How to Dress Like Katniss Everdeen

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 23, 2022 References

Whether you're looking to dress up as her for Halloween or cosplay for a convention, putting together a Katniss Everdeen costume is relatively simple. Though she wears a multitude of outfits throughout the movies, her hunting outfit, and outfit during the games are the easiest to replicate. Especially since most of these clothing items are probably already in your closet at home! And any extra accessories are readily found online due to the movie's popularity.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Putting the Basic Outfit Together

1
Find or buy a black/dark top. It’s likely you already have a black T-shirt as part of your wardrobe at home. However, if you don’t or need to buy a new one, you can find them in most stores. For example, H&M has crew neck t-shirts for around $10, and Target’s Merona brand has them for $9.^{[1]
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- If you are looking to mirror Katniss’ hunting outfit, go for a crew neck or scoop neckT-shirt. If you want to mimic her outfit from the games, though, try to find a v-neck.^{[2]
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2
Look for black jeans or dark cargo pants. Throughout most of the movies Katniss sticks to dark colored clothing - mainly blacks and browns. While her hunting outfit is black pants or leggings, during the games she wears dark brown cargo pants. It’s up to you which way you'd like to go.^{[3]
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- You can find black jeans or jeggings from most stores, though the prices will vary. For example, a nice pair of SEO Sateen X Jeggings from American Eagle will cost you almost $50, while a similar pair from Target is only $20.
- Cargo pants, while also available at most stores, will be a bit more expensive. Try a pair like the Sonoma Life & Style Straight Leg Utility pants from Kohl’s.^{[4]
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- You can also try a pair of dark green pants if you can't find black or brown ones.
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3
Find a plain brown belt. This should be a belt with a thick band, though not so thick that it doesn't go through your belt loops. You also want to make sure it’s a medium brown, and not dark. Try a simple brown leather belt from American Eagle for $15.
- Make sure to tuck your shirt into your pants so the belt shows.
4
Look for knee-high brown boots. These can be either combat or riding boots, as long as they lace all the way up and are flats. If you don't have a pair of these at home, they might be a bit more expensive to buy. For example, most boots cost anywhere between $25-$60. However, Breckelle’s Outlaw 13 Women’s Ankle Strap Tall Riding Boots are only $22.30.
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Buy a brown leather jacket or a black windbreaker. Katniss is famous for her brown leather jacket in the first scene of the Hunger Games. However, you can also buy her black windbreaker from when she's actually participating in the games. Though it may seem like the leather jacket would be more expensive, both it and the windbreaker are around the same price.
- For example, you can get a Quilted Moto leather jacket from Forever21 for around $37 and a black windbreaker from Colombia.com for $40.^{[5]
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- You can also try a black leather vest if you don't want to go for the jacket.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Completing Your Ensemble

1
Recreate Katniss’ braid. Katniss has long black hair in the books and dark brown hair in the movies, which is about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) below her shoulders when braided. To get the same style, simply do a curved Dutch braid. A Dutch braid is the same as a French braid, except you are pulling pieces of hair from under rather than over.
- If you want to match Katniss’ hair color, you can dye your hair with temporary dye or buy a wig.
2
Find a Mockingjay Pin. This is the pin that Katniss wears on the left side of her shirt. The pin is usually gold, but you can also find it in silver. If you don’t have one at home, try shopping online at Amazon, Toys R Us, or Walmart - you should be able to find one for $14 or much less.
- You can also use a circular gold or silver pin if you can't find a Hunger Games-related one.
3
Get a toy bow and arrows. You should be able to find these online or in a toy store for around $25, they may just need some modification. For example, in the movies, Katniss' bow and arrows are a dark brown with black feathers. So you may have to spray paint the bow if it's a non-neutral color like orange or red. You may also have to replace the feather's in the arrows if they're an unnatural shade.^{[6]
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- You can also buy or make your own quiver from felt.
4
Go for a simple makeup look. Throughout most of the movies, Katniss wears very little makeup. To recreate this, try using a neutral eyeshadow like beige or light brown and line your eyes with a black or dark brown eyeliner. You can also apply some bronzer to your cheekbones and finish with a clear or lightly tinted lip gloss.
- The trick is to go as natural as possible. You almost want to look like you're wearing no makeup at all.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Trying a Flashier Look

1
Find a dress. Whether you want to recreate Katniss' "girl on fire" look that she wears when making her way to the Capitol or her burnt Mockingjay outfit, you first need to start with a dress. For both of these outfits, you want to find a black, dark gray, or navy dress. For the girl on fire ensemble, look for a simple, short black dress with a v-neck and thick straps. On the other hand, to copy the Mockingjay outfit, look for a long, sleeveless, navy dress with a v-neck.^{[7]
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- If you don't have a little black dress in your closet, try shopping online at H&M or Forever 21. Both stores have black dresses for around $20.
- For the longer dress, look at prom or bridesmaid dresses. Since these tend to be expensive, consider renting from a site like Rent the Runway, Garment Exchange, or Style Lend.^{[8]
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2
Craft your accessories. A lot of Katniss' more glittery looks require some creativity and DIY craft skills to recreate. For example, a number of her dresses are on fire, like the Capitol look. To mirror this, purchase red and orange clip-on LED lights and attach them to the hem of your dress.^{[9]
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- For the Mockingjay dress, look for angel wings online and then spray paint them blue to match your dress.^{[10]
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3
Wear bold eye-makeup. Outside of her natural look, Katniss' makeup for her interviews and during events is usually striking - her eyes especially. Though a lot of it consists of blacks, dark grays, and silvers, she also uses golds and reds. You can use glitter eyeshadow and even embellish with glue-on sequins, rhinestones, and feathers.
- For her Capitol entrance look, try outlining and coloring in your lids with a smoky gray. After this, draw "wings" that extend past the corners of your eyes and fill them in with a sparkly gold. Finish with fake eyelashes if you want.^{[11]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I get all this at thrift stores?

Community Answer

Not everything. You might be able to find items of clothing, but you will be very lucky to find the rarer items such as knee-length boots, mockingjay pin or a bow and arrow.
Question

Is this suitable for my child to wear when her class celebrates books?

Community Answer

Yes, this would be fine.
Question

What if I don't have some of the stuff?

Community Answer

Try and incorporate some of the things you do own or customize things yourself with fabric paint, etc. You might fight cheap items at thrift/second hand shops as well.