How to Dress Like Freddy Krueger, Film by Film

Freddy didn’t look the same in every film, and most costume kits ignore that completely.

To dress as Freddy you need four things: a red and green striped jumper, a bladed glove, a brown fedora, and a burnt face done as a mask or with makeup. Pick your film first, because the glove and the face changed as the sequels went on.

We’re the official UK and European stockist for Trick or Treat Studios, so the masks and gloves here are licensed sculpts taken from the films. Below we’ll cover each Freddy in turn, starting with the piece they all share.

Start With the Jumper, and What Gives a Cheap One Away

There’s a quick accuracy check on the striped jumper. On the one worn on screen, red is the first colour at the neck. Cheap mass-produced versions often run the collar the other way round and lead with green.

The second tell is the sleeves. The 1984 original had plain sleeves; the fully striped sleeve arrived with the sequels. Because that striped sleeve is the look everyone pictures, nearly every jumper sold as “Freddy” is really a sequel jumper.

Freddy Krueger Sweater (Spirit Halloween)

Unsere officially licensed Freddy Krueger sweater from Spirit Halloween comes in adult sizes M to XL. The stripe spacing and colours are taken from the films rather than guessed at. It’s the sweater on its own, which is the sensible way to buy it.

Pros:

• Officially licensed striped design
• Adult sizes M to XL

Cons:

• Hat and glove bought separately

Best for: every version. It’s the base layer.

1984: The Original Elm Street Freddy

The first film’s Freddy is the subtlest of the set: fresher burns, a less exaggerated face, most of it in shadow.

Don Post 84 Freddy Mask

Unsere Don Post Studios 84 mask is a sculpt of the original film’s face and the most restrained Freddy we stock. It’s a full overhead latex mask, so it needs nothing underneath.

Pros:

• Sculpted from the 1984 face
• Most affordable licensed mask we stock

Cons:

• No hat included

Best for: a first Freddy, or anyone who likes the original’s restraint.

Deluxe 1984 Mask with Fedora Hat

The hat is the piece people most often get wrong. An overhead mask adds bulk at the crown, so a fedora bought separately perches on top instead of sitting. Our deluxe 1984 mask with the fedora comes with a hat matched to it.

Pros:

• Mask and fedora matched to each other
• Saves hunting for a hat that fits

Cons:

• Costs more than the mask alone

Best for: getting the silhouette right in one order.

Deluxe 1984 Freddy Krueger Glove

Unsere deluxe 1984 glove is the Trick or Treat Studios build, sculpted by Anders Eriksen: copper armature, stainless steel blades, leather glove, roughly 14.5 inches long. It has real weight to it. That’s what separates a costume that stops at the sleeve from one that finishes.

Pros:

• Copper armature, steel blades, leather
• Licensed sculpt of the 1984 glove

Cons:

• A big step up from a plastic claw

Best for: scare actors, and anyone who wants the piece people ask to hold.

Freddy’s Revenge and Dream Warriors: The Sequel Gloves

Parts 2 and 3 are where Freddy became the character people quote. The glove is what changes. Ours are separate sculpts, each worked up from screen photographs of that film’s glove rather than a single generic claw.

Freddy’s Revenge Deluxe Glove (Part 2)

Unsere Part 2 glove is another Anders Eriksen sculpt. He built Robert Englund’s personal glove in 2003 and supplied Warner Bros’ Horror Made Here event. We stock the matching Freddy’s Revenge mask auch.

Pros:

• Sculpted by Anders Eriksen
• Copper, steel and leather build

Cons:

• Only right if Part 2 is your film

Best for: collectors who know the difference.

Dream Warriors Deluxe Glove (Part 3)

Dream Warriors is the film most people have in mind when they picture Freddy, so our Dream Warriors glove is the safest pick if you aren’t building one specific version.

Pros:

• The most recognisable of the gloves
• Copper, steel and leather build

Cons:

• Not accurate for a 1984 build

Best for: anyone who wants the glove people expect.

The Dream Master: Freddy at His Boldest

By Part 4 the makeup had grown bolder and the character had more swagger, so this Freddy reads at a distance.

The Dream Master Deluxe Mask (Part 4)

Sculpted by Justin Mabry, our Dream Master mask recreates the Part 4 face from screen photography. The detail runs deeper than the 1984 sculpt because the makeup did, and there’s a version with a fedora as well.

Pros:

• Gestaltet von Justin Mabry
• Fedora version available

Cons:

• Too theatrical for a 1984 build

Best for: parties and stage work, where the costume has to carry.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare: The Redesign

New Nightmare gave Freddy a different face on purpose: leaner, meaner, and rarely seen at a party.

New Nightmare Freddy Krueger Mask

Unsere New Nightmare mask is the licensed sculpt of that redesign and the most realistic-looking Freddy we stock in latex.

Pros:

• The realistic later redesign
• Stands out from the usual Freddys

Cons:

• Less instantly recognisable

Best for: fans who’d rather not be the fourth Freddy in the room.

How to Dress Like Freddy Krueger Without a Mask

A mask is the quickest route, but makeup gives you a face that moves, which matters if you’re talking to people all night.

Burnt skin is built rather than painted. Most people use liquid latex and torn tissue to raise the texture, then work reds and browns over the top. The deepest colour goes in the creases. Keep the hairline and ears in mind, because that’s where a makeup job gives itself away.

We don’t sell a Freddy makeup kit, but our fake blood is the professional-grade stuff scare attractions use.

One trade-off to weigh: makeup takes an hour or so and won’t survive a long night. A mask goes on in seconds.

Which Freddy Are You?

If you’re still deciding, work from the look you want rather than from the parts list.

Two things we don’t sell, and you won’t need to buy them new: dark brown or grey trousers, and scuffed dark work boots. Both come out of most wardrobes already.

On budget, under £150 gets you the jumper and a licensed latex mask. Most people would call that a finished costume. A glove is the next step and a much bigger one, because you’re buying copper, steel and leather rather than moulded plastic.

At the top of our Freddy mask range sits the Immortal Masks Freddy, a hand-painted silicone piece built for film and pro scare work. We’re its only European stockist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Freddy Krueger’s outfit look like?

A red and green horizontally striped jumper, dark brown trousers, worn dark boots, a brown fedora, and a bladed glove on the right hand over heavily burned skin. The stripes and the glove both changed between films, which is why the version matters when you buy.

What colour trousers and shoes does Freddy Krueger wear?

Dark brown or grey work trousers and scuffed dark boots. Neither is a specialist buy and we don’t stock them, so use the oldest, most beaten-up pair you own.

Does Freddy Krueger wear a mask?

Not in the films. What you’re seeing is burned skin created with prosthetic makeup. As a costume, an overhead latex or silicone mask is the standard route because it gives you the whole head in one piece. Our Freddy Krueger gloves and masks sit in the same range, sorted by film.

Why does Freddy wear a hat?

The films never explain it. It earns its place on a costume anyway. The fedora is what makes the silhouette readable in the dark, and from behind.

Getting the Look Right

Dressing as Freddy comes down to one decision made early: which film you’re building. Choose that and the jumper, glove and face all follow, with the 1984 mask the easiest start. The Dream Warriors glove is the one people recognise, and the Dream Master mask with the fedora is the fastest complete look in one order. Compare them side by side in our Nightmare on Elm Street range, or see our ranking of horror’s most legendary characters if you’re still choosing who to be. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the build.