My Chemical Romance Costume
Join the Black Parade with this iconic emo marching band look.
Embrace the peak of 2000s emo culture with the definitive My Chemical Romance look from their landmark album 'The Black Parade'. Most famously worn by frontman Gerard Way, this costume features a stylized black and white military marching band jacket. It is a highly recognizable, nostalgic choice for music fans, cosplayers, and Halloween partygoers alike.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- ~45 min
- Budget
- $40–120
Try it on
See yourself as My Chemical Romance
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What you need for a My Chemical Romance costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete My Chemical Romance costume — one box instead of 5 pieces.
Black marching band jacket
A black, slim-fit military-style jacket with a high collar, featuring white horizontal piping, silver buttons, and white shoulder epaulets.
DIY: Take a plain black high-collar jacket and fabric-glue white ribbon and silver buttons across the chest in horizontal stripes.
Black skinny jeans
Form-fitting black denim jeans or slim-cut black trousers.
Black combat boots
Lace-up black leather or faux-leather combat boots, polished clean.
DIY: Any sturdy black dress shoes or high-top sneakers can work in a pinch.
Fingerless black gloves
Simple black knit or faux-leather fingerless gloves.
DIY: Cut the fingers off an old pair of black knit gloves.
Black armband
A solid black fabric band worn around the left upper arm.
DIY: Cut a strip of black fabric or use a thick black elastic hairband.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made My Chemical Romance costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on the black skinny jeans and tuck them slightly into the tops of your black combat boots.
- 2
Put on a plain black t-shirt as a base layer, then put on the black marching band jacket.
- 3
Button the marching band jacket completely to the top collar to secure the structured military silhouette.
- 4
Slide the black armband onto your left upper arm, positioning it midway between your shoulder and elbow.
- 5
Put on the black fingerless gloves.
- 6
Apply the signature pale face makeup and dark smudged eyeshadow around the eyes.
- 7
Style your hair or wig into a short, straight, side-swept emo crop.
Makeup & hair
Apply a pale foundation to your face, then use dark grey or black eyeshadow heavily smudged around your entire eye socket for a sunken, dramatic look. Style your hair in a short, straight, side-swept black or bleached-blonde style, mimicking Gerard Way's iconic look.
My Chemical Romance for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair with a Helena-inspired dancer in a 1920s-style black dress with red eyeshadow.
- group
- Have friends dress in matching black marching band jackets to recreate the entire band.
- kids
- A miniature marching band jacket paired with black jeans and temporary hair chalk.
- Plus size
- Look for stretch-material military jackets or style an open black blazer with silver fabric paint accents.
- pet
- A small black dog sweater decorated with white felt strips to look like a marching band uniform.
Tips
- Keep the jacket buttoned up for photos to maintain the sharp, structured military silhouette.
- Use a setting spray on your eye makeup so the dark eyeshadow doesn't run down your face during the night.
- Break in your combat boots before wearing them out to ensure comfort while walking or dancing.
My Chemical Romance costume FAQ
- What is the most iconic My Chemical Romance costume?
- The black-and-white military marching band uniform from the 'Welcome to the Black Parade' music video is the band's most famous and recognizable look.
- How do I style my hair for a Gerard Way costume?
- You can go with either short, jet-black dyed hair styled with a deep side part, or a short, stark-white bleached crop, both of which he wore during 'The Black Parade' era.
- Can I make a DIY Black Parade jacket?
- Yes, you can modify a plain black jacket or blazer by fabric-gluing white ribbon across the chest in parallel lines and adding silver plastic buttons.
Did you know? The iconic marching band uniforms for the 'Welcome to the Black Parade' music video were designed by Colleen Atwood, an Academy Award-winning costume designer known for her work on Tim Burton films.