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

Lois Lane from DC

A DIY Lois Lane costume is easy to pull together from a work wardrobe, because one classic version of the reporter is a white buttoned shirt under a black vest. Add a skirt or trousers, a homemade press badge and a notepad and pencil, and you look ready to chase a story. It costs about $12 and takes 30 minutes, with no sewing.

TIME: 30 min
COST: about $12
SKILL: Easy

What you need

A white long-sleeved buttoned shirt
A black vest or waistcoat (a black cardigan buttoned up also works)
A dark skirt or trousers, plus boots or low heels
A small notebook and a pencil
A piece of white card, about 10 x 7 cm, for the press badge
A black marker, a hole punch and a length of string or a lanyard
Optional: a snack bar to tuck into a pocket

How to make it

1
Put on the white shirt and button it up. Keep the sleeves down, or roll them neatly to just below the elbow.
2
Layer the black vest over the top and fasten it, so the white collar sits crisp above it.
3
Write PRESS in thick block capitals across the top of the card, then your own name underneath. Do not copy any real newspaper logo.
4
Punch a hole in the top corner, thread the string through and hang the badge round your neck or clip it to the vest.
5
Add the skirt or trousers and the boots. Keep the colours dark so the white shirt stands out.
6
Write two or three headlines in the notebook, such as 'Strange lights over town', and keep the pencil tucked behind your ear.
7
Brush your hair neatly or tie it back, so you look like someone who is always on the move.
8
Slide the notebook into a back pocket or hold it in your hand, and put the snack bar in a pocket as a reporter who has no time for lunch.

Make it better

Fill the notebook with real scribbled headlines. People always ask to read it, and that is half the fun.
Keep the whole look practical. A reporter dresses to run, so flat boots beat heels.
Want a different era? A short skirt and boots is another look the character has worn.

Questions

How do I make a Lois Lane costume from clothes I already own?

Start with a white buttoned shirt and a black vest or cardigan, then add dark trousers or a skirt. A card badge and a notebook and pencil are the only things you need to make.

Which Lois Lane outfit should I pick?

She has worn many looks across films, comics and cartoons, so there is no single right answer. A shirt and vest reads clearly as a reporter, and any practical work outfit with a notepad will work.

Is this an official Lois Lane costume?

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

Can I do this as a last-minute fancy dress costume?

Yes. If you already own a white shirt and a dark skirt or trousers, you only need card, a marker and some string. It takes about half an hour.

Unofficial. Lois Lane and the DC 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