Zoinks! Halloween's approaching, and you need quick costume ideas. The Scooby-Doo gang has been providing group costume inspiration for decades. Shaggy Rogers, the lovable slacker who owns the titular Scooby-Doo, makes an especially easy Halloween costume. Not only is it simple to DIY, but there's a tasty bonus to this costume: Out of the entire Mystery, Inc. gang, Shaggy's the only one who carries his own snacks.
Shaggy costume fundamentals
Video of the Day
If you were randomly assigned Shaggy for a group Scooby-Doo Halloween costume, you lucked out. Whoever's dressing as Fred Jones is going to have to wear an ascot and tight white shirt with a blue collar. A Velma costume calls for an orange turtleneck sweater, pleated red skirt, orange knee socks, red shoes and square glasses—not things most people have in their closet. Dressing as Daphne might be the toughest DIY Scooby-Doo costume. The original cartoon character dressed in a purple dress with light purple accents, pink tights, purple shoes and a green neck scarf—things you probably won't find in your closet or even in your local thrift store.
Video of the Day
A Shaggy costume consists of just two easy pieces: a green V-neck T-shirt and a pair of brown bell bottoms. Pick a T-shirt in a medium green shade. Shaggy's shirt sometimes looks lime green in the old cartoons, but a more neutral moss green or a brighter emerald green should also work. Because Shaggy's look is uber casual and rumpled, choose a shirt that's loose on you. You can cut a wider V-neck and ragged sleeves into the shirt to make it look even more sloppy and unkempt.
If you can't find brown pants with bell bottoms, DIY your own. Cut open the side seams at the bottom of a pair of loose-fitting brown or dark khaki pants so they flare out over your shoes. Pants in a dark red tone would also be appropriate for a Shaggy costume. Finish your costume with a pair of comfortable dark-colored shoes.
Did You Know?
While Shaggy is known for the customary green T-shirt he wears in most Scooby-Doo TV shows and live-action movies, the character was once seen in another color. He was sometimes depicted wearing a red shirt and jeans during various made-for-TV movies in the 1980s.
Nailing Shaggy's hair
Shaggy is known for his signature "just rolled out of the Mystery Machine" look with his messy mop of brownish hair and straggly goatee. If you already have short hair (say, chin length or shorter), use your hands and maybe some hair spray to fluff it up like you just got out of bed. Any short, shaggy wig designed for Halloween or cosplaying will also work as Shaggy hair.
If you can't grow out some facial hair on your chin before the event, draw on some faux chin hairs with a grease pencil or apply a fake costume goatee to your chin only. (Some fake goatees include an attached mustache, which Shaggy doesn't need.)
Accessorizing and transforming into Shaggy
To make a truly convincing Shaggy, you're going to need two key accessories: a trusty dog and some tasty snacks. (Is it any wonder Shaggy is an icon to so many?)
Scooby-Doo is Shaggy's dog, and they're rarely seen apart. Carry a stuffed Scooby or other Great Dane toy with you while you're dressed up along with a box of Scooby snacks. In the TV show's universe, they are dog treats that Shaggy is also known to enjoy. In real life, a few major food companies make kid-friendly snacks, like fruit snacks and graham crackers, that are branded with Scooby imagery.
Finally, spend a few minutes watching compilations of the old Scooby-Doo cartoons on YouTube to familiarize yourself with Shaggy's mannerisms and speech patterns or just start every sentence with "like" and pepper in a "zoinks" whenever you can.
