St. Patrick’s Day is an interesting phenomenon. This Irish history holiday is celebrated all over western culture for a variety of reasons, and in a variety of ways. No matter the culture, though, one thing permeates the holiday: the color green. Every year, we pick out our favorite green clothes to wear. For some it’s a way of celebrating, for others it’s a tool to keep from getting pinched. No matter why you might be getting green this year, take it to the next level by cosplaying your favorite greenie. Here are 20 of our favorite ways to get green.
Green Lantern – Portrayed by dozens of characters from Hal Jordan to Laira to Alan Scott (DC’s first openly gay super), this is a great hero to cosplay for anyone. The Green Lantern Corps is populated by men, women, and aliens of every variety. Go green in your own interpretation, just don’t forget the ring!
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(Green) Arrow – Grease paint, a hood, and any combination of arrows, tech, bows, and utility gear bring this character to life. Another hero you can imagine in a variety of ways, only requiring the basics to create an entire costume. Adding LEDs to the Arrows give the high-tech look that is the signature to Oliver Queen’s vigilante style.
Hulk – Torn clothes, oversized hands, and green skin. What can go wrong? This is an extremely simple costume requiring little more than green paint and creativity to bring to life.
She Hulk – Jennifer Walters is a tragic character with great costumes and beautiful hair. Green skin, a black wig, and a wide variety of clothing options make this a fun costume to personalize.
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Link – With medieval clothes, a broad leather belt, and floppy green hat, this costume is a specialty one, but one that makes it hard to mistake. Just be prepared to be called Zelda. Don’t forget your slingshot, sword, shield, and maybe even an ocarina to make a big difference with small upgrades.
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Yoda – A master of the Jedi arts, Yoda is a great cosplay option for kids. A little brown robe, a lightsaber, and green paint make this another memorable and unmistakable cosplay. Don’t forget that Yoda’s lightsaber is also green. Too many cosplayers use other colors, to the chagrin of other fans. You can also just buy the costume outright if that’s easier for you.
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Peter Pan – A trip to Neverland is at hand. Green clothes, leather shoes, and a feathered cap, this is an easily recognized costume, often played by women. Grab a lantern, put a sparkling candle or LED in it, and have your own Tinkerbell at hand. A great costume for the young and young at heart. The clothes can be almost any style as long as you have a great hat.
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Rogue – Rash and charismatic, a reluctant hero, and a firestorm personality make for a thrilling costume. This X-man is most easily recognized wearing green and gold, with a streak of white in her hair. The gloves make a great final touch. This costume also comes with the implied threat: pinch me and you will regret it.
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Yoshi – Another great option for kids, costumes can be ordered year round. Paint a papier mache egg for your little one, and this is a fun and easy costume for impatient toddlers.
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Green Goblin – Not an easy costume, but one with lots of options. Portrayed with a variety of clothes and gear, the signature green skin is the only requirement. Purple clothes, leather clothes, metal armor, a hover board, jack-o-lantern bombs, lasers, and a stylish leather messenger bag are all great ways to make this costume your own. Be prepared with a manic laugh and vicious grin to bring this costume to life. Don’t feel compelled to wear ears if you have a hood on–they can be inconvenient at best.
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The Wicked Witch of the West – The easiest of green-skinned costumes there is. A black robe or cloak, a broom, and a black hat are easy enough to muster. Green paint is, of course, a must. Practice your cackle, girl–you will have a lot of fun with pinching those “pretties” who forget to wear green! Add a false mole to give the extra touch of creepy authenticity.
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Poison Ivy – Dressed in leaves and leather, this greenie is an easy costume option any time of year. Just hit up the craft store for fake flowers and find the foliage that feels right to you. A red wig makes the distinctive difference for simple costumes. As an alternate, buy autumn leaves, and fashion a headpiece as unique as you are.
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Riddler – A green suit (or green spandex suit for the brave) and question marks everywhere. Grab a dowel rod, or cane, paint it black, and fashion a hook or question mark of some kind to the end to make another unmistakable costume.
Doc Ock (Doctor Octavious) – This eight-limbed villain is a challenge to cosplay. A green trench coat and any manner of clawed tentacles are critical. Tutorials abound with tips on how to make the tentacles for your costume, but the details are too involved for this post. Check out the other photos of the family in the above photo on TheRPF.
Gardevoir – Often cosplayed, this elegantly dressed Pokemon is a show-stopper every time if done right. A flowing white dress is the base, with a green underskirt. Add facepaint, a wig or green hairspray, and accessories, and this is a beautiful costume. The dress can usually also be used for other costumes and events, making it a great investment piece.
Bellossom – This simply designed Pokemon is an easy one to cosplay for any age. A green dress and oversized red flowers are the only critical parts of this costume. Its original design can be personalized in a huge array of options from elegant to simple for your personal taste. Make the over-sized flowers from red fabric, like pictured above, and they will be light and won’t flop around.
Used under fair use for inspiration.
Pansage – What can go wrong with being a green monkey? This Pokemon’s great smile and joyous behavior can be a blast to cosplay, letting you revel in your goofiness in the spirit of accurate cosplay. I suggest a papier mache hat painted green to make the headpiece pop. Fabric headpieces are easier to store, though, so do what feels right to you. Bonus if you actually use this one. I’ve never seen a costume completed.
Used under fair use for inspiration.
Roselia – This simple costume is one of my favorites. If I ever forced Jenny to wear a Pokemon costume, this is the only one she would tolerate. A green and yellow apron and shoulder pads are a great way to start. Add light-colored leggings, green hairspray, and pom-pom flowers for the hands make this an unmistakable costume great for young girls, with little investment and room to grow with the wearer. If you make the flowers from fabric, you can starch and clear-coat them to keep them from wilting.
Used under fair use for inspiration.
Garruk – Grab your most macho clothes for this beasty planeswalker. A silver helmet or mask, bracers, torn clothes, an axe, and a fierce expression make this a great costume for the silent type to cosplay. Not a soul on the planet will dare pinch you this St. Patrick’s Day! Using a kilt and wide belt allows more bodily coverage for the body-shy of us. A great costume for big(ger) guys.
Used under fair use for inspiration.
Nissa – This is one mean chick to cosplay. A green dress, or skirt/crop-top, paired with elf ears, a staff, and Nissa’s tattoos done with dramatic makeup allow a girl to wear a costume that is as simple or complicated as she likes. Adding LEDs to the gloves or staff to give that spellcasting glimmer to the hands, and you have a primal and powerful costume for an epic entrance to a con, with the happy side effect of looking fabulous on St. Patrick’s Day.
If you have any tips for these costumes, or any characters you like to see cosplayed, let us know in the comments. We love seeing them come to life.
