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Discworld fancy dress costume ideas

Going to a fancy dress party? What better inspiration that the Discworld, full of decidedly idiosyncratic characters, and, if you haven't much time you can always dress up as a generic witch/wizard/undead and so on. Unless you are reasonably up to date with the back catalogue of books be warned - spoilers may occur below. With most of these costumes, what makes them really good is the details. For example, a witch is a witch, but when she wears serious boots, several layers of skirts, a bun and long hat pins skewering the necessary hat it must be Esmerelda Weatherwax. If you can get her cloak to convey the impression that it might also be a blanket for the goats so much the better. I have tried to pick out the details for each character that I think are important for the wearer to make it clear which character is which, but I am bound to have missed all sorts of things. Some costumes are based on my own mental image plus a few give-away props (e.g. Ksandra). If you are having or going to a Discworld fancy dress why not re-read about your favourite character and make a few notes as to their appearance? Alternatively, it is quite clear from the many books that current Discworld society contains influences from many period of history - so use it as an excuse to wear your favourite historical outfit!

Some of the costumes are obviously gender specific. Some obviously aren't (Death, Death of Rats) but others such as Albert or Twoflower (due to their character being instantly recognisable) I think anybody could get away with. Any obscure details of appearance I shall try and find the time to reference, at the least to which book, so you know where on earth anything bizarre came from.

There is a lot of published discworld imagery now. By all means take inspiration from this, but I think it would be slightly in contrast to the spirit of Discworld to take any of them as definitive. Choose the ones you like best as starting point if you like, mix 'n' match, start completely from scratch - the main criteria to judge if you are succesful is if it is close to how you imagine the character to be.

	Some sewing required, but is pretty easy.
	A bit of experience with a needle might be useful, but if you don't have any experience and are willing to have a go don't be put off.
	Definitely needs experience if you intend to do all the suggested needlework. May require use of a sewing machine.

Short notice costumes

In other words, costumes that don't take too much work if you only have a little time. In no particular order.

Twoflower: Clothes: a garish Hawaiian shirt, long shorts that really don't go with said shirt, sandals with socks (Okay, so I don't think there is an actual reference to the socks and sandals, but it seems to fit). Accessories: glasses essential. Camera a very good idea - perhaps with a cardboard cut out imp having a fag break? Extras: Those of you with far too much time on your hands and a radio controlled vehicle could I am sure convert the vehicle into a mini-luggage with cardboard or plywood, paint and so on. Although this really isn't necessary. Giving a child's pull along toy on a string a makeover would probably work just as well.
Ksandra: (maid type girl at Unseen University - especially see Moving Pictures and the discovery of the Resograph) Clothes: Dress, fairly plain and homely, long with an apron or pinny. Head scarf. Accessories: duster essential (she has been dusting the Resograph), mop, clothes pegs etc. In reference to the fact that non-magical Unseen University staff might wake up in a different shape to the usual, how about a badge saying "If found please return to original form" or the like?
Lacrimosa: To be honest this could also be any female (unreformed) vampire. Clothes: long white dress (make use of slinky nightie?) Accessories: too much eye make-up, sulky expression. If you can get some teeth that aren't those hideous plastic things the teeth might be worth a try.
Maladora Krvoijac aka "Freda": Anything that might look like a rebellious female vampire (pale make up with too much mascara but sort of ordinary clothes), but the essential bit is a silver (coloured) corkscrew on a chain round your neck. Preferably with a cork in it. Getting hold of a cork shouldn't be too much of a trial... (See the section in Carpe Jugulum about young and rebellious vampires.)
Sybil Ramkin and Young Sam Ok, this one is for mother and baby fancy dress! Sybil should be a relatively well built woman, with a mound of beautiful hair, which is, of course a wig - remember the comments along the lines of people dealing with dragons not keeping their own hair... Bearing this in mind, unless you have the sort of hair which you can pile up magnificently there is nothing wrong with using a wig for this one. Clothes: I don't think anything specific is ever mentioned about Sybil's clothes, but of course there are references to her nobility and the fact that her family never threw anything away. Try to bear this in mind, unless you wish to recreate her dragon padding, in which case a combination of cricket and martial arts padding would probably be in order. Accessories: if it is permissable with the clothes you have chosen the odd burn hole might be in keeping with the character. Young Sam: well, this doesn't need much explanation! At the risk of offending any mothers of girls: currently Young Sam is of an age that it shouldn't seriously matter whether he is really a he... <ducking>. There is a bit of description at the end of Thud regarding Young Sam's headgear; he is described as "...wearing a fetching woolly hat with a bobble on it."
Lord Vetinari If you wish to go as Vetinari you probably need the correct physical characteristics in the first place. If so, add black clothes, and possibly a small wire-haired terrier (who doesn't have to suffer from halitosis).If you don't feel you have a passing resemblance in the first place, don't bother with this one!

Costumes involving a bit more work

Some of these really do involve lots of work, other slightly less. All, however, do need some forward planning. Again, in no particular order.

Death and related characters

Death of Rats Having done this, I can give you quite a lot of detail for this one! All you need is: a broom handle, some strong card and some silver foil for the scythe; a couple of metres of black fabric which billows well to make a cloak (I think I used a cheap polyester and cut a strip from the whole to create the hood); some black, fairly close-fitting clothes and some white cloth to cut bone shapes from to sew onto your black clothes. I even did bones on white socks to put over a small pair of shoes. I didn't bother putting bones on the back of the costume because of the cloak. For the tail, I strung some old toilet roll tubes (the kind that breaks in half when you take the last sheet and has some plastic nobbles - if you use your imagination they look a little like over-simplified vertebrae) from some string and attached it to my leggings. Just make sure your friends don't stand on it... The face was just white grease paint and black mascara under the eyes and for the whiskers. You could make a pointy mask from cardboard - I did try but found that it rather got in the way of eating and drinking. It was also rather hard to get a ratty feel rather than a I-have-stuck-a-lump-of-cardboard-on-my-face feel, without unjustifiable amounts of effort, at any rate. To be pedantic, I suppose it helps the whole spirit of the thing if you are small. If you are tall, try doing Death instead.
Death As above, but no tail and whiskers. Helps if you are tall. If not, perhaps wearing platforms or heels. In fact, given that Death is supposed to be seven feet tall, perhaps anyone dressing as Death should wear platforms! The fact that Death has glowing blue eye sockets shouldn't matter: you should be pretty recognisable anyway.
Albert: Clothes: I think the phrase Albert... stick-thin raw-nosed old men who always look as thought they are wearing gloves with the fingers cut out - even when they're not... (Mort) implies old, patched and perhaps slightly scruffy clothes. Fingerless gloves therefore an option, as above quote implies he could wear fingerless gloves. I am informed that a donkey jacket might be appropriate. Accessories: half moon spectacles essential. Egg timer - perhaps a broken one (Soul Music). Frying pan, maybe with some pictures of a really greasy fry-up. To do the nose-drip squidge a drip shaped bit of PVA onto a surface from which the glue can be peeled. If you don't have make up artists' glue (like everyone does, obviously!) stick it to your nose with a bit of sticking plaster.

Witches

Granny Weatherwax: Clothes: A respectable black dress. Perhaps one could be borrowed from an elderly relative, or you could go charity shop hunting. Don't forget the possibility of buying a cheap dress of the wrong colour and dyeing it black. Lots of underskirts. These could be proper underwear, or just layer thin ordinary skirts. One, however, should be edged in lace or embroidery (see Equal Rites where Granny rescues the Esk-bird and it ruins part of her petticoat). Black cloak, preferably either threadbare blanket (beginning of Equal Rites) or black with red silk lining (see towards the end of Equal Rites after Granny has met Mrs Whitlow). Serious and sensible boots, and I mean serious boots. Don't forget Grannies' boots have lava proof qualities! Mustn't be anything less than, perhaps, Dr Martins, but forget the purple or cherry red varieties (but see Nanny Ogg). Basically, tough, black and sensible. Black witches hat, naturally, with long hat pins. Again, consider a loan from you own Granny, charity shops, markets etc to find these. Accessories: well, hair in a bun and scruffy broomstick would be a good start. Granny doesn't meed much though, as she seems to manage quite well without any geegaws (well, at least after her adventures with Esk - if you are going for an Esk period Granny a handbag with luck charms such as a horseshoe would be appropriate). A hair halter would also be appropriate for a later Granny, but it wouldn't be visually very obvious at all.
Nanny Ogg: A tricky one this. I think a black dress of a vaguely revealing nature would be good, but not your necro-nerdy style (too vampiric). Perhaps something from a charity shop, but modified would fit the bill. Cherry red Dr Martins, or red heeled boots, for Nanny's red boots in Witches Abroad. Do remember though that Granny only complains about the colour, not the style and constuction of the boots, so they must be fairly solid and nothing too wild. I get the impression she's a buxom lass, so what about a padded bra?! Accessories: a pipe, possibly a clay pipe, I think, would suit her. Cat. (On reflection you'd never get a cat as outwardly nasty as "a fist with fur on it" so maybe not. Of course, you could manipulate a photo in Photoshop or Paintshop Pro or whatever and use a cardboard cut out, but personally I think that's no way to imitate a noble creature...)
Magrat:. Clothes: Green dress. Clingy, but remember Magrat has nothing for it to cling to! Again, might be a charity shop job, unless you happen to own a green dress. Otherwise, how about making a dress from a sheet, and dyeing it (you could do this for any of the witches). That would require a fair bit of sewing and possibly a sewing machine, unless you've loads of spare time to do it all by hand (erk). Black hat, although not complusory as Magrat often doesn't wear it. Accessories: too much silver jewellery - the sort of thing she likes should be easily borrowable or bought cheaply. Hap hazard and badly applied make-up. Breadknife (or substitute along the lines of rubber or cardboard cut out would be best). If you're thinking of Magrat later than in Witches Abroad then it gets more complicated, ie baby or ragged wedding dress over armour. Hmmm. Might be best to stick to WA Magrat. You could try the Magrat wearing trousers thing, but in that case I'm not sure the costume would be distinctive enough to be worth it. Or what about Magrat as Verence would see her and the Queen of the Elves mimics her?
Agnes Nitt also comes to mind. As she is plump witch with her distinguishing feature not physical but her split personality this one might not be so distinguishable from "random witch".

A note on witches' hats: It's probably best to make your own out of black card. You'll find it very hard to buy one outside Hallowe'en, and the ones they make aren't very good. Nasty shiny plastic or covered in bats and pumpkins. Can't imagine a proper Discworld witch in one of them can you?

Others

Vlad: Clothes: Smart trousers, white shirt, possibly a dress shirt. Peacock embroidered waistcoat. Hang on, I hear you cry, where the heck do I get a peacock embroidered waistcoat? Well, if you like simple dressmaking and cross stitch, there is a pattern and instructions for, by Gail Lawther in Celtic Cross Stitch (ISBN 07153 0272 8)... a peacock embroidered waist coat! I think this one is for serious fanatics though, and those who would use the waist coat afterwards. Hence the difficulty of this. Accessories: ponytail a must. (Perdita takes note of this and believes it is "cool".) Carpe Jugulum of course.
Pteppic: Clothes: must all be black - stylish black. A black hat for the cheese wire. A suggestion of hidden weapons - please use mock-ups! If the weapons weren't hidden it wouldn't be a proper Assassin, but if you can't see them at all how can you have fun with your props? I've put this in the "bit more work" section due to the necessity to be stylish (this might take a bit of planning - I have various bits of black clothing but it doesn't mean it goes togther or would be suitable - a certain amount of borrowing might be in order as silk and velvet are mentioned). Also it might take a while to do things properly and get mock-ups of some or all of the following accessories: metal rods, various knives, a rapier and baldric, a grapnel and rope, caltraps, lockpicks, brass knuckles, a blowpipe and darts, a flask of oil, a compass in a pouch, armoured gloves, a lump of clay, priests, crossbow in sections, tweezers (taken from the list when Pteppic is dressing for his test, and various mentions throughout the test in Pyramids).
How about the mother of all Discworld costumes: Great Atuin and the Discworld? This one's a bit of an effort so stick with me. I have to admit this so far only exists in my head, so you'd have to do a fair bit of fine tuning, I imagine. It only needs a bit of sewing, but is a lot of effort overall.
Firstly, at the most basic you'll need old green or brown clothes, a large piece of cardboard, paints, green cloth that you can butcher and an oval (it must be oval not rectangular) green or brown laundry basket - you know, the plastic type with a solid base, but sides with very large mesh. The clothes bit is easy as I'd suggest wearing your old green or brown clothes as they are, possibly wrinkled, to give a vague turtle impression.
Next, flippers. Take your old brown or green cloth and stitch four little bags (perhaps with draw strings) that will fit over your hands and feet. You will need someone to help you get the hands on and off. If you like, shape them more than just square bags, into flipper shapes. Perhaps you could buy some of that fabric paint that comes in little tubs with a nozzle and leaves a line of raised plasticy stuff to create a wrinkled flipper effect.
Now for the shell. The laundry basket. If you want leave it how it is and just create shoulder straps from strips of your green material. You may have to make lots of adjustments at this stage to check it stays high on your back and doesn't flop (both because it looks better and it's better for your back). Two loops very near the top rather than rucksac style straps might be better. Now, I can't guarantee that papier maché will stick to the washing basket, but if you can't get hold of a green basket, or you want to go that one bit better, you could cover the whole thing in papier maché and paint it.
Finally, the Discword and the elephants. Cut a huge circle of cardboard for the Discworld and paint continents and oceans on it. How detailed and how many different colours is up to you. You could do a highy simplified version of The Discworld Mapp, or you could follow you own ideas. You could do a small cone for Cori Celesti, but as you're going to be sticking out at the back a lot anyway, this is optional. Paint the back black if you're worried about what's already printed on the card showing, if you're using old boxes. Stick the Discworld on the top of Great Atuin's shell. Now, in the gap between the Discworld and the curvature of the washing basket shell there should be room to stick four little elephants you have painted on more card to give the impression they are holding it up. I am thinking about some sort of design where the elephants are stuck to small boxes, thus allowing the elphants on top of the shell, and the Discworld on top of the elephants. Not sure how practical this is yet.
To put it all together, wear your green or brown clothes, hoist the shell and Discworld upon your mighty shoulders, and turn your hands and feet into flippers with the aid of a friend. Crawling, to get the Discworld the right way up, isn't necessary!