Halloween Costume Guide
Jane plays bass violin, trumpet, and tambourine, sings at full volume the moment her parents leave the house, and maintains genuine optimism about situations that objectively do not warrant it. The rosered wig is the identifier: without it, the green dress and round glasses read as vintage aesthetic rather than a specific animated character. Jane is voiced by Alessia Cara in the 2020 Netflix film (Wikipedia), which has a dedicated fanbase but is not universally recognized. This costume lands at animation-heavy events and needs a short explanation at a general Halloween party.
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The wig goes on first and has to be secured before anything else. If it shifts during the evening, the whole costume reads as slightly wrong in a way that is hard to diagnose. Once the wig is pinned and sitting flat, the fuchsia eyeshadow goes on before the glasses, not after. Applying shadow through the frames is a specific kind of frustrating that is avoidable if you do it in the right order. The glasses and ears go on last, and the doll goes in your hand when you leave the house.
There is a scene in The Willoughbys where Jane gets to play music at full volume for the first time, cycling through every instrument she owns while jumping on the furniture, and the joy of it is specific: this is not excitement, it is relief. She waited a long time to be allowed to be loud. That is the character at a Halloween party too. She is not performing enthusiasm; she just finally has somewhere to put it.
Secure the wig before you leave, not when you arrive
A wig that shifts at a Halloween party shifts fast. Between dancing, leaning over, and generally existing in a crowd, an unsecured wig migrates within the first hour. Put it on at home with a wig cap and at least four pins distributed around the perimeter. Test it by shaking your head before you are satisfied. Arriving with a settled wig is much better than spending the evening resetting it.
The doll prop is more useful than it looks
At a Halloween party, being asked “who are you?” is almost always harder to answer than you expect, especially for a character from a less universally recognized film. Holding a small doll and saying “this is one of the Barnaby twins, I am their sister Jane from The Willoughbys” is a complete explanation delivered in one gesture and one sentence. It also gives you something to do with your hands all night, which has independent value.
Couples Idea
Strong pairing for anyone who has watched the film. The found-family dynamic between Jane and Nanny is the emotional core of The Willoughbys, and the visual contrast between Jane’s colorful animated look and Nanny’s character design tells the story clearly for anyone who knows the source material. Nanny Linda has a dedicated page here, so both costumes are fully supported. Outside of Willoughbys fans, recognition will be limited.
Duo Idea
Might work, but Tim has no dedicated page here so his costume is a build-from-scratch situation. The sibling dynamic is central to the film and a Jane and Tim duo reads immediately to anyone who watched it. Tim’s look is significantly simpler than Jane’s, which is the practical advantage of this pairing. Recognition outside the Willoughbys fanbase will be limited for both.
Group Idea: The Willoughbys Cast
Strong group for a dedicated Willoughbys fan gathering or an animation-focused event. Nanny Linda has a page here; Tim, the Barnabys, and Commander Melanoff are build-from-knowledge situations. The Barnabys are identical twins, which creates a specific logistical challenge: you need two people willing to dress as nearly the same character. At a general Halloween party in 2026, expect to explain the source material to most people.
Group Idea: Brave and Resourceful Animated Kids
Strong group with a theme that holds across all five characters. Coraline, Dipper, Mabel, and Edith are all well-recognized within their respective fanbases, and all five costumes are visually distinct from one another. Jane is the least universally known of the group, which means she will get fewer instant recognitions than her groupmates. At an animation-focused event this is genuinely one of the better group concepts on this page. At a general party, the others will land first and Jane will follow.
This is a medium-difficulty build. The items are all straightforward to source, but the wig, eyeshadow, and ears require setup time. Do not underestimate how long the eyeshadow step takes if you do not do it regularly.
Jane is cheerful in a way that is genuine rather than performed. She is also dramatic about discomfort, which is one of her most useful character traits for Halloween party purposes.
The magenta-rose wig, green tie-neck A-line dress, and vintage round glasses are the three items that make this register as Jane rather than a vintage aesthetic. Add fuchsia eyeshadow to push the animated look, jumbo fake ears for accuracy, dark green platform pumps, and carry a small doll as a stand-in for one of the Barnaby twins. The wig is the one item that cannot be skipped.
The Willoughbys has a dedicated fanbase but limited general recognition. At an animation-focused event or a Netflix themed party, this lands immediately. At a general party, expect to explain it. The costume is visually distinctive enough to be interesting either way, but do not go in expecting everyone to get it.
The one that has stayed with most fans: “I’m so hungry, I just want to eat my own tongue.” It is very Jane: dramatic, slightly absurd, and delivered with complete sincerity about a situation that is genuinely bad.
Jane is voiced by Alessia Cara, who also performs “I Choose,” Jane’s recurring song throughout the film. The rest of the voice cast includes Will Forte as Tim, Maya Rudolph as Nanny, and Terry Crews as Commander Melanoff.
The Barnaby twins are a recurring presence in the film, and carrying a small doll as a stand-in for one of them is a recognisable detail for anyone who knows The Willoughbys. At a party it also gives you something to hold. “This is Barnaby A” is a better explanation than anything you could say verbally.
The eyeshadow matters more than the ears. Fuchsia shadow around the eyes pushes the look into animated-character territory, which is the whole point of this costume. The jumbo ears are an accuracy detail most people will not name specifically, but they contribute to the overall stylised effect. Skip the ears if they are uncomfortable. Do not skip the eyeshadow.
Yes, and it is short enough to do in one sitting. The film is on Netflix, runs under 90 minutes, and is funnier than its premise suggests. Knowing the film means you can explain the costume properly and lean into the character at the party. It also makes the Barnaby twin doll prop significantly funnier.