Halloween Costume Guide
Beverly Marsh spends most of IT confronting things adults refuse to see, from a bathroom sink full of blood to her own father. The dress and the wig do the heavy lifting here, since the rest of the outfit is just a normal kid’s wardrobe from 1980s Derry. Sophia Lillis plays her in the 2017 film, which became one of the highest grossing horror releases of all time (Wikipedia), so most people at a party will clock the character on sight once the hair is right.
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People notice the hair before anything else, so if the wig sits too high, too shiny, or too red-orange, the whole costume drifts toward “girl with a Halloween wig” instead of Beverly. The dress needs to hang loose and a little plain, since her whole look is meant to read as a normal kid’s outfit, not a statement piece. At a party, the failure mode is usually the freckles fading by hour two and the face going back to blank, which quietly undoes all the work the dress and wig were doing.
Beverly climbs into her own bathtub with a wad of toilet paper to clean blood off the walls that her father insists isn’t there, because she’s the only one in her house willing to believe her own eyes. That’s the whole character in one scene: she sees the thing everyone else denies, and she deals with it anyway.
Bobby pin the wig at three points, not one
A single pin at the front will hold for photos and then slide back the second you start dancing or hugging people. Pin it at both temples and once at the nape of your neck before you leave the house, and you won’t have to think about it again all night.
Test the freckle makeup under real light, not a bathroom mirror
Eyeliner freckles that look perfect under bathroom lighting can look muddy or too dark under a party’s warm bulbs or a phone flash. Do a test dot on your hand first and check it in the lighting you’ll actually be standing in, then set the whole thing with a light dusting of powder so it survives past the first hour.
Couple Costume Idea
Excellent couple idea, and it’s the one the story itself sets up. Ben spends his whole childhood writing Beverly an anonymous poem, and the two end up together as adults once IT is finally dealt with. Anyone who has seen either film will place this pairing without needing it explained.
Duo Costume Idea
Strong duo if Richie’s costume is built with the same care as Beverly’s, since his look relies more on personality than a single standout piece. It works well for two people who want to split the visual attention rather than have one costume carry the pair.
Group Costume Idea
Excellent group costume, probably the strongest one on this page. Six distinct kids with six distinct looks means the group reads clearly even to people who haven’t seen the films in years, and there’s no single character who has to carry the recognition on their own.
Group Costume Idea
Might work, but this one only lands with a crowd that already knows horror movies well. Beverly, Nancy Wheeler, Sarah Connor, Sidney Prescott, and Laurie Strode come from four different decades and four different kinds of horror, so the connection is thematic rather than visual. At a general party, expect to explain the theme more than once.
This is a thrift-friendly costume. The dress and boots turn up regularly at second-hand stores, and the backpack is something a lot of people already own.
Beverly doesn’t perform bravery, she just keeps showing up to the scary thing when everyone else wants to leave. That’s a useful energy to bring to a party where things are getting awkward.
The floral V-neck dress and short curly red wig are the base, since her hair color is what people spot first. Add the key pendant necklace, stack a few black cord bracelets, draw on light freckles with brown eyeliner, and finish with brown work boots and the olive green backpack. Skip the wig and most people will just see a normal outfit.
Yes, and for a specific reason. IT (2017) is one of the highest grossing horror films ever made, and the franchise stayed active through 2025 with the HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, which keeps Pennywise and Derry in the current conversation. Beverly is also the only girl in the Losers’ Club, so the red curls and floral dress read clearly even across a crowded room.
Her most quoted line is: “Maybe there aren’t any such things as good friends or bad friends. Maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you’re hurting.” She also says “We’re the Losers,” “I wasn’t afraid enough anymore,” and “Nothing lasts forever.”
Sophia Lillis plays young Beverly Marsh in IT (2017) and IT Chapter Two (2019), with Jessica Chastain playing the adult version in the 2019 sequel (IMDb).
No. Beverly’s whole look is a normal 1980s kid’s outfit. The horror comes from the story around her, not her clothes, so don’t add blood or gore unless you specifically want to reference one scene.
In the story, blood erupts from Beverly’s bathroom sink after Pennywise speaks through the drain, and her father can’t see it. It’s optional for a costume. A small red stain near the collar or a few fake blood drops on one wrist nods to the scene without turning the whole outfit into a gore costume.
Yes. If your natural hair is already red or auburn and short to medium length, skip the wig and just add loose curls with a curling iron. It will look more natural than most wigs do anyway.
Which actor plays young Beverly Marsh in the IT films?
Who does Beverly Marsh end up with after IT is defeated?
What object hangs from the necklace Beverly wears?