Carbon Costume

Finn Wittrock is a master character actor. He’s been in five seasons of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story”, each time as a uniquely memorable character. And it all started with the role of Dandy Mott in “American Horror Story: Freak Show”. Dandy is the heir of a wealthy family, one housing a dark secret that explains part of Dandy’s obsession with the odd and that he feels explains his own violent nature.

As the heir to a wealthy family in the ’50s, Dandy has a specific sense of style. Casual clothing consists of white slacks and a blue polo sweater over a white button down shirt, his belt and shoes a matching tan leather. When he wants to be a bit more dashing he opts for a white suit with an orange vest and orange ascot. The same white button down shirt can be used, though he opts for white dress shoes for his suit. In both cases you will either need pomade or a black wig to emulate his slicked-back hairstyle.

Anne Boleyn – both the character and the actual woman – was cunning and clever. She knew how life at court worked and did all she could to make the best life for herself in a world that seemed stacked against her. Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of her is a fan favorite from The Tudors and brought new attention to the tragic life lived by the mother of Queen Elizabeth the First.

Though Anne wears several gowns on the show one of her most popular is the yellow gown she wears to Catherine’s funeral. Given the intricate styles of the Tudor era it is hard to easily replicate the dress. Etsy sellers have a few listed, one of which is pictured to the left in the image above. The option to the right is from Amazon. With either option you’ll want a hoop to fill out the skirt, a brunette wig, and a Boleyn necklace. A pair of thigh high socks and white ballet slippers dyed yellow finish the look.

Some might know him best as Ferris Bueller’s unimpressed teacher. But a whole generation of children grew up knowing Ben Stein as the voice of the ever unimpressed Head Pixie. If it’s not dull, bland, and boring, he isn’t happy. And when that happens it’s bad news for Wanda, Cosmo, and Timmy.

H.P.’s look is pretty easy to get (and, as an added bonus, full of pieces that can be used for daily wear or with other cosplays) with the exception of his hat. Because it’s so unique you will have to DIY it. Cut a two grey stars out of softer, lightweight felt. Glue them together with a thin, piece of clear plastic between them. Then take flexible grey foam and shape it into a cone large enough to wear as a hat. Glue the edges down with hot glue, making sure to leave a small hole at the top of the cone. Stick the end of the plastic rod into the hole and adjust the height of the star over the hat. Trim off most of the excess inside but leave a small amount to anchor with hot glue. Fill the remaining space around the plastic rod with hot glue. Finally, take a dark grey marker and draw on the swirls around the bottom of his cap.

Once you’ve got the hat, the rest of his costume is fairly straight forward. Fake eyebrows give you something close to the white bars that H.P. sports while small wings, fake glasses and white hair spray take care of your hair and accessories. Finish off the look with a grey suit, white button down, black tie, and black shoes. If you want purple contacts to really go all-in, make sure that you get them through an eye doctor. If they’re not properly fitted to your eye shape, cosmetic contacts can do serious damage.

Debra Morgan (played by Jennifer Carpenter) is the snarky and foul-mouthed adopted sister of Dexter’s titular serial killer. She spends most of the show oblivious to her brother’s true nature. Once she finds out she has to grapple with her own morals and how the contrast with her love for her brother.

Most of Debra’s screen time is when she is at work and that means cosplaying as her is fairly easy and might use pieces you already have in your closet. Sensible but dressy shoes that you can run in (since she’s a police officer) as well as black slacks and a sturdy black leather belt. Debra favors somewhat loose button ups in breathable fabrics and simple, bold patterns. She also wears a belt holster for her weapon and prefers to wear her badge around her neck. A brown ombre wig completes the look, though you can wear the hair long or short depending on which season you’re pulling her looks from.

Catherine Howard (played by Tamzin Merchant) was the youngest of Henry VIII’s wives, marrying him and 17 and dying by his order between the ages of 18 and 19. The reason was adultery, though some argue that the charges were false. But even if they were true, it’s hard to blame the young queen for looking for love when her husband was 49 to her 17, a 32 year age gap.

Catherine’s story is one of tragedy and heartache, ending in her execution. It is the scene that sticks most with fans, closely followed by the way she danced both for the king and for herself. A specific request came in for her execution gown and that is what we focused on for this write up.

A simple white gown dyed black serves as the basis for the costume, one with a black slip underneath. A long black coat with attached goes over the top. And the costume would not be complete without a long blonde wig and a white cap.

Amber Bennett is a character in the comic book and animated series, Invincible. She is a student at Reginald Vel Johnson high school — and Mark Grayson is crushing hard on her. After Mark defends her against Todd, she takes an interest in him too. They begin a romantic relationship, yet it crumbles under the weight of Invincible’s responsibilities. Mark tries to win Amber back on several occasions, eventually revealing his secret to her. But — she already figured out the identity on her own, proving her keen detective skills. Aside from being observant, Amber is altruistic, as shown with her volunteer work at the community kitchen. She even inspires Eve to use her powers to start really helping the world. Marvel star Zazie Beetz voices Amber in the show now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Maki Zenin is a major supporting character in the anime Jujutsu Kaisen. She is a second year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. She was excommunicated from the Zenin family due to her lack of cursed energy. In spite of this, she’s studying to become a strong sorcerer. Headstrong and blunt, Maki has a strong will that motivates her to prove everyone wrong.

Nana Shimura (voiced by Mie Sonozaki and Stephanie Young) is one of the wielders of the powerful quirk One for All in the manga and anime series My Hero Academia.  Nana was the seventh user of the power, before her protégé Toshinori Yagi also known as All Might.  Nana, fearing for her family’s safety because All for One was after her, left her son and husband behind, which has far-reaching implications for Izuku Midoriya in his eventual fight against the League of Villains.  Nana’s superhero costume consists of a black bodysuit, white cape, yellow gloves, and red wrap around her waist.  She wears her dark hair in a messy half-up hairstyle.