Carbon Costume

Miss Trunchbull in the 2022 adaptation of Matilda The Musical is played by Emma Thompson. Matilda was originally a book by Roald Dahl, then made into a film, and then a Broadway musical. The 2022 film is based on the musical. With all of these different versions of the classic story, Miss Trunchbull has always remained a pretty scary character!

Miss Trunchbull wears a very military inspired costume, showing her authority and seriousness for her job, being a terrible principal. Her costume hilariously fits her attitude and personality so well- from the army green trench coat, to the special belt attachment to hold her mallet. This would make a wonderfully fun and recognizable costume!

Cynthia Zdunowski (played by Ari Notartomaso) is one-fourth of the titular group at the heart of the prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.  Cynthia has always dreamt of being a member of the T-birds, but isn’t allowed to join.  The Pink Ladies are born when Cynthia joins with friends Nancy, Olivia, and Jane.  Cynthia often wears trousers and favors more loose-fitting silhouettes than other members of the Pink Ladies.  Don’t be afraid to clash patterns as well, since Cynthia does so often.  The unique mustard-colored sweater with hood is difficult to find an exact match for, but several similar options exist so you can choose whichever you think looks closest.  Add Cynthia’s name to a Pink Ladies jacket with a black fabric marker.

Nancy Nakagawa (played by Tricia Fukuhara) is a founding member of the Pink Ladies alongside friends Olivia, Jane, and Cynthia in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.  Nancy is an aspiring fashion designer, a fact which comes across in her often unique and eccentric clothing choices.  A great example is her green lobster skirt, which is nearly impossible to find an exact match for, unless you’re particularly adept with a sewing machine yourself.  Similar options exist with either lobsters or the more standard ’50s poodle print.  Nancy pushes the limits of fashion, so don’t be afraid to accessorize your costume with brooches that evoke her signature embellishments or unique hairpins.  Finish your look with black loafers, white socks, and your Pink Ladies jacket with Nancy’s name added with a fabric marker to the front.

Olivia Valdovinos (played by Cheyenne Isabel Wells) is a founding member of the titular girl gang in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.  She forms the group alongside friends Nancy, Cynthia, and Jane.  A former straight-A student, Olivia’s school experience takes a bad turn after a male teacher has a relationship with her.  Much of Olivia’s wardrobe consists of more form-fitting attire than her friends.  When in doubt, a pencil skirt paired with a blouse and a pair of Mary Janes or t-strap heels will certainly do the trick.  Olivia isn’t afraid of color and often wears jewel tones.  If you can’t find an exact match for a certain piece, like her green dress or beige sweater top, try to get as close as you can by choosing pieces with similar silhouettes (or ones you aren’t afraid to alter with a pair of scissors).  Complete your costume with a gold cross necklace and signature Pink Ladies jacket; you can add Olivia’s name with a black fabric marker.

Jane Facciano (played by Marisa Davila) is a founding member of the Pink Ladies alongside friends Nancy, Olivia, and Cynthia in the prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.  Jane is studious and bright, but her relationship with her high school’s quarterback leads to some unpleasant rumors circulating about her.  Since the series takes place in the 1950s, there is plenty of opportunity to recreate vintage silhouettes.  Jane has dark hair and wears a pair of chic cat eye glasses.  Her costumes often use accessories like thin waist-cinching belts and headbands.  Her skirts and dresses tend to be free-flowing and midi-length.  Pair your favorite Jane look with white socks and a pair of saddle shoes, and don’t forget your Pink Ladies jacket, which you can personalize with a fabric marker by adding Jane’s name to the front.

Dee Reynolds is a character in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In the season four finale, Dee stars in The Nightman Cometh, a rock opera written by Charlie. She performs the role of the princess, which with the apron, seems coded for The Waitress. After her duet with the little boy, performed by Dennis, she improvises a song called “Just to Be Clear” to convey that she is not interested in children, and most men would rate her an eight or nine out of ten.

Karen Plankton is the computer wife of Sheldon J. Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical.  Karen is a computer and, alongside her husband, tries to trick the residents of Bikini Bottom.  Karen’s look in the musical is very different from the ordinary computer screen in the original cartoon series.  To recreate the costume, you’ll want to focus on the futuristic aesthetic.  Karen wears green tights, silver boots, and silver wraparound glasses.  A futuristic space explorer costume is a good stand-in for an official Karen costume, but you can also get close with a silver skirt and a draped top.  Finish the look with a purple wig of your choice and some frosty lilac lipstick.

Rem is a character that’s found in the anime/manga Death Note, and for this version the focus will be on the live action stage adaptation of the series, where she’s portrayed as a lot more human-like in appearance than her regular shinigami (death god) form. For this specific design I’ve gone with what I believe is Megumi Hamada’s portrayal of her, as there are variations of the character between each version of the musical.

Rem is the shinigami that Misa Amane has ties to, by way of her Death Note, and throughout the series came to care very deeply for her, despite the fact that Misa was human. This comes out even more strongly through the musical soundtrack, with much more love showing through how she sings about and with her.

In this particular version, Rem has pale, pearlescent skin with grey and blue highlighting tones, blue makeup, and long silver-white hair with blue strands trailed throughout it. The outfit she wears is a long, torn and draped robe/dress-like piece with a cloak over top, simple white pants underneath, and white shoes. One standout piece of this design that ties in nicely to the original shinigami form that she has is the extra-long fingernails, mimicking her long pointed fingers.