Miss Havisham Halloween Costume: The Look

Miss Havisham's look is eerie and Gothic. There are many ways to bring this character to life and my initial idea was to use this for inspiration

Source: The Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes

This is the crone's dress from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999). It's tattered and old and spooky, so it would have been perfect for Miss Havisham. The veil is also a nice touch. It obscures the face and makes the whole silhouette more ghost-like. 

But I decided not to use a veil since they tend to get really cumbersome at a party.  I am also going to use my Mom's dress and I don't want to shred or dye it to get this tattered look.    

The Crone's Dress, bodice detail

However, I do love the cobwebs, and I will hopefully achieve something very similar with my bag of decorative spider webs. 

In different film versions Miss Havisham has very different hair. 

There is the crazy, puffy hair that makes me think of  late 18th century.  

There is a more sweet and girly 'Victorian' look with curls that reminds you that this old, bitter woman was once young and carefree.

In one of the more recent films, which was clearly trying to match the costumes to the time frame of the story, there is a more sophisticated and polished hairstyle to go with a regency wedding gown. 

But I think, my own hairstyle will largely depend on how much time I'll have before the party. I will probably go with a very simple up-do of some sort and add a few flowers to make it look more bridal. This way I can spend more time on my makeup.   

See also, Miss Havisham Part I and Miss Havisham Part II