The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect cosplay between Halloween and Christmas! I wore the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume dress for a Jack Skellington look.
It’s a great costume on its own, but I modified it a bit for my cosplay. Product page is shown below. I’ll review the costume and explain what I modified for my look.
Click here to see the costume on Amazon
*Amazon links are affiliate links
Party King Bad Dreams Babe Costume Dress Review
As far as midrange price costumes go, this one is pretty nice. The fabric is on the thin side, but it is sewn well, and the seams and edges are all finished.
I mention the finished edges, because the first costume I tried was the Disney Jack Skellington Deluxe costume by Disguise, and the fabric on that one was really thin and cheap, like the cheapest costume satin. And the edges were just serged, not even hemmed.
So, I was impressed with a little more craftsmanship on the Party King one.
I usually wear a size 8, and I got the costume in a Large. The fabric is stretchy, and it slips on, no zipper. The large size was a perfect fit.
I am not really a fan of having to slip the dress over my head though and would prefer a zipper. You need to put it on, and then do your makeup and hair, or you’ll probably mess it up trying to pull the dress over your head.
I really liked the way the neckline was stiff and stood out. They did a good job on that part! It’s all attached to the dress, and the neck ties with ribbon.
Party King Bad Dreams Babe Costume Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
The dress is actually cute and comfortable enough to wear more than just for a costume. I saw several people in the reviews with pictures of them wearing it to Disney.
The part that I didn’t like, is the white shirt part in front. It was very thin, and just had an elastic edge, and it cheapened the look of the costume a bit. (It is not showing in my photo because I removed it.)
What Modifications I Made to the Costume
As I mentioned above, I removed the white part and just wore a different white shirt under it.
I didn’t use the garters and just cut them off.
If you want the skirt to look poofy like the photos, you will need a petticoat! I have these Leg Avenue petticoats in every color and have worn them for years: Leg Avenue Petticoats.
The neck piece does not come with this costume. You’ll need to make it, or buy it separately, like this one: Jack Bowtie and Gloves.
Jack Skellington Makeup
I didn’t go full white on the face, but I did a sheer white. I use Mehron Clown White for all my white or light face makeup.
You can make it light and sheer, or solid white, so it also works great if you are doing a traditional Jack Skellington makeup look.
I did heavy dark eye makeup with ColourPop’s Stone Cold Fox palette to look a bit like Jack’s skull eye sockets and then drew the stiches on with a black liquid eye liner. Any brand works fine for this, but the felt pen type tip works the best.
I didn’t have a black lipstick handy, so I used a black eye pencil for the lips. I drew on the lip outline, filled it in and then added a dark red lipstick over it.
The first version I did, I put the stitch marks all through the lips, and I ended up not liking it, wiping it all off, and doing it over. I think with this look, you can get away with not having it across the lips!
I would definitely recommend the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume dress for a Jack Skellington cosplay or a DisneyBounding outfit.
Click here to see the shoppable pic with products tagged
Two final costume tips:
- Don’t forget to add the petticoat! Otherwise, the dress just kind of hangs there.
- Be ready to steam or iron it when it comes out of the package! It looks way better without the wrinkles, and they came out very easily with a steamer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume good for a Jack Skellington cosplay?
Yes. The black-and-white striped design makes it a great choice for a Jack Skellington-inspired cosplay, especially if you add a petticoat, skull-style makeup, and a Jack bowtie or neck piece.
Does the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume fit true to size?
The costume has stretchy fabric and slips on over the head. In this review, a size Large fit well for someone who usually wears a size 8.
Does the costume have a zipper?
No. The dress does not have a zipper and must be pulled on over your head. It is best to put the dress on before doing your hair and makeup.
Is the fabric good quality?
For a midrange costume, the quality is pretty good. The fabric is thin but stretchy, the dress is sewn well, and the seams and edges are finished.
What parts of the costume were modified?
The white shirt panel was removed and replaced with a separate white shirt underneath. The garters were also cut off for a cleaner cosplay look.
Do you need a petticoat with this costume?
Yes, if you want the skirt to look full and poofy like the product photos. Without a petticoat, the skirt hangs flatter.
Does the Jack Skellington neck piece come with the costume?
No. The neck piece or bowtie is not included with the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume. You will need to make one or buy one separately.
Can this costume be used for DisneyBounding?
Yes. The dress is cute and comfortable enough for a DisneyBounding outfit, especially for The Nightmare Before Christmas fans.
How should you do Jack Skellington makeup with this costume?
You can use sheer white face makeup, dark eye makeup for a skull-inspired look, and black eyeliner for the stitched mouth. A full white face is optional depending on how dramatic you want the cosplay to be.
Can you wear this costume without modifications?
Yes. The costume works on its own right out of the package, but small modifications can make it look more polished for cosplay.
Does the costume need to be steamed or ironed?
Yes. The dress may arrive wrinkled from the package, but the wrinkles come out easily with a steamer.
Is the Party King Bad Dreams Babe costume worth buying?
Yes. It is a cute, comfortable, and well-made midrange costume option for a Jack Skellington-inspired look, especially if you are willing to add a petticoat and a few accessories.
Leave a Reply