Halloween is nearly upon us, and as the less-organized among us rush to decide on Halloween costumes (and complete them!) ComicsAlliance will be presenting tutorials on how to make costumes for some of the most popular comic book Halloween costumes, starting today with one of the most fashionable ladies from one of the most popular comics of the year: Ramona Flowers of Scott Pilgrim.

We've brought in cosplay expert Bethany Fong to guide you through the process of making a Ramona Flowers costume, explained step-by-step after the jump.

Step 1: Do you know this one girl with hair like this?

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One of Ramona's most notable features were her bold ever-changing hairstyles throughout the series, specifically her bob with the long tendrils. To get this look, Cosplay.com actually has a selection of wigs that emulate this style, in dark blue, light blue, and pink. Since Ramona's most well-known for alternating between a shade of aqua/teal and magenta, the latter two wigs can be easily redyed with Sharpies.

Another hair solution is to purchase a simple blue or magenta bob wig from your local costume shop and get matching hair extensions (Hot Topic has a great affordable selection of colors and lengths) to clip into the wig itself; the length of the hair extensions should end in between your chin and your shoulders (feel free to trim the extensions if necessary). And if neither of those options are doing it for you, you can always bleach, dye (Manic Panic hairdye in Atomic Turquoise or New Rose), and cut your hair accordingly. Just be sure to bring an actual illustration of Ramona Flowers to the hairdresser and not Scott's crude scribble of Ramona's hair.

Step 2: The Wardrobe




While Ramona's wardrobe seems rather extensive considering her many outfit changes, she has a consistently distinct style. Ramona's outfits often contain swatches of blue and/or pink, which coordinate perfectly with her hair. Despite her quirky fashion sense, Ramona's fashion sense is comprised of a lot of basics that actually make her style rather easy to emulate, so here are a few wardrobe essentials that you can track down to put together your own Ramona ensemble from either your closet or at your local mall:

-- Tops: Aside from a few printed tops and a Merge Records shirt, Ramona usually coordinates and layers basic tops in bold colors, which you can easily find at the mall. This pink top from Forever 21 is perfect if you're looking to recreate Ramona's outfit on the cover of Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (undoubtedly her most renown outfit). And for those of you who are looking for a more obscure Ramona look, you can grab a plain t-shirt and print "HIPSTER" across the chest (as seen in Volume 6).

-- Shorts: (as seen in Volume 4 and 5): Ramona varies between rollerderby-esque running shorts (American Apparel or Forever 21) and short-shorts in bold colors. Pair up the running shorts with knee socks, and coordinate the short-shorts with opaque tights (Target and Forever 21 both have a great selection of colors).

-- Outerwear: The layering in Ramona's outfits is both functional and fashionable, especially during the cold Fall weather. To keep warm on your way to one of Julie Powers' theme parties, look out for retro track jackets (American Apparel), sporty hoodies (American Apparel), and cropped motorcycle jackets (Forever 21).

Step 3: Accessories


-- Goggles: You can probably get a great pair of silver goggles from your local costume shop (or here), or for you craftier folks, you can make a pair of goggles out of recycled materials with this tutorial.

-- Footwear: Depending on the outfit, simple canvas sneakers or knee-high boots are your best bet, which are two basic styles that you can find at virtually any shoe store (or in your closet!).

-- Purse: With enough space to carry expensive eyeliner, an array of weapons, and her boyfriend, it's no wonder that the Subspace purse is one of the most coveted fictional accessories of the year. While they may not be able to carry your boyfriend to safety, there are some great replicas of the Subspace purse on Etsy. For you crafty Ramonas who are looking for a more affordable, yet a purely decorative, non-functioning Subspace purse: you can purchase a round paper-mache box, glue down the lid of the purse, paint the blue and pink star design on the box, and nail/staple thick ribbon to the sides of the box for the strap.

-- Other stuff: Ramona is always seen wearing two thin black cord chokers. To create this look, purchase about two feet of thin black cording/ribbon at your local craft store, trim the cording in half (to create two necklaces) and knot both cords around your neck. Despite her criticisms of Scott's wristbands, Ramona is often seen wearing a wristband/thick-banded watch on her right arm, which can be found at a sporting goods store or costume jewelry store like Claire's. She's also occasionally sports a simple gold star-shaped ring on her right middle finger, which you may be able to find at a costume jewelry store, or you could create your own by gluing a gold star-shaped button to a blank adjustable ring base (both of which can be found at your local craft store or on Etsy).

Step 4: Hammer-Time




In case you run into your ex-girlfriend and/or your significant other's ex-girlfriend, it's probably a good idea to bring your titanium baseball bat (+1 against blondes) or your large hammer (+2 against girls) to your Halloween festivities. The titanium bat is the easier weapon to both track down and carry around; if you don't feel like purchasing a real baseball bat, spray paint a cheap whiffle ball bat with silver spray paint.

For the hammer, you will need a one-inch thick 36" long dowel, a piece of black cord/string, a large jingle bell, a small screw eye, 1 1/8" duct clamps (optional), and either a large block of Styrofoam or a large cardboard box (note: you may want to glue/tape the box completely closed). Stick one end of the dowel through the center of the block of Styrofoam or the cardboard box (the hammerhead), so that an inch of the dowel is sticking out through the other side of the hammerhead.

To stabilize the hammerhead on the dowel (so that it won't slip off), attach the duct clamps to the dowel on both sides of the hammerhead. If you want your hammerhead to look more realistic, feel free to paper-mache any details before you paint the hammer silver. Screw in a small screw eye to the bottom of the dowel handle, and tie the jingle bell onto the eye with the black cord.

Bonus points:


-- Make a large black placard name-tag out of black construction paper that lists off your name, age, role, and rating. If you're carrying a weapon, be sure to make a proper label with its damage stats!

-- If you can, wear rollerblades! Just be careful if you plan on traveling in them throughout Halloween night... Ramona may not wear any protective gear, but you definitely should.

-- Recycle your last Amazon purchase – grab an Amazon cardboard box, attach an address label for Scott Pilgrim, and hand it to the first Scott Pilgrim costume you see!

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