Carbon Costume

Dr. Atsuko Chiba (voiced by Megumi Hayashibara) is the main protagonist of the anime film Paprika, named for the doctor’s cheerful and carefree alter ego.  Atsuko is a psychotherapist and co-worker of Kosaku Tokita.  Atsuko’s serious personality matches her clothing choices well, as she typically opts for beige and black work clothes and black heels.  Paprika, on the other hand, sports short auburn hair, a bright red t-shirt, and matching sneakers.

Donna Meagle is a character in the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation. She is the office manager of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department. Out of everyone in the show, Donna has the most active dating life with a variety of suitors. She is sociable yet strong-willed, with a taste for luxury and culture. Played by stand-up comedian and actress Retta, the character became a regular in the third season. This costume guide includes a standard outfit from the earlier seasons, as well as the outfit from the iconic “Treat Yo Self” segment.

Alison Pill plays Agnes Jurati, a human cyberneticist on the television sci-fi drama Star Trek: Picard.  She is the leading expert on Earth when it comes to the science of synthetic life forms, which makes her a useful addition to Picard’s crew.  Agne’s outfit changes throughout the show’s episodes, but she can often be found wearing a cozy-looking sweater under a white lab coat.

Marianne (played by Noémie Merlant) had one job. She had to observe Héloïse during the day and the paint the reluctant bride’s wedding portrait at night. It is a fairly straight forward if unusual approach to a painting. Until the two fall in love, knowing that Héloïse is destined for a wedding she does not want and cannot escape. It’s heartbreaking in the way only art can be.

You may not paint like Marianne but you can mimic the gorgeous style of the 1770s. Historically accurate costumes are expensive so the options listed above are meant to get close but won’t be perfectly accurate to the movie. Or history.

One option is a custom gown such as the one on the top left. The Etsy listing has a few fabrics to choose from and though none of the fabrics are identical to the movie you might be able to get close. You can also opt for a more affordable gown from Amazon such as the one just below the custom gown and to the right

Another option is to pair a skirt with a long chemise and a corset similar to the stays women at that time wore. The skirt isn’t the same dark red as Marianne’s gown in the movie but you might get close by experimenting with combinations of bright red and dark blue dye. The dye has to be DyeMore when working with Rit since the skirt listed above is mostly made of a synthetic material. If you already have a cotton skirt in mind you can just grab a bottle wine-colored Rit dye instead.

All three options can be finished off with a brown wig styled into a bun, boots, and a long brown coat. And of course no artist would be complete without her brush holder.

Vivian Banks is a main character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As Will‘s maternal aunt, she is no-nonsense and nurturing, yet she is also vivacious and valiant. She is extremely career-driven, having earned her PhD at UCLA, where she met her future husband, Phillip Banks. Together they had four children: Nicky, Ashley, Carlton, and Hillary. In the beginning of the series, Janet Hubert played Vivian, yet Daphne Reid took over in the latter half of the third season. This came with changes to the character as well, moving from an astute aunt to one with a less fiery demeanor. Nonetheless there have been several jokes in the show that poke fun at the recast.

Kaede Kayano (voiced by Aya Suzaki and Monica Rial) is a student in class 3-E at Kunugigaoka High School in the manga and anime series Assassination Classroom.  Formerly known as Akari Yukimura, Kaede has dyed green hair and is close friends with Nagisa Shiota, for whom she has romantic feelings.  Kaede wears a grey sailor uniform and knee high socks with black shoes.

Marnie is a rival character in the game Pokemon Sword and Shield. Eventually she replaces her older brother Piers as the Spikemuth Gym Leader. She specializes in Dark type Pokemon and only gives the Dark Badge to trainers who defeat her.

In The Favourite, Abigail Masham (played by Emma Stone) is the picture of demure innocence. Until someone gets in her way. Her own cousin isn’t safe from Abigail’s quest for security and power. Though in a world as tumultuous as the English royal court, who can blame her?

Period costumes are always a little difficult unless you sew your own. But there are some options that get you close. A simple black dress mimics Anne’s generally unassuming daily style, especially once you add a lace collar. A pannier keeps your skirt full while thigh high socks – held in place with double sided fashion tape – and heels complete the outfit.

Round out the look by styling the wig using this tutorial. It is technically for Elizabeth Swan but is a great low profile style for costume from around the same period.