Misery: Annie Wilkes

Sometimes your Halloween Event or Costume Party is going to be outside, and you might want a costume that will help keep you warm. I’ve split my time mainly between the Midwest and New England, so I’ve survived a lot of brutal weather. I’m too old now to be wearing skimpy stuff in the cold, so I’d pick something with layers to wear to an outdoor activity. This Annie Wilkes outfit is the kind of ensemble that will keep you cozy if winter weather arrives early, like in October.

I have an aversion to turtlenecks. Sometimes I can’t handle the feel of pressure on my neck and even the fabric of a shirt (or a necklace) is too much. As such, I didn’t own any turtlenecks. I had a couple mock turtlenecks, but I was advised by my partner that they don’t count and aren’t the same. As I was making the list of characters I wanted to dress up as and rewatching some of the movies, I realized how many of them were wearing a turtleneck. In my spreadsheet, I saw that I could use one item of clothing multiple times and rationalized that buying a dark turtleneck was an acceptable piece to purchase online. I told myself that the next dark turtleneck I saw (that was in my size and price range) would be the one to get, and that’s what I did.

For this outfit, the black turtleneck is a “long sleeve rib roll neck top” from asos (and I was informed still isn’t a true turtleneck), a Ralph Lauren plaid, long-sleeved, collared shirt I bought secondhand for my partner & borrowed from his closet, a Casey Coleman denim overall dress that I inherited from my grandmother, and a pair of Columbia Sierra Summette 2 Waterproof Techlite Faux Fur winter boots that I bought at a thrift store for $5. I loving finding a sweet score like that! I miss thrifting.

For my hair, I pinned one side back with a barrette. For makeup, a quick swipe of the aptly named Country Rose Avon True Color Lipstick and a light layer of black/brown mascara. Annie Wilkes doesn’t get dolled up often, but tonight she’s putting on her Liberace records!

For my accessory, I wore a sparkly cross necklace backwards. Annie Wilkes wears a simple gold cross necklace, and I thought the front of mine was too ostentatious for her character.

For props, I chose this sweet pee jug (that we have on hand because both my spouse and I get kidney stones) and some apple juice. I suppose I could have taken off my denim overall dress to have a more accurate side-by-side, but the juice had already been consumed before I thought of it. Would make for a hilarious drink container at a byob gathering.

I also took this opportunity to use the sledgehammer that we own. It is too heavy for me to realistically carry around, but I was able to hold it long enough to take some photographs. For other props, you could use a butcher knife (seen below), a bowl of soup, some white paper with smudged typewritten letters on it, a Misery book, or a #1 Fan pin. (I thought I had one, but apparently not.)

Catch me back here tomorrow for another “work with what you’ve got!” Halloween costume, cosplay outfit idea.

In the meantime, check out the Misery: Annie Wilkes Vibes board on Pinterest.