'80s Costume Idea: Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish from The Breakfast Club

When you want to go '80s for your costume, but don't want to give up your posh sense of style, consider a costume inspired by Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. As Claire Standish, Molly Ringwald was dressed so fashionably for her day-long detention that her outfit today still looks classic. Fans of 80s movies will recognize this costume, if you do it right. If you're ready to go Retro with your costume, step into the closet of Claire Standish.

80s Costume Idea: Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish

Hair and Make Up

If you have red hair and it's cut short, your off to a good start for this 80s costume. If not, a short red wig will do, or use a Temporary Spray In Hair Color in red or orange, or a mix of the two, to achieve the effect. If you have longer hair, you can tuck it into the scarf you'll be wearing, or pin it under in the front, to give the illusion of short hair. Temporary hair colors are available at BeWild.com or Party City.

To be Claire Standish as played by Molly Ringwald, you will need to have impeccable make up. Feel free to fix your make up in public, and primp as often as possible. Outline lips in a neutral color, slightly outside your natural lip line to give your lips an illusion of plumpness. Consider a lipstick with a plumping effect, including City Lips, Physicians Formula Plump Potion or Avon Beyond Color Plumping Lipcolor.

Apply blush with a heavy hand. Eyes should be done up with bronzes and browns, and use a pencil liner to line both the top and bottom lash lines. Keep all of your make up with you in case one of your friends wants a bathroom makeover similar to the one in The Breakfast Club.

Prom Queen, Popular: Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish

Molly Ringwald played the rich, popular and spoiled prom queen whose character in this 80s movie pulled a Winona shoplifting trick while Winona was busy trying to break into films with Desert Bloom (she was not cast). Okay, she we don't really know if Claire shoplifted, but getting punished just for skipping school and going to the mall seems a little harsh, or at least it was back in 1985.

Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish: The Fashions

Wear a white scarf and wrap it around your lower neck, tucking it into a pink blouse. Roll up the sleeves on the blouse, even if that makes big and bulky puffs. It's the 80s way to wear sleeves.

Add a long pin skirt, brown, and a wide belt emphasizing your waist. The belt should overlap both the blouse, which is tucked into the skirt, and the top of the skirt itself.

A pair of flat, knee-high boots completes the look. Any The boots should be brown, if you have them or can borrow a pair. You could pull off this costume with black boots, if they are flats and not vinyl or shiny in any way.

Accessorize the Claire Standish 80s Costume

Accessories for this 80s Molly Ringwald costume include a tiara, a Bento box with fake sushi, a lipstick taped between your cleavage (see the movie) and a pair of big rhinestone studs. Carry around a couple of empty shopping bags from the mall, in case anyone asks why you got detention.

Add humor to the costume by taping a large piece of notebook paper with the word, "Virgin" written on it. This is one of the secrets Molly Ringwald's character is tricked into revealing during the movie. Spoiler? Not really, you should have seen the movie by now.

Sources

Inspiration: John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, more viewings than should be revealed.
BeWild.com, http://www.bewild.com
Party City, http://www.partycity.com