AI-generated picture to show the idea. Yours will look handmade.

Captain Clark

A DIY Captain Clark costume is a teal shirt with big collars, a long beige vest, a purple sash and a card tricorn hat with a feather, plus a peg leg made from a folded knee. It looks wrong in exactly the right way. It costs about $22 and takes about 2 hours, with no sewing.

TIME: 120 min
COST: about $22
SKILL: Some cutting

What you need

A teal or green-blue button-up shirt with a big collar
A long beige or tan waistcoat, cardigan or sleeveless coat
Brown trousers and one brown shoe
A purple scarf or strip of purple fabric for the sash
A black belt
Black card, a brown paper bag and a white feather for the tricorn
A wooden chair leg or a cardboard tube painted amber for the peg
Cheap costume rings and a white sock

How to make it

1
Fold the shirt collar so it stands out wide and flat on both sides, and pin it with two safety pins under the lapel so it stays big.
2
Cut a 60 cm circle from black card. Fold three sides up 8 cm and tape the corners to make a tricorn. Stitch-free: use strong tape inside the brim.
3
Tape a white feather to the left side of the hat and ink a few pale stitch lines around the brim with a white fabric marker.
4
Put on the shirt, then the long vest over it, then the black belt around your middle.
5
Tie the purple scarf as a sash over the belt, with one end hanging past your hip.
6
For the peg leg, bend your left knee back and tape a chair leg or painted tube to the back of your thigh so it reaches the floor. Hold it in place with a belt or two long straps. Wear the trouser leg over it and keep the real foot behind you, or skip this and wear a stuffed brown sock as a peg.
7
Wear one brown shoe and a white crew sock on the right leg. Stuff the spare left shoe into the back of your belt for the odd detail.
8
Slide 3 or 4 costume rings onto your fingers and tape a couple of foam fingers on if you want the extra hand look. Add a scruffy dark beard with brown eyebrow pencil and a frown.

Make it better

Wear the peg leg for short stretches only and have a second pair of normal shoes ready for stairs and long walks.
Rub a little dry brown eyeshadow along the shirt hem and collar so it looks weathered rather than brand new.
Keep your face still and flat. A deadpan stare does more than any prop.

Questions

How do I make a Captain Clark costume from clothes I already own?

Start with a teal button-up, a long beige vest, brown trousers and a belt. Add a purple scarf as a sash and a card tricorn with a feather. The peg leg and the rings finish it.

Can I skip the peg leg?

Yes. A single stuffed brown sock hanging by a string from your belt, plus one white sock and one shoe, still reads as the character.

Is this an official Captain Clark costume?

No. It is a homemade, unofficial costume made from clothes and card. We are not affiliated with the makers of the film or the character.

Is this easy fancy dress for a party?

It is easy to put together in an evening. Be aware the character is from a 15-rated style horror film, so it suits an adult party better than a young children's one.

Unofficial. Captain Clark and the Backrooms names belong to their respective owners, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The names are used only to describe this homemade parody costume.

Wear it in front of your own haunted CCTV

Upload four photos of your house and Cursed Cam turns them into a night-time security monitor where something is very wrong. Put it on the TV by the door.

Make my monitor See how it works