestrial is wrong, so you get to be funny, sleek, creepy or completely strange with the same handful of tricks: coloured skin, an odd head shape, big eyes and one prop. The thirty ideas below run from closet-based outfits you can pull together tonight to fuller DIY builds, retro space looks and a few party characters. For each one I've covered the clothes, the head, the makeup, the accessories and the shoes. Where it matters I'll tell you when face paint beats a mask, because a full rubber head looks great for one photo and miserable for the next four hours.
How Much of Your Face Should Turn Green
Most of these costumes rely on face paint, and plenty of men have never worn makeup before. It's easier than it looks if you do it in the right order, and the removal matters as much as the application.
Putting it on
- Patch-test the paint on your inner arm the day before, especially the bright greens and blues.
- Shave a couple of hours ahead, not right before, so the skin isn't raw. Paint catches in stubble and looks patchy over it.
- Start with clean, moisturised skin and a light sponge. Build two thin coats instead of one thick one; thick paint cracks once you start talking.
- Carry the colour into the hairline, behind the ears and down onto the neck and chest as far as your collar opens.
- Press translucent setting powder over the top. It cuts the shine and stops most of the transfer onto collars, cups and other people.
Bald cap or no bald cap
A bald cap gives the smooth alien skull, but it's warm and the edge has to be blended or it shows as a ridge across the forehead. If you have short hair and a beanie-shaped head, temporary hair colour or a close skullcap is far less fuss. Long hair needs to be slicked flat and pinned before any cap goes on.
Taking it off
Water-based paint comes off with soap and warm water, but the colour lingers around the nose and hairline. Massage in a cleansing balm or oil first, wipe with a dark washcloth you don't mind staining, then wash. Do it the same night; sleeping in green paint leaves it on your pillow and your skin cranky.
1. Classic Green Alien Costume
Start here if you've never worn face paint before. A fitted green shirt with matching joggers, leggings or a stretch bodysuit is the base, and water-based green paint covers every bit of exposed skin, worked well behind the ears and down the neck, which is where most people stop short and give the game away. A bald cap smooths the head, and an antenna headband on top adds the cartoon note. Black eyeliner stretches the eye shape and a little silver shadow catches the cheekbones. Add green gloves, metallic boot covers over sneakers, and a painted cardboard ray gun. It's a costume you can finish in an afternoon.
2. Gray Alien Costume With Black Eyes
The grey visitor is the quiet, serious alien, the one with the big skull and the black eyes. A smooth grey bodysuit works, or a grey compression shirt with fitted pants. A tall bald cap or an elongated foam headpiece gives you the oversized head. Carry the grey paint across the neck and the backs of the hands, then shade under the cheekbones with charcoal and keep the lips pale. Big black wraparound sunglasses do the eyes without the blind spots a full mask gives you. Grey gloves, soft black boots and a 'communicator' made from a painted remote finish it. This is the one I'd pick for a man who wants to look eerie rather than goofy.
3. Silver Space Alien Costume
Silver is the most futuristic colour you can wear and the least forgiving. Metallic pants with a matching long-sleeve top, or a one-piece jumpsuit, form the base. Build a belt from silver webbing, foam panels and coloured plastic buttons. Spray the hair up with temporary silver colour or cover it with a smooth silver skullcap, and draw thin geometric lines across the face with a blue cosmetic pencil, with reflective shadow at the temples. Mirrored glasses, silver gloves and high-tops wrapped in removable metallic fabric finish the outfit, and a clear plastic orb or a lit tablet makes a harmless prop. Size up a touch in metallic knits. They show every wrinkle and seam line when they're tight, and party lights pick out all of it.
4. Blue Ice Alien Costume
An ice alien reads as cold the moment you walk in, which makes it a good contrast to the loud neon costumes at a party. Wear a pale blue turtleneck and matching pants under a translucent white or icy blue cape. Blue face paint goes on first, with white blended along the forehead, nose and cheekbones, and a short white wig or temporary white spray gives you sharp contrast. Foam crystals at the shoulders and cuffs need soft, bendable edges, since rigid points will catch on everyone you squeeze past. White gloves, clear goggles and silver snow boots or high-tops finish it. Carry a light translucent staff with a blunt tip, or a glowing acrylic orb. A little iridescent shadow around the eyes adds depth.
5. Purple Galaxy Alien Costume
The galaxy alien is a painting project as much as a costume. Pick a purple jumpsuit, or a fitted mock-neck with black pants sponged with blue, pink and white nebula clouds. I use fabric paint and a kitchen sponge for that, and I let each layer dry before the next, or the colours turn to mud. Lavender face paint, deeper purple at the eyes and jaw, and silver dots at the temples like constellations. For the head, take a purple mohawk wig, temporary colour or a sculpted foam crest. Black gloves, metallic ankle boots, a wide belt with painted planets and a glowing sphere complete it. A short star-print cape adds movement, and none of it stops you from sitting down at the table.
6. Red Mars Alien Costume
A Mars alien should look as if he's been out in the dust for a week. Begin with a rust-red utility jumpsuit, or a red shirt with cargo pants, and paint the face brick red with orange highlights and soft brown contour. Spike temporary red colour through the hair, or wear a flexible ridged headpiece. A tan harness, fingerless red gloves and scuffed boot covers make him an explorer, and a foam rock-sample case or a map tube is all the prop he needs. Push the goggles up onto the forehead. They add character and they're far more comfortable than wearing them over the eyes all night. Keep the makeup stylised; a few smudges of brown read better than an attempt at real grime.
7. Neon Alien Costume
This is the one for a crowded, dark party. Start with a black jumpsuit and run lines of neon green, pink and electric blue fabric tape across it. Fabric tape holds far better on a cotton blend than on slick polyester, so check the label before you buy. Add a bright green wig or UV-reactive hair colour, a vivid face base with clean geometric lines drawn at the eyes and temples, neon glasses, glow bracelets and a light antenna headband. Black gloves and high-tops with fluorescent laces finish it. For a lit chest panel, put battery string lights behind a sheet of translucent plastic and keep every wire enclosed, with the battery pack in a pocket you can reach. It's comfortable enough to dance in all night.
8. Retro 1950s Alien Costume
The 1950s alien is pure B-movie poster: bold shapes, simple colours, nothing realistic. Choose a bright green or silver jumpsuit with a wide metallic belt and exaggerated foam shoulders. A smooth bald cap with two springy antennae, light green paint and sharply arched eyebrows do the head. Round silver goggles give you the big-eye look and still let you see. Metallic gloves, silver rain boots and a short cape lined in red finish it, and a cardboard control box covered in dials, switches and bottle caps is the prop. A roomy jumpsuit is also the best costume in this list for a cold night, because a hoodie and thermals fit underneath without changing the silhouette.
9. Area 51 Escapee Alien Costume
The Area 51 escapee is the grey alien with a sense of humour, and it costs very little. Wear a grey bodysuit or fitted sweatsuit under an oversized white hospital-style gown, with a grey bald cap, black wraparound glasses and matching paint on the neck and hands. Print a made-up ID number on a paper badge, and leave real government seals out of it. Loose medical-style pants and grey slip-ons keep it comfortable. Carry a cardboard file folder with nonsense symbols or a foam 'evidence' container. The trick that sells it is the state of the gown: rumple it, roll one sleeve halfway and leave a tie undone so it looks as if you left in a hurry. Charcoal shading at the temples adds a bit of alien structure.
10. Alien Tourist Costume
An alien on holiday is the easiest laugh in the list. Pair a green shirt and pants with a loud tropical button-down worn open over the top, paint the face and hands green, and add a bald cap or short green wig. Then pile on the tourist kit: oversized sunglasses, a bucket hat, a camera on a strap, white crew socks with sandals or bright sneakers. The belt bag is the most useful piece here, because it holds your phone, keys and candy and still counts as costume. Carry a folded paper map of imaginary planets and look amazed by everything. Silver freckles or small antennae add the alien detail. Paint smudges on a shirt collar, so a dark-coloured shirt under the tropical one hides it best.
11. Alien Businessman Costume
This is the alien I'd send to an office party. A black, navy or charcoal suit with a brightly coloured shirt and a metallic tie, green or grey paint over the face, ears and neck, and a smooth bald cap. Black oval sunglasses become huge alien eyes, and silver contour makes the skin look slightly synthetic. Matching gloves and polished black shoes keep it sharp. Carry a slim briefcase plastered with planetary travel stickers, or a clipboard of strange charts, and clip a tiny communicator to the lapel. Wear your own suit, not a rented one, and put a towel round the collar while you paint. Face paint rubs onto a white shirt collar within the hour, so a coloured shirt is the safer bet for the suit you'll want to wear again.
12. Alien Cowboy Costume
Western wear and cosmic details make a mash-up most people haven't seen. Wear a green or blue button-down with black jeans, a metallic vest and cowboy boots you can actually walk in. Paint your face to match and slide a foam antenna headband under a silver cowboy hat; the hat brim hides the headband nicely. Geometric makeup at the eyes takes the place of the usual western moustache. A reflective belt with a big planet-shaped buckle anchors the waist. Skip toy guns; a coiled silver rope, a foam horseshoe or a glowing 'space ranch' sign does the job. Metallic gloves, star-print boot covers and a galaxy bandanna at the neck finish it. It's a strong, wearable silhouette, which is why I like it for men who don't usually dress up.
13. Alien Astronaut Costume
Flip the story and put the alien inside the spacesuit. Start with a white, orange or silver utility jumpsuit and add handmade mission patches from an imaginary planet. Paint the face blue, green or grey with small dots along the forehead. Whatever helmet you use, it has to be open at the face or a clear, vented hood, because a sealed bubble fogs up within minutes and you'll be carrying it under your arm all night. Matching gloves, a painted-box backpack and sturdy white sneakers or boots come next. Let silver hair colour show under the helmet if you skip the bald cap, run flexible hoses from the backpack to the belt, and carry a little flag with your planet's symbol.
14. Alien Scientist Costume
The alien scientist is built mostly from things in a normal wardrobe. Layer a white lab coat over a bright teal shirt and dark fitted pants, paint the face pale green or lavender, and add silver eyebrows and a few constellation dots at the temples. A high swept-back wig or temporary colour changes the profile. Goggles go on the forehead, with coloured gloves and black sneakers or nonslip work shoes. Fill the pockets with plastic test tubes holding rolled coloured paper rather than liquid, since liquid always finds its way out. Carry a clipboard of 'human observations' or a clear tub of foam moon rocks, and pin a glowing badge on the chest. If the lab coat is borrowed, keep the face paint off its collar with a dusting of setting powder.
15. Alien Mechanic Costume
The mechanic is the alien for a man who'd rather wear workwear than a bodysuit. Take navy or grey coveralls and add reflective tape, planet patches and painted control symbols. Blue face paint with darker contour along the jaw, plus a short matching wig or a flexible fin headpiece, gives you the alien. A utility belt carries plastic tools, foam gears and bits of a flashlight. Goggles, sturdy gloves and work boots with removable metallic covers come next, and a foam wrench in bright colours is the prop, not a real steel one. Dust silver pigment lightly over the cheeks and sleeves to suggest engine work. Coveralls are also easy to size: buy them a size up and they'll go over a sweater on a cold night.
16. Alien King Costume
The alien king is all about the entrance. A deep emerald, royal blue or purple tunic over fitted black pants, a long metallic cape and a wide belt studded with imitation gems and planet symbols. Paint the face to coordinate and catch the cheekbones in silver. The crown can be tall and strange, with soft antennae, curved foam shapes or clear plastic crystals, but it has to be anchored. I put a slicked-back wig or bald cap underneath and pin or tie the crown through it, otherwise it tips forward every time you nod. Matching gloves and sleek black or silver boots, plus a light orb or rounded foam sceptre. Keep the patterns geometric so he looks interplanetary rather than like a fairy-tale king.
17. Alien Rock Star Costume
A cosmic rock star should bounce light off every surface. Build the alien rock star costume with metallic pants, a sequined jacket and a fitted black or brightly coloured shirt, then paint the face purple, blue or green with lightning-bolt eye makeup. A tall spiked wig in silver or neon gives you the stage silhouette, and star-shaped glasses, glittery gloves and platform costume boots with stable soles add the drama. Carry a toy microphone or a painted cardboard guitar, and add a wide belt, reflective cuffs and removable shoulder pieces. Sequins shed, so check the jacket's seams before the party and trim loose threads. Avoid dangling extras that snag on furniture. It's my pick for a music-themed night.
18. Alien Athlete Costume
Sportswear makes the comfiest alien in the list. Choose a basketball, football or soccer-style kit in neon green, silver and black, and swap any real team branding for an invented planet and a big number. Paint the face green or blue with two metallic stripes under the eyes, then add a short coloured wig, a bald cap or an antenna headband. Compression sleeves, gloves, athletic socks and sneakers finish the body. Carry a light foam ball painted like a planet, small enough to tuck under one arm in a crowd. A cardboard championship belt wrapped in metallic paper is the joke. If you're going to a school event, check the face-paint rules first; this costume still works with just the headband and the stripes.
19. Alien Surfer Costume
The surfer takes beach clothes off-world. Bright board shorts over green or blue leggings, an open tropical shirt or a fitted rash guard, and matching paint on the face, neck and hands. Style a temporary neon wig into windswept waves, or wear a foam fin for a more creature-like look. Reflective sunglasses, plastic bead necklaces and a made-up surf-shop badge set the scene. Water shoes, slip-on sneakers, or sandals with coloured socks cover your feet. Carry a small foam surfboard painted with galaxies and rings, never a full-size board through a house party. Silver highlights on the cheekbones make the skin look otherworldly. Rash guards are breathable and dry fast, which makes this a strong choice for a warm night.
20. Alien Farmer Costume
The farmer gets his laugh from ordinary clothes on a very strange face. Layer denim overalls over a green or purple long-sleeve shirt with matching gloves, and paint the face the same shade with darker freckles and silver highlights. A straw hat sits over a bald cap, an antenna headband or a short bright wig. Practical work boots and a galaxy bandanna at the neck come next. Carry a light basket of foam vegetables painted neon colours, pin a made-up farm badge to the overall bib, and swap any real farm tools for a cardboard 'moon crops' sign. Straw hats scratch a bald cap and can tear it, so I line the hat band with a strip of soft felt first.
21. Insect Alien Costume
The insect alien is a foam-crafting project. Wear a black bodysuit, or a fitted shirt and pants, under flexible green, blue or purple armour panels cut from craft foam. I use thin craft foam here rather than thick EVA, since you need it to bend at the elbows and knees. Add a rounded helmet, antennae and big mesh-covered goggles, matching paint around the visible face, and small symmetrical dots near the eyes. Translucent wings can strap across the shoulders on a harness; keep them short enough for a crowded room. Claw gloves with soft foam tips, black boots with segmented shin covers and a glowing foam egg finish it. Smooth edges and bright colours keep him fantastical rather than frightening.
22. Reptilian Alien Costume
Scales and makeup get you a reptilian alien without a sweaty full-head mask. Start with a dark green fitted top and pants and attach flexible foam scales along the shoulders, forearms and outer legs in lighter green and bronze. Apply water-based green face paint and stencil a soft scale pattern across the forehead and cheekbones; a piece of fishnet stocking held against the skin makes a quick, even stencil. Slick the hair back with green colour or wear a low ridged cap. Amber costume glasses suggest reptile eyes and keep your vision clear. Soft foam claw gloves, sturdy black boots with scale covers, a metallic collar and a compact tablet complete him. Keep the expression friendly if kids will be around.
23. Aquatic Alien Costume
An aquatic alien moves well and stands apart from all the green and grey ones. Wear a fitted navy or turquoise base layer and stitch iridescent fabric panels along the arms and sides. Blue face paint with green blended around the eyes, temples and neck, and a blue wig styled back into soft ridges or a flexible fin headpiece, does the head. Clear goggles, webbed gloves and shimmering ankle cuffs carry the underwater idea, with dark water shoes or boots under scale-print covers. A clear orb stuffed with blue tissue paper, or a foam shell-shaped communicator, is the prop. Leave real shells and anything wet at home. Stitch the iridescent panels rather than gluing them; most of that fabric is slippery, and glue lets go of it.
24. Cyber Alien Costume
The cyber alien is part machine, part creature. Start with a black compression shirt and pants and attach silver foam armour to the chest, shoulders, forearms and shins, then run thin blue or green reflective tape across it like circuitry. Paint half the face grey or metallic silver and leave the other half natural or in a bold alien colour. A split face is easy to get crooked, so I mark the centre line with a pencil before any paint goes on. A slicked-back silver wig or close-fitting cap, mirrored glasses, fitted gloves and combat-style boots with light metallic covers finish the look. Add a battery light panel at the chest and a clear acrylic-style data tablet. Round off every armour edge so you can move and sit.
25. Plant Alien Costume
A plant alien comes from somewhere very green. Begin with a dark green shirt and fitted pants and layer fabric leaves across the shoulders, chest and outer legs. Paint the face green and draw yellow dots or vein lines with a cosmetic pencil, then spike temporary green colour upward with a few light vines woven through, or wear a leaf-covered hood. Gloves can get soft foam fingertips shaped like buds, and brown or green boots get fabric roots around the ankles. A tissue-paper flower lit with small battery lights is the prop. Fabric leaves stitched with a few loose tacks move with you; glued flat, they crack and peel. Keep the vines short so they don't trail or snag on chairs.
26. Lava Alien Costume
Lava looks powerful without being gory. Wear a black long-sleeve shirt and pants with branching red, orange and yellow fabric lines, and add flexible charcoal-grey foam plates on the shoulders and forearms for cooled rock. Paint the face dark grey and draw glowing orange cracks with skin-safe makeup, then add height with a black spiked wig tipped in red or a ridged foam cap. Black gloves, sturdy boots and lit wrist cuffs finish him, with a light foam crystal in warm colours as the prop. Small battery lights under translucent chest panels make the cracks glow. Dark paint over the whole face is the hardest to remove, so I'd do this one with a cleansing balm and a stack of old washcloths ready at home.
27. Cloud Alien Costume
The cloud alien is soft and a little silly. Start with pale blue pants and a fitted white or silver shirt, then attach clusters of white polyester batting to a lightweight vest. Keep the batting off the face and out of the armpits; it sheds, it's warm, and it pills fast where it rubs. Sky-blue face paint with pearly white highlights on the cheeks and forehead, plus a fluffy white wig or rounded foam headpiece, makes him look like he's floating. Silver gloves, white high-tops and translucent wrist cuffs come next, with foam raindrops hanging from the vest on short ribbons. A clear umbrella with removable cloud shapes is the prop; keep it closed indoors. It's a good fit for a man who wants something gentler than armour.
28. UFO Pilot Alien Costume
The UFO pilot is the alien in uniform. A fitted silver or dark navy jumpsuit with metallic shoulder panels and a wide control belt, grey or green paint with silver contour at the temples and jaw, and a tall bald cap, pointed ears or a short white wig for a commanding head. Black oval glasses, fitted gloves and sleek boots with silver covers keep the lines clean. A captain-style collar badge and invented flight patches add rank. Carry a round foam steering control or a clipboard with a made-up star map, or clip a small cardboard control panel to the belt. Get the jumpsuit fitted at the shoulders above all; a uniform that slumps there loses its authority, while a loose leg can be cuffed or tucked into the boots.
29. Three-Eyed Alien Costume
One well-placed extra eye does all the work here. Wear a bright blue, green or purple bodysuit, or a long-sleeve top with fitted pants, and paint your face the same shade with darker colour around your own eyes. Fix a lightweight prosthetic or painted foam eye at the centre of the forehead with skin-safe adhesive, and patch-test that adhesive on your inner arm the day before. Symmetrical makeup around it makes the third eye look deliberate rather than stuck on. A smooth bald cap, pointed ears, matching gloves, metallic boots, a structured silver collar and a planet buckle finish the outfit, with a handheld scanner made from an old plastic case. It's easy to move in, and that third eye is the thing people remember.
30. Fuzzy Friendly Alien Costume
Finish with the friendliest alien of the bunch. A faux-fur vest in blue, green or purple over a matching long-sleeve shirt and relaxed pants, with short fur cuffs at the wrists and ankles that stay clear of the palms and shoe soles. Paint the face a lighter coordinating shade with cheerful dots on the cheeks, and add a fluffy wig with two bendable antennae. Big round glasses, padded gloves and bright high-tops complete it. Carry a foam planet, a snack tub or a handmade friendship sign. Fur is warm, so I keep it short around the face and wear the thinnest possible shirt underneath. This is the alien I'd suggest for a family party or a neighbourhood event.
What Metallic Fabric Does Under Party Lights
Silver lamé, foil spandex and metallic knits turn up in almost half these looks, and they behave very differently from the jeans and shirts most men wear.
- They don't breathe. Wear a thin cotton tee underneath so the sweat has somewhere to go, and choose a cotton or mesh-backed fabric if you have the option.
- They show every line. A slightly looser cut looks sleeker than a tight one, because tight metallic fabric wrinkles across the hips and stomach.
- They can't take a hot iron. Hang them in a steamy bathroom to drop the creases, or use a low iron through a cotton cloth.
- Seams split before the fabric does. Before the night, check the crotch and underarms, and sew any weak spot with a stretch stitch.
- Boot covers in metallic fabric wear through at the toe on pavement. A strip of clear packing tape under the sole buys you an evening.
If metallic all over feels like too much, keep the fabric to one piece, such as a vest, collar or belt, and wear plain black for the rest. You still look like you came from somewhere else, and you'll be a lot more comfortable.
One Head, One Skin Colour, One Prop
A good alien comes down to a clear idea and pieces you can wear all night. The thirty above run from classic green visitors and grey beings to athletes, scientists, pilots and fuzzy creatures, but they're all built the same way: clothes you already own, then face paint, a wig or headpiece, gloves, the right shoes and a single light prop. Small things do the rest. A strip of metallic trim, an invented planet badge, reflective tape or a few geometric lines on the face will make a cheap outfit look finished. Pick fabrics that breathe, keep your eyes uncovered and wear the whole thing around the house for twenty minutes before you leave. Whatever pinches or slips then will be twice as bad by midnight.
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