John Wayne Gacy Costume
The chilling, historically accurate look of the infamous Pogo the Clown.
John Wayne Gacy famously performed at community events as 'Pogo the Clown' before his crimes were discovered. This costume recreates his specific, self-designed clown suit, which remains highly recognizable in true crime history. The look consists of a custom red and white jumpsuit, a matching pointed hat, and distinctively sharp-angled face paint.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- ~45 min
- Budget
- $40–120
Try it on
See yourself as John Wayne Gacy
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What you need for a John Wayne Gacy costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete John Wayne Gacy costume — one box instead of 5 pieces.
Red and white clown jumpsuit
A loose-fitting polyester jumpsuit featuring red and white vertical stripes or color-blocked panels, complete with a ruffled collar.
DIY: Sew red fabric panels or stripes onto a plain white oversized jumpsuit, and add a white ruffled collar.
Pointed clown hat
A conical fabric hat matching the red and white pattern of the jumpsuit.
DIY: Roll stiff red and white cardstock or felt into a cone shape and attach an elastic chin strap.
White cotton gloves
Simple, short white parade or costume gloves.
Red and white clown shoes
Oversized clown shoes or boots in matching red and white colors.
DIY: Wear plain white sneakers and use red duct tape to create a two-tone red and white design.
Clown makeup kit
A face paint kit containing high-pigment white, royal blue, and bright red cream paints.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made John Wayne Gacy costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on the red and white clown jumpsuit, ensuring the ruffled neck collar is pulled out and laying flat.
- 2
Put on the white cotton gloves and step into the oversized red and white clown shoes.
- 3
Apply a solid, even layer of white cream makeup over your entire face and neck, avoiding the immediate eye area.
- 4
Using a fine brush and blue face paint, paint large, sharp-pointed diamonds over both eyes, extending high onto the forehead and down onto the cheeks.
- 5
Using red face paint, paint a wide smile that extends past the corners of your mouth, ending in sharp, pointed tips rather than rounded edges.
- 6
Secure the pointed red and white clown hat on your head, using bobby pins if needed to keep it in place.
Makeup & hair
Apply a solid white face base. Use blue face paint to create sharp, pointed shapes over the eyes, and red paint for a wide smile with pointed corners. No wig is necessary, as the pointed fabric hat sits directly over natural hair.
John Wayne Gacy for couples, groups, kids & more
- Plus size
- Look for loose-fitting, one-size-fits-all clown jumpsuits with elastic cuffs for an adjustable fit.
Tips
- Keep the makeup historically accurate by making the eye and mouth shapes pointed rather than rounded, which was Gacy's signature style.
- Use translucent setting powder over the cream makeup to prevent smudging and running throughout the night.
- Wear lightweight, breathable clothing underneath the polyester jumpsuit to avoid overheating.
John Wayne Gacy costume FAQ
- What did John Wayne Gacy's clown costume look like?
- He wore a handmade red and white jumpsuit with large pom-poms, a matching pointed hat, white gloves, and painted his face with sharp, pointed blue and red features.
- Why did Gacy paint his clown face with pointed corners?
- Gacy designed his own makeup with sharp corners, violating the traditional clown safety rule of using rounded edges to avoid scaring children.
- Is a wig required for the Pogo the Clown costume?
- No, Gacy typically wore his pointed fabric clown hat directly over his natural dark hair without a colorful clown wig.
Did you know? Gacy's self-designed makeup violated the professional 'clown code' by using sharp, pointed edges, which performers traditionally avoid because they can appear menacing to children.