With her colorful, retro outfit, Daphne from "Scooby-Doo" inspires Halloween costumes for all ages and many generations. "Danger-prone Daphne" is instantly recognizable in her long-sleeved purple dress, pale pink pantyhose, purple headband and, of course, her lime green scarf. These essential Daphne costume elements are easy to find, buy or make yourself depending on your resources and crafting skills. A DIY Daphne costume is also a great choice as part of a group costume with the other members of Mystery Inc.
Daphne’s Purple Dress
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Daphne wears an A-line, long-sleeve, above-the-knee purple dress with lilac cuffs and stripes around the hem and skirt. Any dress that somewhat matches that description will work as the foundation for a DIY Daphne costume. If you have the necessary sewing skills, sew a similar dress from scratch using a commercial or self-drafted pattern. Otherwise, find a dress as similar as possible in a discount or thrift store and add some embellishments to make it match Daphne's version.
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If you find a dress in the right style but the wrong color, consider dying it purple. You could hem a dress that's too long but otherwise fits Daphne's look using hem tape or fabric glue or by sewing. Add the lilac stripes and cuffs to a plain purple dress using lilac fabric paint or by sewing or gluing on lilac ribbons.
Daphne’s Pink Pantyhose and Purple Shoes
In Scooby-Doo, Daphne usually wears pastel pink pantyhose along with low-heeled purple shoes. As these items of clothing aren't the main focus of a DIY Daphne costume, you can get away with variations on her exact style. If you can't find pastel pink pantyhose, opt for white or any pastel hue or consider cheap leggings or knee-high socks as an alternative.
Daphne usually wears purple low-heel pumps with a chevron accent on the top of the shoes. Occasionally, she wears tall "go-go" boots, also in purple. Any similar style of shoe or boot will work. For an authentic look, paint a pair of thrifted shoes purple. To add the chevron accent, consult a picture of Daphne, cut the shapes out of craft foam, paint them purple to match the shoes and glue them in place.
Daphne’s Green Scarf
Daphne's bright lime green scarf tied closely around the neck is an essential element of her look. It's also easy to DIY one if you can't find a similar ready-to-wear scarf. You just need a lightweight, nonstretch fabric in the correct color that is cut into a long rectangle with pointed ends. Hem the edges if you wish and knot the scarf loosely at your neck so that the pointed ends hang down no lower than the bust.
Daphne’s Hair, Headband and Makeup
Daphne has shoulder-length red hair, which she wears down with bangs and a wide purple headband. If your own hair is similar, you just need the headband. Otherwise, find a wig that resembles Daphne's hair. If you can't find a wide purple headband, start with any wide plastic headband and paint it or glue purple fabric around it. As an easier DIY headband, just use a strip of purple stretchy fabric and tie it at the nape of the neck.
Daphne's key makeup looks include black eyeliner in a cat-eye swoop and red lipstick. Both of these looks are easy to recreate.