Last updated: May 16, 2026ยท๐Ÿ”„ Guide reviewed and refreshed ahead of Halloween 2026.ยท By Seckin Peker

Halloween Costume Guide

Cruella De Vil Halloween Costume Guide

Black and White Hair  ยท  Red Lips  ยท  Born Bad and Fine With It

Nine items. The wig does most of the talking. One of the few villain costumes where the fashion is actually the point.

Cruella Disney Emma Stone Movies Classy Dark Feminine Gothic Villain
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Quick Answer: The Cruella Halloween costume is built around one very specific head of hair and a red lip.
  • Short curly black-and-white wig (essential)
  • Cruella costume dress (essential)
  • Bold red lipstick and black eye pencil
  • Lace gothic necklace and dance cane
  • Dalmatian plush prop and chunky ankle booties

Estella starts the film as a designer trying to fit in. By the end she stops trying. The black-and-white split hair is her natural color โ€” she had been dyeing it red her whole life to blend in, which is one of the better character details in the 2021 Disney film. The wig is what makes this costume land from across the room. Everything else adds to it.

Items Total9 Items
DifficultyEasy
VibePunk London Villain
Cost$55โ€“$120

Cruella De Vil Halloween Costume Items

Emma Stone Cruella de Vil Halloween costume infographic showing all nine items: costume dress, black-and-white wig, red lipstick, black eye pencil, gothic necklace, dance cane, Dalmatian plush, ankle booties, and Cruella Funko Pop

Cruella De Vil Costume Items

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Cruella Emma Stone Disney Villain
  • 1 Emma Stone Cruella CostumeThe base of the build. The 2021 film is famous specifically for its costume design โ€” it won the Academy Award for it. The dress needs to look intentional and dramatic, not like a generic black dress. This is the one place in this costume where cutting corners actually shows.
    See on Amazon
  • 2 Short Curly Cruella WigThis is the essential item. The split black-and-white hair is what makes Cruella Cruella. Without it, you are a person in a dramatic dress. With it, no one needs to ask. Pin it down before you leave the house and check it in a mirror. A wig that shifts mid-party is a problem the dress cannot fix.
    See on Amazon
  • 3 Red LipstickBold, saturated red. This is the third thing people read after the hair and the dress. Cruella’s makeup in the film is striking and deliberate. A muted or nude lip on this costume is just wrong. Go bold or skip the lipstick entirely.
    See on Amazon
  • 4 Plastic Dance CaneCruella carries a cane as part of her theatrical persona. At a party it gives you something to do with your hands, which is more useful than it sounds. You can also point it at people dramatically when they displease you. Very in-character.
    See on Amazon
  • 5 Lace Gothic NecklaceAdds to the dark, ornate aesthetic of the costume. Supporting piece. It ties the outfit together without competing with the dress or the hair.
    See on Amazon
  • 6 Black Eye PencilDark, dramatic eyes. Cruella’s makeup is not subtle. A thick black line and some smudging takes two minutes and adds a lot to the overall look. Check your makeup bag before ordering โ€” most people already own this.
    See on Amazon
  • 7 Dalmatian Puppy PlushThis is the prop that makes people laugh. Carrying a Dalmatian plush while dressed as the woman who built her entire villainy around Dalmatians is exactly the right joke to make. It lands. Bring it.
    See on Amazon
  • 8 Chunky High Heel Ankle BootiesBlack, chunky heel, ankle height. Cruella’s footwear in the film matches the bold silhouette of the rest of her look. Nothing flat, nothing delicate. Check your closet for anything in a similar shape before buying.
    See on Amazon
  • 9 Emma Stone Cruella Funko PopA prop for self-admiration. Cruella carrying a miniature figurine of herself is the kind of detail that is both accurate to her character and will make people at the party do a double-take. Optional, but very much on-brand.
    See on Amazon
Cruella de Vil cosplay showing Emma Stone's character holding two Dalmatian dogs, wearing the iconic black-and-white split wig and dramatic costume from the 2021 Disney film

How to Style the Cruella De Vil Halloween Costume

The wig is what people see from across the room, and it has to sit right. A black-and-white wig that has migrated sideways by 9pm is not Cruella, it is just a person having a bad hair night. Pin it flat before the costume goes on, secure the wig on top, check it from every angle before you leave. The dress can be slightly imperfect. The hair cannot be obviously wrong.

Cruella does not apologize for taking up space and she does not explain herself to anyone. She enters a room like the room was waiting for her. At a party, this is not difficult to pull off โ€” hold the cane in one hand, hold your drink in the other, and let people come to you. If someone asks who you are, pause slightly too long before answering. It is accurate and it costs nothing.

The Wig Security Problem

A short curly wig with two distinct colors has nowhere to hide if it shifts. Bobby pin it at four points before you go anywhere near the dress or accessories. Do this first, not last. If you are also wearing the cane, you will not have a free hand to fix it later.

The Dalmatian Prop Rule

The plush Dalmatian is funnier the more seriously you treat it. Do not wave it around or use it as a gag. Hold it the same way Cruella would โ€” with the weary patience of someone who has complicated feelings about dogs. People will figure out the joke. They always do.

Cruella De Vil Group Halloween Costume Ideas

The House of De Vil Fashion Empire

Cruella, Anita Darling, Roger Radcliffe, Jasper, Horace, The Baroness

This works well for a group that has watched the film together. The Baroness is a particularly good addition because Emma Thompson’s version of the character is recognizable on her own. Jasper and Horace round it out and require almost no elaborate costume. The group reads clearly to anyone who knows the 2021 film.

Cruella Anita Darling Roger Radcliffe Jasper Horace The Baroness

Monochrome Movie Villainesses

Cruella, Maleficent, Queen of Hearts, Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, Ursula

Every character here is a Disney villain and every one of them reads without explanation. The visual contrast between the group is strong โ€” dark capes, dramatic silhouettes, bold makeup across the board. This is one of the rare group concepts where the theme explains itself the moment the group walks into a room together.

Cruella Maleficent Queen of Hearts Evil Queen Lady Tremaine Ursula

Emma Stone’s Leading Ladies

Cruella, Mia Dolan, Gwen Stacy, Olive Penderghast, Abigail Masham

A same-actor group and a genuinely good one. Emma Stone has enough distinct iconic roles that each costume reads on its own. Mia from La La Land and Gwen Stacy have broad recognition. Olive from Easy A and Abigail from The Favourite are deeper cuts that work best at a crowd that watches a lot of film. The concept is smart and most people will get it.

Cruella Mia Dolan Gwen Stacy Olive Penderghast Abigail Masham

Spotted Schemes and Fashion Crimes

Cruella, Poison Ivy, Regina George, Miranda Priestly, Catwoman, Harley Quinn

Women in fiction who cause problems and dress well while doing it. Every character here is recognized broadly and most of the costumes vary enough that no two people are in the same outfit. Miranda Priestly is the hardest build if you want it to read without context, but the rest land easily. A solid group concept with a clear theme.

Cruella Poison Ivy Regina George Miranda Priestly Catwoman Harley Quinn
Emma Stone Cruella de Vil Halloween costume showing the full look with black-and-white split wig, dramatic dress, and bold red lips

Cruella De Vil Halloween Costume DIY Tips

What You Need vs. What You Can Substitute

The wig is the one thing you cannot improvise. Everything else has a workaround if you already own something close. The film won an Oscar for its costumes, so the dress matters more here than it would on most other costume builds โ€” but it does not have to be exact.

  • Black-and-white split wig: buy it, no substitute exists
  • Costume dress: buy it, or use any bold black-and-white dramatic outfit you own
  • Red lipstick: check your makeup bag first
  • Black eye pencil: almost certainly already in your drawer
  • Chunky ankle booties: any black heeled boot works, check your closet
  • Lace gothic necklace: optional, skip it if you have nothing similar
  • Dance cane: cheap and worth it for the prop value
  • Dalmatian plush: optional but genuinely funny, worth the few dollars
  • Funko Pop: optional, bring it only if you want the specific joke to land

Playing Cruella at the Party

Cruella is theatrical, deliberate, and never in a hurry. She makes statements and waits for the room to catch up. At a loud Halloween party, this is surprisingly easy to play.

  • Enter slowly. Cruella does not rush through a doorway.
  • Use the cane. It gives every gesture a slightly more dramatic frame.
  • The three quotes in the FAQ are short and land immediately. Deliver them once each, quietly, not loudly. She does not shout her own lines.
  • The Funko Pop of herself: hold it occasionally, glance at it approvingly. Say nothing. People will get it.
  • If someone asks for a photo, pose like you agreed to do them a favor.

Cruella De Vil Halloween Costume: FAQ

Nine items: the Emma Stone Cruella costume dress, short curly black-and-white wig, red lipstick, black eye pencil, lace gothic necklace, plastic dance cane, Dalmatian puppy plush, chunky high heel ankle booties, and optionally a Cruella Funko Pop. The wig and the dress are essential. Without both, the character does not read.

Three lines from the 2021 film:

  • “I was born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad. I’m Cruella.”
  • “It’s not Estella. That’s the past. I’m Cruella.”
  • “From the very beginning I’ve always made a statement. Not everyone appreciated that. But I wasn’t for everyone.”

The first one is the one to use when someone asks who you are. Deliver it without smiling. She never smiles when she says it.

The 2021 film still has strong cultural presence and the black-and-white split hair reads immediately to most adults. It is one of the few villain costumes where the fashion is genuinely impressive rather than just recognizable. Recognition is not the issue here.

No. The wig, dress, and red lips carry all the recognition. The cane is a character detail and gives you something useful to do with your hands, but skipping it changes nothing about whether people know who you are.

It is a prop and a joke. Cruella’s obsession with Dalmatians is central to her whole character. Carrying one while dressed as her is funny to everyone who knows either the original 101 Dalmatians or the 2021 film. It works, and it costs almost nothing.

The wig is non-negotiable. The outfit has flexibility. A bold black-and-white dramatic ensemble works if the official costume is out of budget. The hair, the red lip, and the dark eye makeup are the three elements that make this character recognizable regardless of the specific dress.

Emma Stone plays Estella, who becomes Cruella de Vil, in the 2021 Disney film Cruella. Emma Thompson plays the Baroness von Hellman. The film is set in 1970s London and won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.