This Halloween, your costume can capture Indiana Jone's unique archaeologist/Nazi-smasher style without raiding your bank account. This page will show you how to assemble the perfect Indiana Jones costume, even on a thrift-store budget!

1. You can buy a licensed costume, although this does have its drawbacks.
2. You can put together a costume using props found in thrift stores and elsewhere.
3. You can make a whip yourself from a rope from a modified jump rope or a coarse ribbon.
4. Be careful with your whip and toy gun. They're not real, but they can be dangerous.
5. Many of the companies that made costumes for the films sell reproductions.

• Of course, the simplest way to get an Indiana Jones costume is to just go for a licensed version.

1. Every imaginable variation of Indiana Jones' costume is for sale... along with a few variations you couldn't imagine!Rubie's: Indiana Jones Costumes
   1. There are versions for kids.Rubie's: Dlx. Indiana Jones Child
   2. There are versions for men.Rubie's: Indiana Jones Adult
   3. There are versions featuring a "muscle chest shirt".Rubie's: Indiana Jones Adult
   4. There are lingerie versions for the ladies. (No, really. Click that link and see it for yourself if you don't believe us.)Yandy.com: Women's Indiana Jones Costume
   5. There are even versions for your dog!Rubie's: Indiana Jones Pet Costume
2. These licensed versions are widely available.
   1. You can find them online and in costume stores, and around Halloween you can probably find them on the shelves at the mall or even the local drug store.Walgreens: Indiana Jones Deluxe Muscle Chest Child Costume
   2. With just a few clicks of the mouse you could have the costumes for your entire family to go raid a lost ark together!
3. Still, for all the convenience of the licensed costumes, they do have undeniable drawbacks.
   1. Almost all licensed costumes tend to look a bit cheap in person. Instead of leather, you get polyester.Walgreens: Indiana Jones Deluxe Muscle Chest Child Costume Everything looks fresh and clean, it's not worn like you would expect Indy's clothes to be.
   2. Many licensed costumes feature prominent, distracting logos. (And how is an adventurer supposed to sneak past the Nazis with INDIANA JONES written in large, bright letters on his shirt?)
   3. Manufacturers try to cover all sizes, but fit can still be an issue.
   4. Most licensed costumes aren't really built to last. Yes, they're usually flame retardant... But they won't withstand the rough life of an international adventurer.

• With a little effort, you can put together an Indiana Jones costume that will look as good or better than the licensed versions, while quite possibly costing less.

1. More than anything, you'll need Indy's trademark fedora hat.TheRaider.net: The Fedora
   1. Indiana Jones is rarely seen without his brown, frayed fedora. Even if you don't get too elaborate with the rest of the outfit, make sure you have the right hat.
   2. Shop around for a good deal. Hit local thrift stores, shop on eBay and similar websites, browse costume shops and military surplus stores.
   3. If you can't find a hat that's the right color, you can dye it with coffee. This will have the added benefit of making the hat look a little more worn.About.com Indiana Jones Costume How-To
   4. If you're feeling particularly handy, you can also try out Mahalo's instructions on making your own brown fedora (part of the page about How to Make a Freddy Krueger Costume)!
2. For Jones' jacket, you want dark brown or black leather (or a convincing leather substitute, like vinyl.)TheRaider.net: The Jacket
   1. Leather jacket prices can vary enormously. It really pays to shop around. Concentrate on thrift stores, since you're most likely to find a bargain there.Romo Shopping Blog: A Guide to Shopping at Thrift Stores
   2. Sometimes you can get a surprisingly good deal on fake leather coats at large chain stores, especially drug stores.
   3. If the jacket looks too new, you can age it using the same method as Deborah Nadoolman, the woman who designed the jacket for the films: scuff it with a wire brush and a pocket knife.TheRaider.net: The Fedora
3. You'll need a long-sleeved kaki shirt, taupe pants and a brown belt. These should be very easy to find. It's possible you've already got some at the back of your closet.TheRaider.net: The Shirts and Pants
   1. If you want to look rough, like Indy can get when an adventure isn't going well, you can make little rips in your shirt or tear off an entire sleeve.
   2. You should leave several of your top shirt buttons undone, to expose some of your chest. (Hmm. That "muscle chest shirt" is starting to sound like a pretty good idea...)
4. Indy often carries a faded, greenish-brown satchel.TheRaider.net: The Shoulder Bag
   1. This is hardly essential, but it will make your look more complete and it will be a useful place to carry various plundered treasures (not to mention your car keys.)
   2. You're probably most likely to find something like this in a military surplus store.
5. Indy's bullwhip is essential. Fortunately, you have many options for how to get one.
   1. The licensed versions come in different lengths and colors, and they should work perfectly well.Rubie's: 6' Leather Whip
   2. You can make a cheap version yourself with an old piece of rope covered with brown electrical tape.
   3. You can also make a fake whip by getting an old jump-rope, removing one of the handles, and spray painting the whole thing brown.About.com Indiana Jones Costume How-To (You can use the remaining handle for the whip's grip.)
   4. Note that whips (even fake ones) can be very dangerous if you wave them around and try to crack them like Indy does.DallasDogSled.com: Whip Safety Always keep your whip coiled safely at your side, and resist the urge to do any "tricks."
6. Indy carries an old pistol in a holster. You can find a suitable toy version at most costume shops.TheRaider.net: The Revolver and Holster
   • NOTE: Be extremely cautious with your prop gun while in public. Remember that from a distance, even a toy gun can look just like a real one.
7. Indy wears brown, lace-up boots, but any old brown shoes should do it.
8. Indiana Jones often has some rather scruffy stubble.
   1. If you're not old enough to grow facial hair (or you lack a Y chromosome,) you can simulate stubble with makeup by drawing lots of little dots on your chin it with an eyeliner pencil or applying some mascara to a toothbrush and then tapping that on your face.About.com Indiana Jones Costume How-To
   2. Look at a picture of Indiana Jones to figure out how much stubble to add and how far down your neck and up your cheeks it should extend.
   3. After applying your fake stubble, powder it so it won't smear.

• If you've struck it rich plundering ancient tombs, you can afford to be much more lavish and detailed when putting together your Indiana Jones costume.

1. Wested Leather of London made Ford's jackets, shirts and pants for the films. They sell very authentic (and rather pricey) jacket replicas today.Wested Leather Co: Special Manufacturers to the Film & TV Industry
2. The pants and shirts are also available through the same company, and they offer overseas shipping.Wested Leather Co: Indiana Jones
3. The Adventurebilt Hat Company made Ford's hat for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and they now sell exact reproductions.Adventurebilt Hat Company: A FEW WORDS ABOUT OUR FEDORAS
   • - These hats are not cheap, but if you're determined to be authentic down to the last detail and you can afford to do so, these are the hats for you.
4. David Morgan made the whips for several of the films, and sells similar whips for several hundred dollars each.David Morgan: Welcome to David Morgan
5. Ford's boots were made by Alden Shoes.Alden Shoes: Indy Boot

• Batman is a millionaire with a spandex suit and a Batcave full of crime-fighting gizmos. James Bond has a fancy tuxedo and dozens of expensive, exotic gadgets. But Indiana Jones is a working class action hero, an adventurer who wouldn't look too out of place on the bus or in the supermarket. (Well, OK, maybe his whip would attract a little attention.) It doesn't matter if you have a lot or a little to spend, you can still put together an Indiana Jones outfit to be proud of.