How to Conjure Up the Perfect Luna Lovegood Halloween Costume

Luna Lovegood has a more complex and unique style of dress than, perhaps, any other Hogwarts student. Here are the basic items you'll need in order to pull off a convincing Luna outfit:

• A black school robe
• A pleated skirt
• A white blouse
• A blue-and-gray striped tie for film accuracy, or a blue-and-bronze striped tie for book accuracy
• A blue-and-gray striped scarf for film accuracy, or a blue-and-bronze striped scarf for book accuracy
• Dark, preferably somewhat dressy shoes
• A wand
• Very long, light blonde hair, blonde hair dye, or a very long, light blonde wig
• Radish or "dirigible plum" earrings
• A cork necklace

Luna's outfit is densely packed with different accessories that have become signature items for her. Her radish earrings are probably her most identifiable piece of jewelry. If you have a flair for crafts, you can try to create some yourself. If not, it's often possible to find radish earrings on eBay for under $15. If you're going all-out, the Noble Collection offers a replica set of Luna Lovegood's jewelry from the film.

You may also want to wear other pieces of jewelry that are not necessarily specifically associated with Luna-- bracelets, necklaces-- anything fun and ostentatious.

You can create a wand by sanding down a stout stick, or you can try online wand-vendor Alivan's, which stocks some very affordable Potter-style wands.

In her introductory scene, Luna was seen reading upside down from a copy of The Quibbler, a wizard tabloid. You can create an imitation issue of the magazine on your computer if you're so inclined.

The only item it would likely be difficult to DIY is Luna's school robe. You may be tempted to sub a black jacket, but I wouldn't recommend it. Ravenclaw robes are also quite difficult to find-- you can purchase custom-made Ravenclaw robes, but they tend to be pricey, particularly if you're only planning on wearing them once or twice. For a cheaper solution, I'd suggest buying Gryffindor robes and using acrylic paints to refurbish them in the Ravenclaw house colors.

Luna Lovegood's distinctive mannerisms are as important to the character as are her clothes. Luna has a wide-eyed appearance and blinks infrequently. If you want to model your interpretation of Luna on Evanna Lynch, who portrays the character in the films, you may also want to adopt an Irish accent.