What You’ll Need Building Tootie’s Look From the Glasses Out The oversized purple glasses are the single most important piece of this costume. Tootie’s face is defined by those thick, square frames, and nothing else will sell the character as effectively. Start there. Look for prop glasses with a bold frame width—the thicker the plastic, … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Dana Barrett’s Look From the First Film The gray sweater-dress is doing most of the work here, so it’s worth taking your time with it. You need a long-sleeved pullover in heathered or solid gray with visible knit texture—ribbed, chunky, or otherwise clearly stitched. A smooth jersey or ponte fabric will … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Jenny Curran’s Layered Bohemian Look The key to this costume is understanding that Jenny never looks assembled. Every piece should appear as though it was collected over time—bought at a flea market, borrowed from a friend, or picked up on the road. The shapes matter more than the specific garments, and … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Janine’s Look From the Ground Up The glasses and hair are the fastest route to recognition, so treat those as your foundation. A short dark brown wig with volume and a slight wave, ending just above the shoulders, gives you the right silhouette without committing to a haircut. Tease the bangs … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Valerie’s Yellow-and-Orange Color Block from the Ground Up Valerie’s civilian outfit is a strict exercise in color blocking. The individual garments are ordinary early-2000s basics, but the outfit only works when the yellows and oranges sit together as one continuous palette. Start by sourcing the four main color pieces—yellow tank, orange … Read more
What You’ll Need Building the “Kale” Look From the Sweatshirt Outward The navy crewneck with “KALE” in white collegiate lettering is the entire costume. Skip the rest if you have to, but don’t skip this. A plain navy sweatshirt from any basics brand works as the base if you’re making it yourself—iron-on transfer letters in … Read more
What You’ll Need Building the On the Run Tour Look: Leather, Mesh, and the Full-Face Mask The whole costume hinges on two textures: glossy black leather and open fishnet. Both need to be visible at all times. If the leather goes matte or the mesh gets too fine, the outfit collapses into a shapeless black … Read more
What You’ll Need Building the Cowboy Carter Suit Look From the Ground Up The gray suit is the entire foundation of this costume, so start there rather than with accessories. A standard two-piece business suit in light gray, charcoal, or pinstripe will work, but the closer you get to Beyoncé’s actual cut—structured shoulders, nipped waist, … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Fabienne’s Effortless Motel-Room Look The whole costume hinges on the contrast between pieces that look expensive and pieces that look slept-in. Fabienne wears a white t-shirt with butterfly-print pajama pants, throws a denim jacket over it when she leaves the motel room, and carries a small leather bag. Start with the … Read more
What You’ll Need Building Annabeth Chase’s Layered Camp Half-Blood Look Start with the orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, since everything else builds around it. The shirt needs a vivid orange background with black printing—the pegasi logo and camp name are the most identifiable part of the costume. A brand-new shirt works fine, but it will look … Read more