Help me make a Wadsworth costume for Halloween
October 5, 2014 1:47 PM   Subscribe

This year for Halloween I will be part of a group going as the main cast of Clue. Help me pull off an amazing Wadsworth (i.e. the butler).

Clothes:

I'm willing to buy (extremely affordable) pieces, but since his outfit is basically morning dress I thought it might be cheaper to find a close match at a tuxedo rental shop. I'm in the St. Louis area and willing to go anywhere within a 45 minute radius, but easy options include Men's Wearhouse and David's Bridal. Size availability should not be a problem.

Hair:

My hair is pretty similar in length and character to Wadsworth's, but it's light brown / dark blond rather than black. What are people's recommendations for non-permanent black hair dye or other coloring options? Ideally I would dye my eyebrows as well, if possible.

Props:

This post on Replica Prop Forum describes the Clue weapon props in some detail. Sources for any and all of these would be appreciated, other than the rope and pipe, which are easy. So far this is the closest replica I've found to the H&R Model 733 prominently used (or at least handled) by Wadsworth in the movie. I would have to paint the grip black, so any suggestions on painting an unknown plastic a permanent, non-transferring black would also be appreciated.

Bonus Points:

As a nod to one of Tim Curry's other famous roles I was planning on wearing some fishnets underneath the trousers. Any recommendations? I'm 5'8" and 143lbs, if that helps with hosiery sizing. In case it's relevant I wasn't planning on shaving my legs for what amounts to a side-joke.
posted by jedicus to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (3 answers total)
 
Definitely do something with your eyebrows to reproduce his smug look. Just some black eyeliner might work fine for those.
posted by RingerChopChop at 3:32 PM on October 5, 2014


Best answer: I'd say good old fashioned manic panic ought to do for the hair dye --- try your nearest alterna-kid mall shop. Washes out quite quickly, generally, which should be better in your case than Clairol or some such. The eyebrows you can do with a brow pencil/eyeshadow and a spoolie --- thick brows are in right now, there's got to be a million YouTube makeup tutorials (Lorde brows might be a good search) that will give you the gist.
posted by Diablevert at 4:04 PM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Krylon Fusion is a spray paint designed for plastic. I've successfully used it to spray paint toy guns several times. Use thin coats with plenty of time to dry in between, and follow the instructions on the can.

Hane's fishnets have enough stretch to avoid that saggy ankle look that you get from cheapo costume shop pairs, and they aren't pricy. They're usually available at Target too. You'd need the C/D size.
posted by Requiax at 5:22 PM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


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