Carbon Costume

Nicolas Cage plays the silent protagonist of the trippy horror movie Willy’s Wonderland.  When he finds himself with a flat tire, he’s offered an easy gig; clean the amusement park Willy’s Wonderland overnight and his car repairs will be paid for.  However, the task proves to be far from simple when the blood-thirsty animatronic creatures begin coming to life.  Cage’s costume has two main phases; as the Drifter at the beginning of the film, he wears sunglasses and a leather jacket with red stripes down one sleeve over a grey henley.  He swaps the henley and the jacket for a Willy’s Wonderland brand t-shirt when he agrees to be the Janitor.  Finding exact matches for the jacket and t-shirt can be tough, though replicas can be found.  Otherwise, it’s okay to use pieces that are close, even if they aren’t perfect.  Don’t forget to top off your look with a black digital watch and oval belt buckle.

Angela (played by Elodie Grace Orkin) is a minor antagonist in the fourth season of Stranger Things.  A bully who picks on “Jane” at her new school in California, Angela has all the hallmarks of a stereotypical mean girl; pretty, popular, and cruel.  There are two costumes you could choose to recreate for her–the pink outfit she wears at school or the one she wears to the roller rink.  The first consists of a bleached denim skirt, pink and white striped blouse, pink beaded earrings and necklace, as well as scrunched-up white socks and white keds.  At the rink, she wears a teal bodysuit with pink shimmery shorts, multicolor star earrings, and a set of holographic bracelets.  You can use a blouse instead of a bodysuit, but may want to pin the hem to the inside of your shorts to make it look more fitted.  If you want to go as Angela after Jane takes her revenge with a roller skate, don’t forget a little blood gel to complete the look.

Glinda (formerly Galinda) is one of the main characters in the musical Wicked, which tells the backstory of Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.  Glinda begins her journey at Shiz University, where she is accidentally assigned as Elphaba’s roommate.  Despite the rocky start to their relationship, the two eventually become friends, though not every fairy tale in this case gets a happy ending.  While there are certainly more well-known costumes for Glinda in other media, the costume she wears when she arrives at Shiz is a classic white outfit with nods to vintage styles including oxford pumps and a white beret.

Jenny Simons (voiced by April Stewart) is a female student on the animated show South Park.  Jenny is best friends with Lola and co-chair of the list-making committee.  Leslie has dark hair with bangs and wears it pulled back with a dark purple headband that matches her mittens.  She finishes the look with the standard black shoes most South Park characters wear, dark blue pants, and a light blue jacket.

Ginger Snap is a character in Strawberry Shortcake. She lives in Cookie Corner, where she built her own factory and workshop. Her favorite activities include investing, tinkering with machinery, and baking cookies. She also has a pet chipmunk named Chocolate. Her best friend is Strawberry Shortcake, but she’s also friends with Orange Blossom. Compared to the other berry girls, Ginger Snap is considered more of a tomboy. Sew the pink ribbon around the hat and the bottoms of the jeans. Then use the yellow fabric paint to make the squiggle in the middle.

Millie Larsen (currently voiced by April Stewart) is a supporting character on the animated series South Park.  Millie speaks with a strong southern accent and is depicted as one of the popular girls in the company of Red, Lola, Heidi, and Bebe, among others. Millie wears a dark teal coat and has light ginger hair worn in two very short pigtails by lime green hair ties.  To recreate the neon green trim on her coat, tuck a bright scarf into the collar of your jacket.

Lemon Meringue is a major character in Strawberry Shortcake. While her name sounds sour, she’s actually very sweet! A prim and proper fashionista, Lemon knows all the latest trends. She even has her own salon, where she does hair and manicures. Her favorite activities include giving fashion advice and chatting with her friends (the other berry girls). In the 2009 series, she has a puppy named Henna.

Barbie (played by Margot Robbie), one of the most iconic toys in existence, is now getting the live-action treatment in her own film.  Cast out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough, Barbie finds herself transported to the real world alongside Ken.  Barbie’s outfits are bright and outlandish, perfect for a doll.  Getting exact matches for the costumes is going to be almost impossible, so focus on recreating the look as closely as you can while channeling the overall vibe.  You can use some iron-on star patches to add details to her pink cowgirl outfit, and if you don’t feel like rollerblading in your costume all night, a pair of neon high-tops can be easily swapped in.

Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is a character in the Thor movies who becomes Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. After breaking up with Thor, Jane tries to find a cure for her late-stage cancer. However, Thor told Mjolnir to look after Jane, so she is revitalized as the superhero Mighty Thor. When she reunites with the god of thunder, Thor is understandably shocked (and even quite jealous at the expense of Stormbreaker). Jane fights alongside Thor, Valkyrie, and Korg to stop the villain Gorr, who wishes to eradicate all the gods. With her intelligence combined with this newfound power, Jane Foster shows girls can be strong heroes too.

Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is a character in the Netflix original hit series, Stranger Things. He appears in the first installment of the fourth season. He is a senior at Hawkins High School (and has been for a few years). He is the leader of the Dungeons & Dragons club, also known as the Hellfire Club. He looks like your typical metalhead, complete with leather jacket and ripped denim jeans — plus the signature club shirt. He plays guitar in a band called Corroded Coffin. While Eddie comes off as rough around the edges, he has a good heart. Needless to say, he quickly became a fan favorite.