How to Dress Like Sue Ann 'Ma' Ellington

It's hard to believe it, but Oscar-winning actor Octavia Spencer did not have her first lead role until 2019's Ma. While the movie, also directed by The Help's Tate Taylor, was no critical darling, it wasn't a waste of her phenomenal talents altogether.

The overwhelming consensus was that Octavia gave a solid performance as Sue Ann Ellington, a role that would have gone to a white actor.

Sue Ann is a twisted version of the Cool Mom, a larger-than-life parental figure with a hidden, murderous agenda. Here's how you can look like the meme-tastic, vengeful villainess for Halloween.

How to get Octavia Spencer's Ma look

Octavia's Ma costume is easy enough to pull off. A veterinary technician, Sue Ann is seen in floral scrubs that she covers with a purple knit cardigan. She pairs them with a pair of pink pants.

In one famous scene, Sue Ann is the life of the party with her newsboy cap and matchy-matchy maroon pants and blouse, with huge bangles thrown in for good measure.

But the topper of Ma's ensemble? It's her signature black bob, which you can copy with a wig.

The cool kid

Spoiler alert: Ma is what happens when bullying intersects with racial prejudice. Sue Ann's actions will never be justifiable, but it's a villain origin story that demands to be seen.

And hey, it's never too late to be cool, kids. Ha, ha!

Comments

How to Dress as Queen Grimhilde from Snow White

Maleficent may have shockingly strong powers, but at the end of the day, you've got to ask: Who's got the crown? Snow White's stepmother is queen bee among Disney villains in more ways than one. She's First Evil in Disney's full-length animations and the highest-ranking animated character in AFI's list of greatest villains . And sorry, ye ageist Mirror: In the beauty department, she can more than hold her own in an apples-to-apples comparison with Snow White. Now, now, we all know Grimhilde (the character was only named after the fact) is a two-in-one bargain among Disney villains. You could either a.) dress up as the 1930s screen goddess or b.) the cackling crone. This guide will skew younger for now. Without further ado, here's how you can be fairest of them all on Halloween night: Costume To shroud my clothes, the black of night Short of an evil spell, just print out a full-body pic of the Queen and let your tailor or seamstress do the mag...

How to Dress as Morticia Addams

All Hallow's Eve is fast approaching. From now until the macabre occasion, Cautionary Women will give you tips and tricks on what is Halloween all about: dressing up! To start, let's try to get the look of Morticia Addams, one of the reigning queens of Halloween. Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams Now Morticia, the iconic matriarch of the Addams Family, is scarcely the evil woman pictured here at Cautionary Women. She is rather something of a paradox: scary-looking but kind (in the way she knows how), intimidating but approachable (again, in the way she knows how). She is just eerie, not evil. Carolyn Jones as Morticia Yet Morticia can give any superbly nefarious queen a run for her money. Whether on TV, film, or anywhere The Addams Family franchise is splayed, Morticia commands attention with her spine-tingling style. Sure she may be fundamentally good and all, but try running into her on a solitary road at night. Here's how to be Morticia Addams for...

How to Dress as Bellatrix Lestrange

With the closing of the Harry Potter movie series in July, Bellatrix Lestrange has emerged as the woman to be for Halloween 2011. Who wouldn't want to be her? Witches are the empresses of Halloween. Wickedest of wicked witches, Bellatrix is not above placing Cruciatus hexes on you. Here's how to dress up as Bellatrix for Halloween: 1. Wand Get into character with a Harry Potter wand. Your Bellatrix getup is incomplete without it. Like its owner, Bellatrix's wand can be described as "unyielding." Her first and more iconic of two wands is curved and made of walnut, with dragon heartstring for core. You can make do with intricate wand replicas . 2. Costume Bellatrix is often clad in a black dress with detached sleeves held on to the top by way of strings. A leather-looking corset also girths her. You can get a good bargain on ready-made Bellatrix costumes here . But you'd be surprised how easy it is to DIY Bellatrix's costume using ol...

Cautionary Women

Search This Blog