Books
Steve Randle
Steve Randle is a character in The Outsiders. He is a Greaser who likes to comb his hair in swirls. His specialty is cars, so he works at the gas station with his best friend, Sodapop. Although unlike the naturally easygoing Sodapop, he is cocky and blunt. While Steve can come off as rude, he cares about his friends and fellow greasers. Tom Cruise portrays Steve in the 1983 movie adaptation.
Daine from The Immortals
Veralidaine Sarrasri, known more commonly as Daine or the Wildmage, is the main character of Tamora Pierce’s fantasy series The Immortals. Daine has powerful wild magic and can both exert her will over animals and communicate with them. She has brown curly hair. For costume inspiration, look to some of the book covers of Pierce’s novels. Whether you decide to don a blouse and trousers with riding boots and a tunic or vest, or opt for a flowing dress, you can’t go wrong with an outfit inspired by Medieval and Renaissance silhouettes that lends itself to the fantastic settings of Galla and Tortall.
Willy Wonka from Wonka (2023)
Quiet up and listen down! There’s a new Willy Wonka in town, played by Timothee Chalamet in the new movie-musical Wonka. The original story is from the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This new story follows a younger Wonka before he becomes who we know today from the two film adaptations where he is played by Gene Wilder and then Johnny Depp. In this new whimsical film we follow his journey into becoming a chocolatier.
Wonka’ s costume has elements that are reminiscent of both Roald Dahl’s original art and previous films. He still wears iconic pieces like the purple velvet coat, brown top hat, and walking stick. In this new costume we also see the designer playing with layering and unique patterns like the brown vest layered on top of a white pinstriped shirt, over that another blue and yellow vest, and then the coat. He also wears high waisted trousers and a patterned scarf tucked into the vest.
Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter
Fred and George Weasley, played by James and Oliver Phelps, are from the infamous book and movie series, Harry Potter. Fred and George are mischievous twins at Hogwarts. They are the brother of Ron Weasley, one of the main characters of the series. They co-founded Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop.
Fred and George are always together, and have very outgoing and humorous personalities. This is perfectly communicated through their wardrobe. They always wear the same pieces, but with some elements in different colors, or each costume is a different color palette. Their costumes are whimsical and neutral with fun pops of color that fit these pranksters perfectly!
Ms. Tarantula from The Bad Guys
Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina) is a hacker who teams up with Mr. Wolf and the rest of his crew in The Bad Guys. Ms. Tarantula is a spider with orange and darker, purple-ish colors along her body. To make your own Ms. Tarantula costume, start with an orange bodysuit and wig. You can add purple temporary hair color to the tips of the wig to get closer to her coloring from the movie. Lastly, you’ll need a pullover hoodie and a pair of headphones. Finding an exact match for her sweatshirt is tough, so you can either go with a hoodie that has similar colors, or make your own by purchasing a plain black pullover and adding the arm stripes and square 8-bit details to the front yourself with fabric paint. For your legs, don a spider backpack in similar colors to match the rest of your costume.
Johnny Cade from The Outsiders
Johnny Cade (played by Ralph Macchio) is a member of the greaser gang at the heart of The Outsiders. Johnny is close with Ponyboy, the main character of the film and the narrator of the book upon which it is based. They are the two youngest members of the gang. Johnny has a slight build and dark hair, which he styles to fall over one side of his face. Johnny has a scar on his left cheek from an altercation with the Socs. To create your costume, you’ll need blue jeans, black and white sneakers, and a black wig. Use a denim jacket to complete the look. To replicate Johnny’s scar, you can use a wax scar kit and some foundation that matches your skin tone. Lastly, Johnny begins carrying a switchblade after he’s attacked by the Socs, and a trick knife can play the part for you.
June Osborne
June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) is the protagonist of The Handmaid’s Tale, a 2017 live action series on Hulu. The show was an adaptation of the novel written by Margaret Atwood. In the futuristic dystopia of Gilead, June is forced to serve as a Handmaid because she is still capable of bearing children. She is referred to as Offred, as the Handmaid of Fred Waterford, the pious dictator. However, June manages to escape and become free – though then she must face his cruel wife, Serena.
Ruby Daly from The Darkest Minds
Ruby is the protagonist of The Darkest Minds, a YA novel trilogy. On the night of her tenth birthday, she accidentally erases her parents’ memories of her. It’s revealed that she developed mysterious new abilities, and gets classified as an Orange, the most dangerous of all. Ruby gets sent to Camp Thurmond, but she escapes and joins a group of runaways seeking refuge. Amandla Stenberg portrays Ruby in the movie adaptation.
Nimona
Nimona is the eponymous protagonist of Nimona, a fantasy graphic novel written by ND Stevenson (who you may recall as the creator of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.) Nimona is a young, feisty shapeshifter who allies with villain Ballister Blackheart to destroy the Institute. Despite his strong code of ethics, Nimona will do anything to come out victorious. An animated Netflix adaptation will debut in the summer of 2023.
Duncan Idaho from Dune
Duncan Idaho (played by Jason Momoa) is a swordmaster in the service of House Atreides. In Dune, Duncan helps train Paul Atreides before his death. In the 2021 film, Duncan has long wavy hair and a muscular build. He often wears a stillsuit after moving to Arrakis in the service of Duke Leto. To make your own stillsuit, you may need to get a little creative, as padded pieces that look the part are often the wrong color. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a little spray paint to get the look you want. Duncan also wears more casual clothing when training Paul, and any costume will be enhanced with a short, straight sword to help look the part.