Carbon Costume

Karen Plankton is the computer wife of Sheldon J. Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical.  Karen is a computer and, alongside her husband, tries to trick the residents of Bikini Bottom.  Karen’s look in the musical is very different from the ordinary computer screen in the original cartoon series.  To recreate the costume, you’ll want to focus on the futuristic aesthetic.  Karen wears green tights, silver boots, and silver wraparound glasses.  A futuristic space explorer costume is a good stand-in for an official Karen costume, but you can also get close with a silver skirt and a draped top.  Finish the look with a purple wig of your choice and some frosty lilac lipstick.

Doja Cat is known for wearing a plethora of extreme looks when she attends Paris Fashion Week, and she kicked off 2023 in a very memorable ensemble.  Schiaparelli’s Couture Spring-Summer 2023 show saw her in red body paint with more than 30,000 Swarovski crystals applied to her body.  You can choose to recreate her look in a few different ways.  Perhaps the simplest approach would be to use high-quality red body paint and red body glitter to evoke a similarly sparkling look.  If you’re not up for body paint and have a lot more spare time, you could use a bedazzling kit to add red rhinestones to a bodysuit to wear under your dress.  To complete the crimson costume, you’ll need dangly earrings, knee-high boots, and a long scarf in similar shades of rouge.  It can be difficult to track down a popcorn-textured skirt, but you can layer a tulle or fringe skirt over a tube dress to evoke a similar feel.

Emily Cooper (played by Lily Collins) is the protagonist of the Netflix series Emily in Paris.  Initially sent to Paris to oversee a transition at her company, Emily wears an array of eye-popping couture fashion throughout the series.  Some of her most memorable looks include bold colors and unique accessories.  When recreating any of Emily’s looks, it’s important to remember that many of the pieces used on the show are from high-end designers, so it’s okay to find something that’s a close match instead of an exact duplicate.  Focus on colors and silhouettes, like the nude booties shown here which still have the open front feel of the ones Emily wears in the show.  You can also choose to focus on patterns or colors like the two skirts you could decide to pair with her yellow blazer–the tie-dyed skirt has more of that eye-catching color, but the striped skirt maintains the same visual flow as the one from the show because of its lines.

Bayonetta (voiced in Bayonetta 3 by Jennifer Hale) is the titular witch of the PlatinumGames series.  Bayonetta is an Umbra Witch tasked with protecting the multiverse alongside her apprentice Viola in the third installment of the franchise.  Bayonetta’s costume is complex and will require a little creativity to recreate.  As a base, you’ll need black leggings with a lace cutout design and a puffy-sleeved backless shirt.  Bayonetta’s belt and skirt in the game are crafted from her own hair.  If you’d rather not collect your locks to weave a costume, a black obi sash and tutu will suffice.  Lastly, you’ll need light purple gloves, glasses, and a long black wig plaited on either side with red cord.  The gold details of her outfit, if you choose to add them, can be recreated with a glue gun, some gold glue, and applique pieces.  Be strategic about which aspects of her costume are most important to you.  You can add gold flowers to the tutu, floral applique to the gloves, and even some gold details to the heels of your shoes.  Finding a replica gun from the game can be quite expensive, so consider using a toy foam blaster that will help evoke the same feel even if it’s not an exact match.

Riley (played by Storm Reid) is the roommate and love interest of Ellie on HBO’s series The Last of Us.  Riley is a former classmate of Ellie’s who escaped the Fedra school where they lived together and joined the Fireflies to help liberate the Boston QZ.  Riley lives in an abandoned mall where she’s been stationed by Marlene and sneaks Ellie out of her dorm to see it before she leaves the city.  Riley wears her long blonde braids in a ponytail, with a green headband.  The rest of her attire includes a t-shirt, a navy twill button-down, a hoodie, and jeans.  She also dons sturdy boots and a burgundy backpack.

The Twins (voiced by Anita Pudikova) are ballerina robots created as bodyguards for Dmitry Sechenov in the video game Atomic Heart.  Known as only Left and Right, the humanoid Twins were created with the most advanced technology available, making them as deadly as they are lovely.  The twins have smooth silver faces and lithe bodies.  To recreate their look, you can start with a full head-to-toe metallic silver bodysuit and layer a black leotard overtop.  If you don’t have hair long enough to style as a braided crown, use a wig, but either way, you’ll want to go heavy on the gold hairspray to get as close to the static metal hair look as possible.  Depending on which Twin you choose to play, you may also need a gold cropped jacket.  Lastly, add a red star sticker to the center of your expressionless forehead and, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can also add gold details to your elbows, wrists, knees, and feet with some fabric paint.

Mother Miranda (voiced by Michelle Lukes) is the antagonist of Resident Evil Village.  Mother Miranda was once a biologist who became a cult leader after she is infected by the Mold following the death of her daughter.  Mother Miranda experimented on villagers in the hopes of reviving her daughter, including Alcina Dimitrescu.  Eventually, she kidnaps Rosemary Winters, which draws Rose’s father Ethan as well as Chris Redfield to the Village in an attempt to thwart her.  Mother Miranda’s most recognizable costume includes a gold headdress and ornate black wings. To recreate her look, you can start with a black and silver renaissance gown and fingerless gloves.  Add the wings and drape a folded scarf over your shoulders.  If your hair is too dark, you can don a blonde wig, though it will be covered with a head wrap.  Lastly, you’ll need your gold crown and face chain mask to complete the look.

Whiskey (played by Madelyn Cline) is the girlfriend of Duke Cody working to build her brand by any means necessary in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.  Whiskey quickly strikes up a rapport with Andi Brand once they are on the island, and is caught having an affair with Miles Bron by Detective Benoit Blanc.  Whiskey arrives for the trip wearing white cut-offs and a white tie-front crop top with tasseled boots.  For dinner, she dons a rust-colored dress with side cut-outs.  She always wears a gold necklace with her astrology sign, Taurus.