The great British comedian and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin achieved great popularity, becoming a symbol for humor and the silent cinema worldwide. If for Halloween or any other kind of costume party you would like to surprise everyone with a Chaplin costume, you just need a few items of clothing and a few objects. In this OneHowTo article we'll give you a step by step guide on how to make a DIY Charlie Chaplin costume that's very simple but also very original.
- black suit
- wrinkled white shirt
- bow tie
- bowler hat
- black shoes
- walking stick
- make-up
To start making this DIY Charlie Chaplin costume you need to get a bowler hat. You can use an old one or buy a second-hand one as it does not have to be a good hat. It can be made with plastic and felt, for example.
Charlie Chaplin is characterised by wearing a suit that is a little too big for him. He uses a black suit with big grey trousers, a white shirt and a bow tie or tie. Ideally, the jacket of the suit should be a little tight. Although Chaplin imitates a tramp, the clothes should not be dirty or anything. What you can use is a slightly wrinkled shirt.
To wear some shoes that are similar to those of Charlie Chaplin, it is best to choose shoes that are worn away and quite large. They can be similar to the ones used by clowns but in black.
Another accessory that cannot be missed in a Charlie Chaplin costume is the walking stick. Any stick you have will do. Try to learn to spin it as Chaplin did in his films.
Finally, the make-up is very important. You can paint your face white with a very light foundation to recreate the black and white effect of the majority of his films. What cannot be left out is the mustache that was so characteristic of Charlie Chaplin. It goes from the upper lip to the nose. You can either paint it on with face paints or stick a fake mustache on.
You should also use dark eyeliner to underline your eyebrows so they look thicker. Use the same black eyeliner to underline the lower eyelids.
If you have long hair, you can simply tuck it under the bowler hat. For people with short hair, you can use some gel to take some tufts of hair that will be poking out if the hat.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Make a DIY Charlie Chaplin Costume, we recommend you visit our Festivities & Celebrations category.