Sara has been a cosplayer and webmaster for nearly 10 years. Visit her site for a full bio and photos. If you've put off your Lara Croft Halloween costume until now, don't worry; we've got you covered. Guest blogger Sara from laracroftcosplay.com presents six ideas to complete your costume in no time.
Halloween is about 3 weeks away and you can order all this from eBay, your favorite trusted online store, or your local clothes/sporting goods place. If you are buying online, make sure the delivery times are short before you commit.
From classic Lara to her latest incarnation, we have something for everybody, these are not meant to be exact replicas of Lara's outfits. As the title suggests, they are your last-minute DIY solutions.
Tomb Raider 1: Lara's Home Outfit
This is one of the easiest costumes to replicate in a pinch. All you need is a sports bra, sweat pants and two wrist sweat bands.
If you are at home, you won't need any shoes. If you are going out then you can add your sneakers to this look, put your hair in a bun and you'll be good to go!
Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness Denim Outfit
Also an incredibly easy outfit to recreate, since everyone owns denim jeans and some kind of black top.
If you are buying a denim jacket, make sure that it's cropped. As for your shoes, you really can't go wrong here, just plain brown/black boots will work. Add a pair of sunglasses for the finishing touch. If you don't have one, try a friend or a family member.
Tomb Raider Legend Tokyo Dress (Not Ripped)
This is a very classy look for maybe a club Halloween party. True, it does not look like a Lara outfit when seen by people who don't know her, but it's still an amazing outfit that is really easy and perfect for your last-minute rush. Add a pair of toy pistols and you'll be more easily recognized. I would buy the dress and shoes online. As for the accessories, I'd recommend you try to find black shoe laces to make the necklace and the bracelet out of.
The purse is not necessary but great to put your things in while out and about. You can always borrow it from a friend or family member if you don't already own one.
Tomb Raider Legend: Biker No Jacket
Biker Lara is sexy yet it's perfect for the brisk month of October. All you will need is a gray long sleeve V-neck, black faux leather leggings, your old pair of boots, a black backpack, and because you will probably not have any time to craft the holsters, you can carry your prop guns and just wear a belt over the shirt like Lara does.
Tomb Raider 2013: Clean Lara
Although this clean Lara costume seems simple, it might be a bit tricky to execute. Cargo pants are incredibly hard to find if you are on a tight budget. Since this is only for Halloween, you might want to just wear plain brown pants.
The tank tops and the boots are easy. Even if your boots are higher, you can pull your pants over them to hide the top portion. As for the necklace, if you don't have time to make one yourself, you can find various replicas of Lara's pendant on Etsy, including my own
custom-made version. Or skip the pendant and just wear a shoelace or a piece of brown yarn around your neck.
Tomb Raider 2013: Muddy/Bloody Lara *Early in the game*
Dirty/Bloody Lara is probably the best costume to keep in the spirit of Halloween. You can cosplay the version of Lara where she's just out of the caves (first few minutes of gameplay) so you don't have to have all the accessories.
If you are willing to cut up your clothes, rip up your blue tank top and cargo pants. Then add blood and brown acrylic paint to simulate dirt and mud (to the clothes). Put the same brown acrylic on gauze bandages and wrap them around your thigh and boots as pictured above.
Use brown eyeshadow all over your body to simulate dirt there too, and don't forget about your face and Lara's wound (the puncture wound under her rib).
Thank you so much for reading. I really hope this helps you out. Thank you, Stella, for having me guest blog again! Have a happy and safe Halloween!
If you need more detailed tutorials, or if you want help making a different Lara Croft outfit, visit Sara's site, laracroftcosplay.com. She has also contributed two other articles to this blog: Creating Your Own Classic Lara Croft Halloween Costume and Releasing Your Inner Lara: Tomb Raider Cosplay.
Garment pictures from eBay. Tomb Raider Pictures from Core Design and Crystal Dynamics.