Rugged & Timeless Costumes for Halloween 2023
For many, Halloween is known to be a day for showing off one’s artistic talent. Folks spend tons of time and money on costumes that they will only wear once. However, if you’re like the majority of us here at Cockpit USA and you’re not so inclined to spend your hard-earned cash on pre-packaged costumes, we’ve got some timeless Halloween costume jacket ideas for you that can be worn long after the spooky season and for years to come!
Whether you’re looking for something classic or on-trend, to shop your own closet or invest in a new statement piece, here is our list of jackets for ridiculously easy cosplay and Halloween costumes that you can put together quickly.
Favored by Hollywood Costume Designers and wardrobe departments alike, many of our Cockpit USA jackets have been immortalized in some of the most iconic films in cinematic history. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome back the heroic archeologist and adventurer, Indiana Jones! Characterized by Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, is the 5th installment for the Indiana Jones franchise. Known for his all-American characteristics, The Indiana Jones costume is, of course, all about the jacket… the Explorer Jacket to be exact.
Blending earth tones with military inspired aesthetics, the Cockpit USA Explorer Jacket is a faithful reproduction of the classic adventure jacket worn by Dr. Indiana Jones. For a timeless Halloween costume, this jacket style can be worn nonchalantly over a safari shirt and khaki pants and if you’re really looking to channel Dr. Indiana Jones, be sure to pair this jacket with a brown belt and signature fedora hat.
Depending on whom you ask, Barbie is guaranteed to be the most popular costume this year! Wherever Barbie goes, Ken is sure to be close by. However, if you’re not feeling the Hot Pink…we proudly introduce to you, Pilot Barbie & Pilot Ken costumes.
In our humble opinion, the aviator style is about as classic and timeless as it gets. To capture all the traits that are associated with aviation - brains, brawn, and bravery, accessorize your aviator costume with a flight suit, aviator sunglasses, or a crush cap. Below, are countless costume ideas that are guaranteed to elevate your aviator costume into a conversational piece of history.
The A-2 jacket has quite a story, making its first appearance in 1931, the jacket was later regulated to “Limited Standard Use” and manufactured till 1943. However, many brave airmen still in service after WWII continued to wear their jackets with pride! Refusing to be cancelled from the military, in 1985 a USAF Thunderbird Pilot Lt. Col “Hoss” Jones contacted Cockpit USA’s founder Jeff Clyman on behalf of the USAF uniform board to produce a Reissue A-2 leather jacket. Today, Cockpit USA is the current official supplier of the USAF A-2 Pilot’s Leather Jacket.
The Cockpit USA A-2 is available in a variety of styles, each uniquely rooted in history according to its insignias and decorations. This iconic piece of Aviation history has been seen in some of the most celebrated military films of our time including Pearl Harbor, Fly Boys and Red Tails shown below.
Notable Fact: Cockpit USA worked with the film’s cast and an original Pilot of the Long Island, NY chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Association on a tribute jacket honoring the first black American pilots who fought in WWII.
Now, if the first week of Fall is any indication, this Halloween could be a very cold one. For a badass and timeless Halloween cosplay costume on the more cozier side of things, here are a few more Winter inspired jacket ideas to toughen up your costume!
The Champ style, as seen on Sylvester Stallone in the epic training scene of Rocky IV. The Cockpit USA R.A.F Sheepskin jacket style was famously resurrected by Tom Hardy in his highly recognizable Esquire magazine cover. Hardy can also be seen wearing a hooded Dunkirk R.A.F. Sheepskin in the film with the same name.
From Bat Man: The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy wears an incredible full length shearling jacket for his role as Bain. Accessorize our Cockpit USA B-7 Aleutian Parka with a signature Bain Mask, and this costume is guaranteed to turn a few heads and earn some high-fives!
Undoubtedly the most recognizable style in the Cockpit USA catalog is the “Movie Hero Top Gun Jacket”. Making movie history in the 1986 film “Top Gun”, Cockpit USA introduced the Movie Hero Collection long before there was a "Top Gun" movie!
Top Gun remains one of the most influential air-combat action films ever made; placing the F-14 Tomcat on the world stage. The movie touched the globe and inspired many young men and women to enlist in the armed forces. The U.S. Navy reported their highest number of recruit applications the year it was released.
Fast forward to 2022, as the big screen’s most notorious Fighter Pilot’s saga continues in the franchise sequel, "Maverick". Actor Tom Cruise dons an official Nomex CWU from the 1980's. A "new old stock" supply was provided to the costume department by Cockpit USA. Our "Movie Hero" CWU – 36P Nylon Flight jacket is a faithful reproduction of the original Nomex Flight Jacket, modified for everyday use in a nylon woven especially to mimic the weave of the original Nomex version. Another notable fact: the original CWU Flight jacket was shared with and worn by Lady Gaga for her music video of “Hold My Hand” for the movie’s soundtrack.
The Cockpit USA Movie Hero Collection is available in men, women’s and kids sizes.
Another recognizable style is the Cockpit USA Avenger G-1. Our artisans spend hours using a special aging process to give this naval aviator Jacket the look and feel of having survived 200 WWII carrier flight landings. This process creates a rugged appeal that can be worn as casual or formal style. Actor Joe Jonas wears the G-1 in the 2017 film Jumanji and Ross Lynch wears the same style in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. This Christmas, you can see Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor wearing the Avenger G-1 in the hit Disney series, The Santa Clause’s 2.
The Amelia Jacket is named after American Aviatrix Amelia Earhart. Earhart was the first female pilot to fly solo over the Atlantic ocean and her story continues to inspire young female pilots today! If you're aiming to complete the look, we also suggest the Barnstomers Aviator Hat and Aviator Goggles. The Amelia jacket was adapted into Captain Marvel (shown below) and worn by the wonderfully talented Annette Benning. Another, notable and fashionable aviatrix is Bessie Coleman. Known as “Brave Bessie” or “Queen Bessie,” Coleman was the first African-American and first Native-American woman Pilot. Read more about her story here.
In 1954 (long before Cockpit USA shipped it’s first catalog), actress Marilyn Monroe traveled to Korea to entertain over 100,000 home-sick American troops in a surprise show tilted, “Anything Goes”. Pictured wearing an oversized men’s B-15 flight jacket, Monroe was quoted saying “was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I never felt like a star before in my heart. It was so wonderful to look down and see a fellow smiling at me.” and the rest is history. Our Women’s B-15 flight jacket is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe and her “Anything Goes” performance. The men’s version of this jacket is also available to purchase here.
This next costume is most likely already hanging in your closet. Worn from the Cold War and the deserts of the Middle East, to the iconic films, and into the wardrobes of men and women all across the world, the M-65 Jacket has been the jacket of choice for people since… you guessed it, 1965. This jacket is famously worn by Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese film, Taxi Driver. To complete this look, adorn your M-65 or Tanker Jacket with a King Kong embroidered patch and pair it with these aviator sunglasses.
Rounding out the Cockpit USA Halloween Costume list for 2023, is the action-adventure game The Last Of US that was recently adapted into a hit series of the same name on HBO/MAX. This show stars Actor Pedro Pascal who wears a Deck Jacket portraying the character of Joel in the video game.
Pair our Cockpit USA Deck Jacket with a classic blue jean, a dash of dirt make-up to your face and you’re ready to battle the infected in true Pascal style.
Considering that the flight jacket is associated with speed, bravery and Mavericks, we at Cockpit USA are honored to be a part of preserving these heroic stories. Most importantly, we are grateful to share them with you! Whether you’re dusting off your old jacket, or you’re purchasing a new style that’s guaranteed to turn heads, we invite you to share your Cockpit USA costumes with us. Email your photos to info@cockpitusa.com. If featured we will send you a $25 giftcard towards your next purchase.
A few more timeless Halloween costume and cosplay jacket ideas: From left to right: Drake on the of his Toronto album wearing a Cockpit USA B-3 Sheepskin Bomber Jacket and Steve Carell wearing a Mustang A-2 in Netflix’s Space Force. Our Women's Cafe Racer for a Carrie Anne Moss costume in the Matrix. We can neither confirm nor deny that Cockpit USA is in the movie Space Balls, but it is an excellent move for costume inspiration. Mike Vogel in NBC’s The Brave, wearing Cockpit USA’s Antique Lambskin G-1. Nico Tortorella from the Walking Dead wearing our Sheepskin Flight Suit, A Barnstormer's Cap and Aviator Goggles for Young Carl in Disney's Up. Jamie Alexander in NBC's Blindspot wearing our women's Cafe Racer.
