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1. JACKET – Possibly the most desirable movie prop of all time, Tyler’s red motorcycle jacket is an icon of modern cinema. Get yourself an exact replica in real leather and your Tyler Durden costume is well on its way to being the best yet.
2. SHIRT – Tyler typically wears a Hawaiian shirt under his jacket, buttoned down in a casual style. There are plenty of floral shirts available, simply choose the style that suits you best.
3. GLASSES – Is there anything cooler than red-tinted sunglasses? The exact model that Brad Pitt wore has become a highly sought-after (and expensive) collector’s item. Fortunately, these replicas are every bit as cool.
4. PANTS – Next, get yourself a pair of dark blue tailored pants. Like many characters in Fight Club, Tyler’s style is a chaotic blend of white-collar workers and counter-culture aesthetics.
5 CIGARETTES – Ever the symbol of counter-culture rebellion, Tyler is rarely seen without a cigarette in hand. Do your costume and health a favor at the same time and puff on some realistically fake prop cigarettes.
6. SOAP – The ultimate Fight Club costume accessory, this genuine soap bar might not be made from human fat, but it is still a great prop to have.
Could we start our roundup of the best Fight Club costume ideas anywhere else?
Tyler Durden’s (played by Brad Pitt) look is an icon of late 90s and early 2000s rebellious fashion. Durden is one of the most recognizable anarchist characters in popular culture and his outfit is distinctly anti-establishment.
As the alternate persona of The Narrator, Tyler is the unchecked nihilist who bubbles just beneath the surface of conformity.
Suffering from the effects of insomnia, The Narrator first encounters Tyler on a plane journey where he reveals that he is a soap salesman. Together they form an underground fighting club as a way to release the stresses of modern life, as well as regain control over their own destinies.
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1. JACKET – One of the most recognizable accessories of this popular Marla Singer costume is her shaggy fur coat. Cut short and jet black (like the rest of her outfit), it is a reflection of her fatalistic outlook on life.
2. TOP – Under her jacket, Marla wears a plain black crop top with strappy shoulders.
3. SKIRT – Much like Tyler Durden, Marla’s outfits are a mixture of conformist and individualist. Her black midi pencil skirt, unlike her jacket, would not look out of place in offices up and down the country.
4. SUNGLASSES – Who doesn’t love wearing fully tinted shades indoors? Marla’s sunglasses are all black and oversized to hide her sleep-deprived eyes.
5. BOOTS – Not one for heels, Marla wears a pair of chunky black lace-up boots. A pair of Dr. Martens would be perfect for this costume should you already own some.
6. HAT – Because shades are not always enough to hide your contempt for the world, a wide-brim hat is another optional accessory that Marla occasionally wears.
7. CIGARETTES – Finish off your DIY Marla costume with a set of fake cigarettes in one hand and a polystyrene drinking cup in the other.
Marla Singer (played by Helena Bonham Carter) is Fight Club’s primary love interest and a deeply nuanced character.
Not much is revealed about her character but, like The Narrator, Marla finds herself addicted to support groups, using them as a cathartic release of emotions that she otherwise struggles to feel.
She also has a tendency to bring out the more anarchist tendencies of Tyler Durden, much to the disdain of Edward Norton’s character.
It also just so happens that Marla Singer and Tyler Durden is one of our most popular couple costume ideas of all time.
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1. SUIT – As your typical white-collar work, The Narrator wears a non-descript gray two-piece suit. The suit jacket is optional as he is often seen in a more casual shirt and pants attire.
2. SHIRT – The Narrator is such an easy DIY costume idea precisely because of the fact it is so ‘ordinary’. You likely already own a suitable white shirt but if buying one we recommend a ‘big and tall’ shirt to replicate his baggy and ill-fitting look.
3. TIE – Next, add a dull gray tie with a low-key pattern. A traditional width ‘surfboard’ tie works far better than the more fashionable slim ties for this outfit.
4. SHOES – Any formal dress shoes will suit this Fight Club costume perfectly well. Don’t worry about polishing your old pair or getting some new ones. You are a disillusioned worker after all.
5. NAME TAG – An indispensable accessory, you will want a name tag to stick onto your shirt. We found we couldn’t find a single-pack of name stickers for sale but a full set is still very cheap. Plus, you can use one for Marla Singer too if you’re making a couple’s costume.
6. FAKE SCARS – Finally, if you are making a Narrator costume post-self-inflicted bust-up, you will need some realistic facial scars. You could make your own using a skin wax and coagulated blood kit. Or, like us, you could just buy some ready-made adhesives.
The Narrator, played by Edward Norton, is the conflicted conformist to Tyler Durden’s unchecked anarchy.
In a deliberate attempt to highlight his lack of identity and individuality throughout the movie, The Narrator’s real name is never revealed. Although he does go by many aliases such as Cornelius, Rupert, and Travis. In the initial Fight Club screenplay he was also referred to as ‘Jack‘.
He is an average white-collar worker who is disillusioned with his mundane and consumer-centric life. His battle with insomnia is a result of the unfeeling and alienating effect of modern life, felt by many citizens around the world.
Together with Tyler Durden, The Narrator is a lens through which the movie explores themes of identity, belonging, and sense of purpose.
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1. COAT – Later in the movie, Tyler wears a stylish full-length fur coat. This is a particularly great option if you want to make a matching Tyler and Marla couple costume.
2. SWEATER – The rest of this costume is an all-orange ensemble. You will need an orange ribbed or textured crewneck sweater.
3. PANTS – Add a pair of matching orange slim-fit chinos.
4. SHOES – Finally, it’s time to don a pair of super stylish orange penny loafers. We honestly love this whole outfit and while the red motorcycle jacket is certainly the most popular Tyler Durden costume, this is a great alternative.
5. GLASSES – As if Tyler needed help looking any cooler, these steampunk-esque welder goggles are just the cherry on top.
6. RING – Finish your outfit with a prominent black onyx ring. Now you’re looking seriously cool!
This alternative Tyler Durden costume is one of our coolest yet. Honestly, if you’re not taking full advantage of Halloween or a costume party to look your very best, you are missing out.
For more stylish DIY costume ideas see:
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1. SUIT– How many opportunities do you get to wear an all-white suit? The main part of this Angel Face costume is the sharp tailoring worn by all participants of Project Mayhem.
2. SHIRT – Blending formal and casual attire, Angel Face shuns the shirt and tie in favor of a simple plain white top.
3. SHOES – Rounding out this white suit is a pair of stylish formal shoes. All the not the most popular Fight Club costume, this has to be one of the coolest.
4. WIG – A signature of Angel Face is his bleach blonde hair. Great for any man with naturally light hair or those who don’t mind wearing a wig.
5. BLOOD – Likely something of a sadist before joining the fight club, Angel Face embraces the more bloody facets of Tyler’s plan with both hands (literally).
Fight Club was one of Jared Leto’s first major acting credits – not too bad, right?
Leto plays a man so beautiful that we don’t even know his real name, only that ‘Angel Face’ is his alias. Like The Narrator, the fact that we don’t know his real name is a purposeful attempt to show the lack of identity that many of us feel beyond superficial appearances.
After Tyler Durden, Angel Face is typically considered the secondary antagonist of Fight Club.
As one of the biggest proponents of “Project Mayhem”, he is critical to the implementation of Durden’s anarchist plans. He also harbors a thinly veiled grudge against The Narrator after the latter almost ended his life during a Fight Club brawl.
In doing so, The Narrator strips Angel Face of the superficial qualities that society really values; leaving the character to question what is left.
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1. DRESS – Fight Club is all about the throw-away culture that modern society has become. Epitomized in this discarded wedding dress that must have, at one point, been a cherished possession.
2. SHOES – How about some dainty stilettos to go with this beautiful wedding dress? Not for Marla Singer, this costume is again a mismatch of wildly different styles with her chunky and attitude-filled platform shoes.
3. SKIRT – In true vintage fashion, this dress features a ruffled wedding skirt and tail.
4. WIG – Marla’s hair is unkempt and wild. We found an emo wig and a thorough back comb worked really well for achieving a similar effect.
5. RING – Finally, Marla fashions an oversized jewel ring into a wedding ring. Again, poking fun at the consumerism of modern society.
We love a great excuse to get all dressed up in our favorite dress. That’s what this alternative Marla Singer costume is all about.
But if a vintage bridesmaid outfit doesn’t quite take your fancy, here are some more excuses to go all out:
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1. SHIRT – Bob wears a generic flannel shirt in dark blue. If you are going for the fat suit option, remember to choose the size accordingly.
2. T-SHIRT – Under his flannel, Bob wears a gray baseball tee. Again, make sure the size you choose can accommodate those ‘bitch tits’!
3. JOGGERS – As a man who has largely given up on life, Bob doesn’t see much point in getting dressed out of his sweats. We feel that!
4. FAT SUIT – For maximum comical effect, we have found the most absurdly large fat suit possible for this outfit.
5. NAME TAG – Like with Marla Singer and The Narrator, a support group name sticker is a small but essential addition to this costume.
Robert ‘Bob’ Paulson (played by the late, great Meat Loaf) is one of the most beloved characters from Fight Club.
He is a former bodybuilder whose excessive steroid use eventually leads to testicular cancer, resulting in a hormone imbalance that prompts his substantial weight gain.
Like many of the characters in Fight Club, Bob feels emasculated and powerless in a society that no longer values him.
With the fat suit, this is one of the funniest costume ideas in our Fight Club roundup.
Year after year, Fight Club remains one of the most popular ideas for Halloween and costume parties.
Credit for the enduring popularity of Fight Club has to be given to the brilliant costume design. By blending traditional work attire with counter-culture details (such as Durden’s motorcycle jacket or Marla’s fur coat), the struggle to both confirm and form a unique identity is captured in the way each character dresses.
Still looking for more inspiration? Check out more of our favorite Tyler Durden, Marla Singer, and The Narrator DIY costumes from the brilliant cosplayers of Pinterest.
Fight Club, released in 1999, is a cult classic in every sense of the word. Not before or since has a movie portrayed so well the feelings of disillusionment and powerlessness that come with modern-day existence.
This movie is a masterclass in visual storytelling, where each outfit is laced with meaning, symbolism, and individual style. An impressive feat, considering lead costume designer, Michael Kaplan, sourced most of the now iconic Fight Club outfits from local thrift stores prior to production. That includes the now-famous red leather motorcycle jacket.
Whether you’re looking to make the coolest Tyler Durden costume, a smoking Marla Singer outfit, or something more unique like The Narrator’s look, we have everything you need.
