Spartan Cheerleader Costume
Perfect your cheers and bring the high-energy 90s SNL spirit.
The Spartan Cheerleaders, Craig (Will Ferrell) and Arianna (Cheri Oteri), are among the most memorable recurring characters from Saturday Night Live. Known for their hyperactive, self-choreographed cheers and rejection from the official squad, they wear matching retro red, white, and blue uniforms. This costume is a crowd-pleasing favorite for anyone who loves 90s comedy and high-energy performances.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- ~15 min
- Budget
- $25–65
Try it on
See yourself as Spartan Cheerleader
One clear photo of yourself; we render you in this costume — face untouched, full body, about 20 seconds.
One render, $1. No account needed — if it fails you're not charged. Pricing.
Your photo is sent to Google's Gemini API to make the render and isn't used for training. Renders are AI-generated and labelled.
Want a different costume on this photo, or a whole group in costume? Open the Try-On Studio.
What you need for a Spartan Cheerleader costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Spartan Cheerleader costume — one box instead of 5 pieces.
Spartan Cheerleader Top
A white long-sleeve crewneck sweatshirt featuring a red and blue horizontal chest stripe and the word 'SPARTANS' in bold block letters.
DIY: Use fabric paint or red and blue iron-on vinyl to add the stripes and 'SPARTANS' text to a plain white crewneck sweatshirt.
Pleated Cheerleader Skirt or Pants
Arianna wears a matching white pleated cheerleader skirt with red and blue trim, while Craig wears matching white track pants with red and blue side stripes.
DIY: Add red and blue ribbon trim to the hem of a plain white pleated skirt or the sides of white sweatpants.
White Headband
A classic, thick white athletic terry cloth headband worn high on the forehead.
White Athletic Socks
Slouchy white crew socks pulled up to mid-calf.
White Sneakers
Simple, clean white athletic sneakers or tennis shoes.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Spartan Cheerleader costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on the white Spartan cheerleader sweatshirt.
- 2
Put on the matching white pleated skirt (for Arianna) or white track pants (for Craig).
- 3
Pull on the white crew socks, slouching them slightly around the ankles.
- 4
Lace up your clean white athletic sneakers.
- 5
Place the thick white athletic headband straight across your forehead, keeping your hair pushed back.
Makeup & hair
Keep makeup minimal and athletic. For Arianna, style your hair into a high, bouncy ponytail secured with a scrunchie. For Craig, keep hair messy and slightly sweaty-looking under the headband.
Spartan Cheerleader for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair up as Craig and Arianna for the ultimate dynamic duo costume—one in the skirt, one in the pants.
- group
- Have a third friend dress as a high school athlete or a unimpressed tryout judge to complete the scene.
- kids
- A miniature version of the pleated skirt and sweatshirt makes for a hilarious, high-energy kids' costume.
- Plus size
- Use an oversized white crewneck sweatshirt and white athletic sweatpants for a comfortable, screen-accurate fit.
Tips
- Stretch beforehand—you will inevitably be asked to perform a cheer or strike the classic 'Spartan Spirit' pose.
- Keep the sneakers comfortable, as this costume is built for jumping and high-kicking.
- Carry a small megaphone prop to help project your custom cheers throughout the night.
Spartan Cheerleader costume FAQ
- What do the Spartan Cheerleader uniforms look like?
- They consist of a white long-sleeve sweatshirt with a red and blue horizontal chest stripe and 'SPARTANS' written across the front, paired with matching white bottoms (a pleated skirt for Arianna, pants for Craig) and a white headband.
- Is this a good couples costume?
- Yes, it is one of the most recognizable SNL couples costumes of all time. One person dresses as Craig in the pants, and the other dresses as Arianna in the skirt.
- How do I DIY the Spartan logo?
- You can use red and blue fabric paint or heat-transfer vinyl on a plain white sweatshirt. Cut out block letters for 'SPARTANS' and place them between a thick red stripe and a thin blue stripe.
Did you know? Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri based these characters on real, overly enthusiastic people they observed, capturing the hilarious desperation of wanting to belong to a high school squad.