Costume Ideas to Look Like the Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter

The Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter is one of this classic story’s most popular characters, whether in his animated form or as incarnated by Johnny Depp in the new hit movie. The appeal of the Mad Hatter boils down to the fact that he is insane and so can do almost anything he wants.

He is also one of the few characters in Alice in Wonderland who is recognizably human. Thus, it should not be any surprise that even before Halloween, you can already see many people dressing up like the Hatter. If you would like to attend fancy dress parties as the Mad Hatter, here are some Halloween costume ideas.

First, let’s take a look at the basic elements of the Hatter’s costume. Basically, he wears what men commonly wore in the 1860s, including a calf-length frock coat and vest or waistcoat, topped off, so to speak, with a top hat.

But, since he’s the Hatter, there are more eccentric elements in the outfit to suggest his madness, including a bright colored sash wrapped around the hat, as well as accessories inspired by the milliner’s craft added to the ensemble, such as tiny reels of thread looped on a string and worn around the body like a sash and a pincushion ring.

So to get the basic Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter look, take an old-fashioned formal men’s suit and sew lacy cuffs to it. Then wear an over-sized and brightly-patterned bow tie, as well as colorful socks; clinch the cuffs of the pants to your calves so the socks are visible. Thread some reels of thread onto a string and wear it as a bandolier over your shoulder.

Complete the look with a top hat that has a pastel-colored sash wrapped around it, white pancake makeup with bright pink eyeliner and an orange wig. If desired, add long hat pins to the top hat, as well as a 10/6 price tag.