Carbon Costume

Originally written by Robert Heinlein in 1959, Sony adapted the novel Starship Troopers into a 1997 film that tanked in the box office only to gain a cult following. The film follows Johnny Rico (played by Casper Van Dien who later went on to make several cameos in other Starship Trooper films) as he graduates high school and enlists in the army. Unlike military service in America today, however, military service is required to gain full rights as a citizen, prompting Rico to join despite his parents’ protests. Rico and his friends go on to fight Bugs and Arachnids, members of an insect-like species that have been fighting humans for control of new planets since the beginning of off-Earth human colonies.

The most unique piece of the Starship Trooper uniform is the helmet. It’s modeled on just about any other military helmet of course. But the specific styling is what really sets aside a Starship Trooper. Unfortunately a premade unit is pretty pricy. There are a few other options though. You can get a 3-D printer file for it here. Or you can find craft foam tutorials like this one on YouTube.

From there, the rest of the costume is fairly easy. Grey tactical pants and, a black t-shirt and a chest protector The chest protector listed above is very close to the version the Troopers wear but it has white detailing. Black acrylic paint will cover that up since the protector is made of nylon. And of course you’ll need your trusty laser rifle.

In the movie Your Name (Kimi no Na wa), Taki Tachibana (voiced by Ryunosuke Kamiki and Michael Sinterniklaas) is a high school student in Tokyo who suddenly begins switching bodies with a teenage girl named Mitsuha Miyamizu who lives in a rural town called Itomori.  Taki is hardworking and kind, though he can sometimes be a little too blunt.  He works at an Italian restaurant while in high school, and dreams of becoming an architect.  As a student, Taki wears grey slacks, a short sleeved button down, and a dark navy blazer.  He also wears a bracelet that Mitsuha gave to him.  During the epilogue, Taki is seen searching for a job as an architect wearing a dark suit, blue tie, and a brown messenger bag.

Curtis Everett (played by Chris Evans) is often cited as the hero of the film Snowpiercer. It’s not a term Curtis would apply to himself, though. Haunted by what it took to survive shortly after the world ended, his every action is motivated by a need to atone. In the end he makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the innocent and end a system of brutal oppression that has spoken broadly to audiences in the years since the movie’s release. Director Bong Joon Ho pulled no punches in crafting the world of Snowpiercer and it shows in the depth and grit the movie submerges viewers in.

The first thing you’ll want to do is use a distressing technique like this one to make sure all your clothes looks dirty. Curtis has been living in a train car with little food and even less water – for drinking let alone bathing – for seventeen years. Washing clothes is not a priority in the tail section.

Once the clothes have been distressed properly you’ll also want to apply some black Duck Tape around the shoulder seam of the wool coat’s right shoulder. The tape is only around the back of the seam, however. A very clear shot of the layout can be seen in the scene where Curtis confronts the guards in the tail section and discovers they have no bullets.

Before doing your cosplay you can also make black cherry Jell-O and use extra pectin make it firm like the food bricks in the movie. Adding in some orange coloring or orange Jell-O might get the color closer to what we seen on-screen.

When you’re ready to put your cosplay together, layer up the tops and then apply the makeup to your face and hands to replicate dirty smudges. Any that gets on the clothes will add to the gritty condition they’re supposed to be in. Keep your hatchet handy and your food bricks ready and you’re ready to go!

Mickey Mouse is the iconic mascot of the Walt Disney Company. His girlfriend is Minnie Mouse, with whom they own a pet dog named Pluto. His first debut was in Steamboat Willie in 1930. Since then, Mickey has appeared in over 130 films, most notably Brave Little Tailor and Fantasia. Several television shows center around this iconic character, such as The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the new Mickey Mouse Cartoons. With video games such as Kingdom Hearts and Epic Mickey comic books and strips, even hidden in the theme park, you’ll find Mickey everywhere. He is easily one of the most recognizable cartoon characters, with a whole march dedicated to his name: “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!”

Eames (played by Tom Hardy) is a member of Cobb‘s team in the film Inception.  As the forger, Eames can project the likeness of any other person and mimic their mannerisms well enough to fool loved ones in the dream realm.  In the real world, Eames is suave and teases Arthur often, though he otherwise keeps mostly to himself.  Eames wears boldly patterned shirts with relaxed fit suit separates, and he uses a red poker chip as his totem.

What horrors love can turn a man to do, Davy Jones knows only too well. The dreaded Lord of the Deep, once charged with guiding the souls of those who died at sea, turned cruel when the goddess Calypso did not return his love. Played by Bill Nighy, he stops at nothing to show us why we (and Will Turner) should fear the deep in the Disney series Pirates of the Caribbean.

There’s a lot that goes into a costume like Davy Jones. Most of the look in the movie relied on CGI so getting something accurate isn’t particularly easy. Makeup tutorials like this one help, though. And you will need to distress the pieces of the costume to fit Jones’ ages-old and sea-weary look. You’ll also want a large quantity of sea shells and sand to give your clothes the look of a man who has slept at the bottom of the sea for centuries.

Of course you need the actual costume pieces too. A Cthulhu mask gives you some of Jones’ beard tentacles while tentacle “horns” add some on top of your head. You can either use these with a bald cap or attach the tentacles to your pirate hate .

For the rest of Jones’ clothes you’ll need a shirt, vest, overcoat, pants, thick belt, and boots.

And Davy Jones would not be Davy Jones without the music box to remind him of the past that led to his fate.

Klaus Daimler (played by Willem Dafoe) is the German first mate of the Belafonte research vessel in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.  Klaus views Steve Zissou as a father figure, and becomes jealous of Ned Plimpton as the latter’s relationship with Steve grows.  Klaus always wears shorts, no matter the occasion, so this is a great costume option for someone who really wants to show off their legs.

Bobby Hicks (played by Willem Dafoe, who received an Academy Award nomination for the role) is the manager of the Magic Castle, a gaudy motel in Kissimmee, FL in Sean Baker’s film The Florida Project.  Bobby is not supposed to allow long-term rentals, but offers a place for a handful of people to stay who would otherwise be completely homeless by bending the rules.  He has a soft spot for many of the children who live in the motel, including Moonee.  Bobby’s costume is an easy one to recreate because he dresses simply, opting for durable denim jeans, sensible footwear, and a variety of plain t-shirts throughout most of the movie.