Dress like a Throwback Traditional Wednesday Addams

Acting the Part: Get to Know Wednesday Addams

Wednesday Addams was initially made iconic by Christina Ricci in The Addams Family (1991), but her character began in the one-panel cartoons created by Charles Addams in 1938. Her character received further development when that popular comic turned into a popular television show by the same name in the 1960s. It was the movies made in the ‘90s, however, that really brought a modern spotlight to this nearly century-old family. Now, the Netflix show Wednesday has brought renewed vigor to the Charles Addams creation, but let’s not forget the Wednesday Addams that really defined the character.

Christina Ricci’s portrayal of Wednesday in 1991 The Addams Family movie as well as the 1993 Addams Family Values turned the character into who we know and love today. Wednesday Addams is obsessed with death and incredibly brilliant with a penchant for science—specifically performing scientific experiments on her younger brother Pugsley. Much like the rest of her family, the creepier things in life—such as spiders, the Bermuda Triangle, and death—are her bread and butter, so the more emotionless and creepy you can act while in costume the more authentically you’ll be portraying this timeless character.

Looking the Part: Putting together the Costume

Wednesday is most often seen in a primarily simple knee-length black dress with long sleeves and a white collar. The dress doesn’t have to be solid black, but for simplicity’s sake, it might be easiest to find one without a pattern that fits the character. In the movie, we see that she frequently wears dresses with very minimal floral patterns that have a Gothic or slightly Victorian feel to them. She is always seen with her long black hair in pigtails, so if you happen to have long black hair and know how to braid then you’re all set—but if you’re like the rest of us you might need a wig! Wednesday also always wears either opaque black tights or stockings and finishes off the look with a pair of comfortable black boots. Suffice it to say, when the movies came out the character spoke to a lot of us Gothic youths when the norm was brightly colored anoraks, velour tracksuits, and butterfly clips.

Whether you’re an adult or a kid wanting to dress like Wednesday Addams, the costume is the same—the size, however, will vary quite a bit. So we’ve provided options for both!

Adult’s Wednesday Addams Costume

• Black Long Sleeve Dress
• Black Braided Wig
• Black Opaque Tights
• Black Combat Boots

Kid’s Wednesday Addams Costume

• Black Long Sleeve Dress
• Black Braided Wig
• Black Opaque Tights
• Black Combat Boots

Bonus Adult Wednesday Costume

If you’re interested in doing a true throwback of Wednesday Addams and want the look that Lisa Loring sported in 1968, then have a look at this Officially Licensed costume—it’s almost a full set, including the dress, tights, and Wednesday’s headless doll, Marie Antoinette. Just pair it with a black braided wig and some black combat boots and you’ll be all set to do the Drew!

• Wednesday Addams Dress, tights, and Doll
• Women’s Black Braided Wig
• Women’s Black Combat Boots

To Finish the Look

Since the traditional look for Wednesday Addams is based on a young girl’s character, there isn’t much in the way of makeup that needs to be addressed. Unless of course, you’re interested in obtaining that pale-as-death skin tone to really complete the costume, consider trying a white foundation.

• Manic Panic Dreamtone Flawless White Liquid Foundation

Since this Wednesday Addams portrayal is aimed at capturing the more traditional character, we’ve also created a guide on how to create a costume for the more modern Wednesday Addams. Don’t forget to check out our article on how to create a costume for Wednesday Addams from the hit Netflix show Wednesday (2022).