Mummy Mia! Mummy Costumes Will Cover You In Style
It happened many years ago. I had to choose a costume for a party. Since I was a teenager busy with a thousand and one things or just lazy, I didn’t have time to make a costume quickly. I tried improvising a mummy costume because I like horror movies, and it looks basic and easy to make. I went into the bathroom and started making my costume. A few minutes later, I came out with a look full of pride. “Look at this!” I said. “I am the mysterious mummy!”. I looked at my mother and immediately realized I was in trouble. “What is this supposed to be? What is this shitty costume?” she screamed.
When I looked in the mirror, I realized that she was right. It turns out I had covered myself with toilet paper wrappers, which I sloppily glued to my body. To make the costume scary, I added something with a red marker that was supposed to look like blood stains. In reality, I looked, to put it mildly, like a pack of used toilet paper (or tampons?) of a woman in the middle of her period. Since then, I’ve stopped trying to make my costumes.
A mummy costume is one of the most classic choices, or even as timeless as the character it represents, thanks in part to horror films that helped make the character popular in Western culture. When the costume is successful, it can be impressive and evoke feelings of mystery, history, or even fear.
So why is it worth dressing up as a mummy? What are the options available? And, of course, how do you make a mummy costume that doesn’t make you look like a puzzle of bloody tampons?
The Characteristics Of A Mummy Costumes
Most people, and certainly horror fans, know what a mummy character generally looks like. A mummy is a corpse of a human or animal that has been embalmed to preserve it. Although mummies are mainly associated with ancient Egypt, different versions of mummies have been discovered in various places around the world. For example, we wrote on the site about the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily, which contains a mummy considered the most beautiful in the world.
A mummy costume includes, in addition to this, several principal characteristics that make it so iconic:
Bandages – The main element in the mummy costume is the bandages. Fortunately, these are usually strips of fabric in a white or slightly darker shade, which are supposed to cover most of the body of the person wearing the costume. There are several styles of bandages, and they can be, for example, tight to the body, ragged, or smoother.
Color: The standard colors in a mummy costume are usually light shades such as white, cream, beige, or light brown. Such choices can help you create the image of the mummy as we know it from history and the cultural texts that emerged later.
Level of coverage – Mummy costumes can cover us in different ways. A common choice is covering most body parts, including the legs, arms, and head. The strictest will expose only the essential organs, such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. Because, unlike real mummies, you still have to live with the costume.
Makeup – The mummy makeup is relevant in cases where the face is not entirely covered. Usually, we choose light or gray tones of makeup to simulate dried skin. Some choose to add a bloody look or emphasize the eyes with a darker shade, creating an interesting contrast.
Textures – The textures may vary according to the desired costume style. A common choice is to create a wrinkled, sometimes even torn look to make an ancient, frightening appearance.
Movement – a large part of the people who dress up as a mummy enter the character completely. As a result, they move slowly and in a limited way. You can manage under these circumstances, but we advise you not to overdo it.
The Benefits Of Mummy Costumes
A mummy costume can prove to be a successful choice in several ways. First of all, it is as classic as the character it represents. It is difficult to find a person who does not know what a mummy is supposed to look like, unlike perhaps other costumes that require some “translation.” Unlike costumes based on current trends that may pass over time or that not everyone is familiar with, the mummy costume is classic and always relevant. It can be suitable for various events and circumstances, such as Purim or Halloween (depending on what you are celebrating), costume parties, theme nights related to the world of horror, and so on.
As you will see below, you can find mummy costumes for almost all ages and in different styles, for example, sexy mummy costumes, gothic, or vintage. You can easily add elements to create interesting variations of a mummy, for example, a combination of a mummy with an Egyptian queen, a zombie, etc. You can create your unique mummy with some creativity and thought or even make the costume from scratch.
Mummy costumes are classic, so their look has more or less been preserved over the years. Furthermore, unlike other characters who have returned in recent years with an updated look that has also influenced the world of costumes – the most evident example is the Wednesday Addams costume, which now includes elements that we identify with the current version of Jenna Ortega – we haven’t seen too many significant changes over the years, or “new” mummies that have emerged into the world.
Which Mummy Costume Are You?
Today, you can find a relatively wide variety of costumes, which vary, for example, depending on the target audience or the style of the costume:
Kids Mummy Costumes
We begin the review with a mummy costume for a boy or girl, which creates an ironic contrast between the age of the person dressing up and the age of the character they become. You can find various mummy costumes for children, some for babies or toddlers, even from birth. For example, your children can choose between a classic costume with full mummy coverage, a relatively scary look, or one that emphasizes the “Egyptian” elements of the character.
In the case of a mummy costume for children, it is essential to pay attention, even more than for adults, to comfort – because children may not feel comfortable, let alone function, if the costume is cumbersome for them. If the children are small, it is crucial to ensure that the costume does not have small or sharp parts that could be a danger to them.
Girls Mummy Costume
Mummy costumes for girls (or boys) may have a more mature look than the corresponding costumes for children, and sometimes even too mature: yes, you can find sexy costumes of mummies even for relatively young ages.
There are different styles, such as classic, elegant, gothic, and sporty mummies. There is a wide range of sizes to choose from. It is advisable to go through the size chart and not settle for the general definition (say, by age or size: S, M, L, etc.).
Mummy Costume For Women
A mummy costume for women offers an even wider range of options. You can easily choose styles, from classic mummies to ones with a more modern and fashionable look. Women can apply makeup independently to complete the perfect costume for them.
Sexy Mummy Costume
Do you think that mummies are scary and threatening creatures? Think again! It is impossible not to mention a sexy mummy costume as part of the prominent trend to present sensual versions of costumes that are considered the most frightening (we wrote on the site, for example, about a sexy witch costume or a sexy Freddy Krueger costume).
Sexy mummy costumes may include various elements, such as:
A mini dress, which can be ragged or with a bandage print
A tight-fitting bodysuit, sometimes with exposed parts
A sexy corset
Rips in the costume, sometimes in “strategic” places
Tights, which may be in the form of shrouds
Where Can You Buy Mummy Costumes?
It is easy to find standard mummy costumes in various costume stores, but also on a wide variety of websites dedicated to costumes or generally offering products that can be suitable (also) for horror fans:
Let’s Not Forget Mummy Accessories
The right accessories can make a mummy costume more impressive, elaborate, and unique. Among the accessories you can buy:
Egyptian jewelry can add authenticity or luxury to the costume: a decorated collar, gold bracelets, rings with colored stones or Egyptian symbols, earrings, etc.
Headwear, such as a pharaonic crown, an Egyptian wig (usually with bangs), or a traditional headdress (“nemesis”)
Weapons, such as a khopesh (an ancient Egyptian sickle sword), a staff or a whip
Egyptian amulets and symbols, like the eye of evil (a concept from mythology describing the creation of humanity), the Egyptian hieroglyph “Ankh” to symbolize eternal life or a beetle, which represents, among other things, rebirth and luck
Other accompanying accessories, such as a decorated book that simulates the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a death mask that people in ancient times used for burial, and even canopic jars, which the Egyptians used to preserve the internal organs of the mummified, may God have mercy on them
More “playful” accessories for children, Like mummy-shaped candy or tiny mummy dolls
Choosing the right accessories depends on the specific style of the mummy costume, the circumstances of the costume, and the overall effect you want to create. You can combine different accessories to create a rich and complex look or focus on one standout accessory to complete the look.
But remember that sometimes, even when it comes to mummies, less can be more.
Mummy Makeup
Mummy makeup can be an interesting addition to a costume, completing the look and emphasizing its uniqueness. Among the most prominent options in this context are:
Heavy dark eye makeup with elongated lines
Light body paint creates an effect reminiscent of dried skin
“Blood” (i.e., red makeup) around the face and exposed body parts
A scary mouth to create a mummy with a monstrous or even “zombie” aspect
Painting the fabrics themselves in shades of brown, gray, or blood
A simple search on the Internet will reveal various guides that show how to apply makeup like a mummy, whether video tutorials or videos:
- A relatively basic but interesting makeup guide on HGTV website
- Detailed makeup instructions on the Autodesk Instructables website
- An excellent guide by Mykie, which shows how to prepare a costume and also apply makeup:
- A guide that demonstrates how to do sexy mummy makeup:
How To Make A Mummy Costume: Mission Possible
A mummy costume can be relatively simple, but it is worth lowering your expectations: the result may be less impressive than the ready-made models.
The main principle of DIY mummy costume is to take a white object – let’s say, a white sheet – and cut it into strips of several tens of centimeters per strip. These strips are wrapped around the body, one after the other, and attached with glue, a safety pin, etc. Of course, it is worth thinking about mobility because costumes made of fabric incorrectly can be cumbersome.
According to one of the essential guides we found online, the reasonably simple list of accessories includes white or off-white fabric (which can be a sheet that is no longer in use, an elastic bandage, etc.), to which is added a white or black shirt and pants. Unless you choose to have only the bandage cover the body, a choice that may be bold and uncomfortable.
You cut the fabric into strips in the first step according to your favorite method. Then, you dress the costumed person in the chosen clothes, which is essential to be comfortable. The foremost step is to wrap the strips; to a large extent, the more wraps, the better. (As long as it’s not awkward). As mentioned, you can connect the costume to your body with a safety pin, and it’s best not to tighten the straps too much to the body or clothing.
To finish the performance, you can create mummy makeup or add accessories like the ones mentioned here.
Here’s a video that demonstrates the main steps on DIY mummy costumes:
