Carbon Costume

Shuri is a main character in Marvel’s Black Panther. She is the innovative mastermind behind Wakanda’s advanced technology. She is also the younger sister of T’Challa, or Black Panther. Even though she enjoys teasing her brother, she deeply cares for him. After Killmonger’s victory, Shuri and Queen Ramonda stop at nothing to revive T’Challa and restore him as the righteous Black Panther. She then fights alongside the Dora Milaje to save Wakanda. She is portrayed by Letitia Wright in the movie.

Nadine Byrd, played by Hailee Steinfeld, awkwardly exists in the shadow of her super popular older brother. After her brother and her best friend, Krista, begin dating, Nadine feels she has no one left in the world. She sometimes tries to break out her awkwardness. It’s not until she develops an unexpected friendship that things look not so bad in The Edge of Seventeen.

Misunderstood and bullied since childhood, blue-skinned shapeshifter Mystique (played onscreen by Jennifer Lawrence and Rebecca Romijn) truly understands anti-mutant oppression. Her early experiences of mistreatment shaped her stance in the fight for mutant equality — or even dominance, as her leader, Magneto, gravitates towards.

Mystique is easily remembered for her onscreen appearances wearing only the strategically-placed blue scales she was born with (requiring Rebecca Romijn to spend hours in the makeup room), but comic book portrayals have been slightly more favorable to cosplayers attending family-friendly venues. You could buy the blue jumpsuit and stop there, but I’ve included some additional garments which draw inspiration from my personal favorite Mystique look from the retro X-Men arcade game.

Raphina is an aspiring model approached by Conor Lalor to star in a music video for his band. She’s a fashionista with a cool outer appearance. Inside, she fights with the uncertainty of her life. Raphina, played by Lucy Boynton, learns more about the band members while chasing after her dream of being a London model in Sing Street.

In Midsommar, Maja (played by Isabelle Grill) is a young woman who uses strange rituals and psychedelic drugs to seduce Dani’s boyfriend Christian in order to have sex with him and become pregnant. A very quiet girl, she is transformed after her encounter with Christian, wearing red lipstick and more brightly colored clothing to signify her fertility.

In Terminator: Dark Fate, a new timeline provides humanity with even more deadly terminators. In the year 2042, Grace (played by Mackenzie Davis) is mortally wounded during a battle with Rev-7 terminators developed by Legion. As a result, she volunteers to be artificially augmented and become a cyborg with superhuman strength and abilities. Grace arrives in the modern world naked and steals her clothing from a couple who finds her.

In Tangled, Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is the rightful princess of the kingdom of Corona, but she is stolen by Mother Gothel as an infant because of her hair’s magical powers.  Locked away in a tower for most of her life, Rapunzel’s closest companion is a chameleon named Pascal.  Rapunzel is effervescent and excited by all that life has to offer, especially once she escapes from her imprisonment.  Rapunzel wears a pink and purple skirt with a corseted top, and of course has extremely long, flowing blonde hair throughout most of the film.  Her look can be recreated in a number of ways, by layering different pieces, or simply using a Renaissance corset dress, depending on how much time you wish to spend working on it.  You could take it to the next level by using a gold fabric paint to add filigree details to the skirt and corseted top.

In Midsommar, Dani (played by Florence Pugh) is sent reeling from a devastating loss. As she attempts to deal with her depression following the death of her family, she embarks on a trip to attend a midsummer celebration in Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends. As the commune becomes increasingly less welcoming and more terrifying, Dani finds herself pulled into a brutal ritual with no way to escape. Dani’s clothing changes significantly throughout the film, beginning with comfortable hiking clothes before she dons the embroidered dresses typical of women in the commune. Once she is chosen as May Queen, she is completely adorned with flowers from head to toe. The variety of costuming provides ample room for interpretation.