With the Addams Family’s renewed popularity, many are eager to channel the gothic Wednesday Addams for Halloween. After understanding Wednesday’s aesthetic and style, the look is rather easy to achieve. Wednesday’s vibe is full of horror elements, a clear example of The Addams Family’s original tone. Since her initial introduction in Charles Addams’ comic strip in 1938, Wednesday has been an instantly recognizable creepy character. Several actresses have played Wednesday over the past 86 years, but her look has remained mostly the same.

This consistency in outfit and tone has made Wednesday one of the most iconic horror and gothic-style characters. Jenna Ortega is the lead of Wednesday‘s cast, which features many other horror and creepy legends. Wednesday’s dark style reflects her gloomy personality. This is often played to humorous effect when she is contrasted against a more friendly, outgoing character, such as her colorful roommate. Even without an authentic costume, Wednesday’s look and vibe are easy to replicate since so much of her character relies on her iconic tone and dark aesthetic.

Wednesday Addams’ Gothic & Dark Style Explained

Her Family’s Vibe Influences Her Style

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Wednesday’s style reflects her overall appreciation of death and the macabre. She often wears dark and old clothing in black, which is her signature color. Her style draws from Victorian-era fashion, Gothic literature, and horror elements. These combine to make Wednesday an eerie edition of a modern teenager. Though Wednesday is a child, her clothing often has more aged and older elements, merging childhood innocence with a darker and unsettling twist.

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Wednesday comes from the wealthy and reclusive Addams family. Because she rarely interacts with other children her age, her style has grown from her family’s history and values. This explains why Wednesday often wears fancy and vintage clothing, mainly relying on the wardrobe available to her at the Addams’ home. The rest of her family dresses in similar dark and formal attire, her mom typically wearing a black dress, her brother in a striped shirt, and her father in a suit. Within the context of her family, Wednesday matches the aesthetic, however, when she is with normal people, she stands out, though she doesn’t seem to mind.

Which Kind Of Clothes Are Needed To Dress Like Wednesday Addams

The Character Often Wears Black Formal Clothes

Wednesday wears black whenever she can and is rarely seen out of the color. When she can’t wear black, she will wear a dark color, making it her signature style. She also typically sports a dress and collar, which can be interpreted as rather formal, but she pulls it off well. The fanciness of her clothing exemplifies the unusual and rich upbringing she had with the rest of the Addams family. She rarely feels out of place, even though Wednesday’s outfits are often a different color than everyone else’s, such as her Nevermore school uniform and fencing attire.

Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix.

Wear a black outfit or dress that looks semi-formal to match Wednesday’s outfit. Her typical and most recognizable dress has long sleeves, a large white collar, and white cuffs. If a dress doesn’t feel right, wear black formal clothing to match her morbid vibe and love of the macabre. She also wears high black socks, covering as much of her pale skin as possible. She completes her look with simple black shoes, often Mary Janes. The closer the outfit can get to Wednesday’s Victorian and old-time vibe, the more realistic it will look.

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Being a child who hates extravagance, Wednesday does not often wear jewelry, including rings and necklaces. Wednesday does not usually intend to show off or impress, so she doesn’t care to accessorize. Even in her fancy outfit at the school dance, Wednesday allowed her dress to highlight her appearance without accessorizing or wearing jewelry. A long-sleeved turtleneck shirt will cover those parts of the skin and remove the need to accessorize.

How To Braid Hair And Do Makeup Like Wednesday Addams

Matching Wednesday’s Appearance Goes Beyond Just The Costume

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Wednesday’s hair is always styled in two straight braids that go past her shoulders. Her hair is even done like this when she plans to go swimming in Addams Family Values. Though the braids remain, other details of the style have changed in different portrayals of Wednesday. In the 2019 animated film The Addams Family, Wednesday sports small nooses at the end of her braids. Ortega’s bangs have become synonymous with the style, but other versions of the girl often don’t feature any fringe.

Her hairstyle tries to emphasize Wednesday’s childlike nature. Though Ortega plays her as a teenager, Wednesday was originally a child when she first appeared in the comics and sitcom. She’s grown up, but her style has mostly stayed the same, making her more iconic and keeping her as recognizable as possible. Simple three-strand braiding tutorials are available online.
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Like the sparseness of her accessories, Wednesday tends not to wear makeup. Though she doesn’t explicitly put on makeup, her vibe and natural appearance help add to her vibe. To use makeup to look like Wednesday, use a lighter color to look more pale, matching her ghostly vibe. Wednesday also looks perpetually tired and slightly unwell. Use makeup to add shadows under the eyes to help create this look. Some interpretations of the outfit include black lipstick to strengthen the vibe. However, the character is almost never seen with black lips.

Wednesday walks confidently with poise and purpose, not caring what anyone else thinks of her.

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Ortega and some other Wednesday actors are known for their wide-eyed gazes, which appear even more eerie and severe. Slight makeup can help make the eyes seem darker or wider, drawing attention to the face. As for movements, Wednesday walks confidently with poise and purpose, not caring what anyone else thinks of her.

Wednesday Addams Costume Ideas & DIY Tips

Elevate The Look And Remember The Basics

Much of Wednesday’s style comes from her physicality. Wednesday rarely smiles, opting to keep a straight face to show her apathy. To match her gloomy vibe, keep a straight face whenever possible. She often has a deadpan delivery and a deadly sense of humor, finding pleasure and excitement at the idea of pain and death to others. Try to keep a flat affect and not show too much emotion when speaking.

Wednesday’s white collar and cuff can be created separately without wearing an additional shirt. Cutting triangular pieces of white fabric and tucking them into the neck hole of the black shirt can help achieve the collar look. The same white fabric can be used to make cuffs when wrapped around the wrist and tucked into the sleeves. These pieces of cloth can be attached with sewing or glue, depending on how permanent they need to be.

Wednesday ’s second season is scheduled to be released in 2025.

Here are some other ideas to help achieve and elevate the costume:
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If you want to accessorize, try to match the spooky vibe by using spiders or skulls
Learn Wednesday’s signature dance to the song “Goo Goo Muck.”
Keep a straight face whenever possible
Consider using a wig to match her long, dark braids
Use makeup to replicate her sickly pale look and dark eyes
Try to find black, semi-formal clothes, which ideally leave little skin exposed

Overall, Wednesday’s look is relatively simple when boiled down to its essential elements. Her most recognizable traits are her dark clothing and aesthetic, and wearing black is easily achievable. Most importantly, Wednesday’s vibe is about confidence and not caring what others think. Being able to achieve this while following the above costuming tips will make for the perfect Wednesday Addams Halloween costume.