How to Make an Impressive Dolores Westworld Costume Out of Old Clothes

Tools and materials:

• Light blue skirt
• White lace trim
• White soft tank top with ruffled neckline
• White corset (optional)
• 2 brown belts: 1 should have a square or rectangular buckle
• 1 brown small purse or wallet
• Wooden dowels
• Gold paint
• Paintbrush
• Faux brown leather strip - as long as one of the belts
• Hot glue gun with glue
• Light blue ribbon 
• Elastic
• Own skirt to serve as a pattern
• Marking chalk
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Sandpaper

1. Make the skirt

I lucked out with this light blue dress I found. I made it into a skirt by laying my own skirt to serve as a pattern just underneath the armpit of the dress. 

I made it into an A-line skirt by using the marking chalk to mark a diagonal line and cutting it away. Then, I sewed the skirt using a straight stitch.

Confession time: the skirt I used to trace was a stretchy material and the skirt I made was cotton fabric. I had to leave a space so it could fit over my butt!

I hemmed all the edges and used velcro to close up the skirt. If I was making this for everyday wear, I would use a zipper but this is a costume and Velcro works well.

2. Make the lacy petticoat bottom

I bought a lace white dress at the thrift store so I’m using the lace portion only. I cut the lace bottom and sewed it to the seam in the blue skirt on the wrong side. It should just peek out ever so slightly.

3. Rough up the skirt

Dolores’s skirt has seen a lot of action and is ratted and tatted in season 2. 

I cut the skirt bottom and used a heavy grit sandpaper to fray the edges.

4. Make the bullets

I use wooden dowels from the dollar store as “bullets.” They will lay on one of the brown leather belts worn bandolier style or as I call it, the bullet belt.

My dowels were longer than the width of my belt. I had to cut these down with a saw to fit the belt better. If you find a wider belt, you could get away with using the dowels as is! 

Paint the bullets gold using a brush. Set aside to dry thoroughly.

5. Make the top

The top I bought was perfect and just needed the ribbon added to it. The top Dolores wears in Westworld has more ribbon showing than not. To make this, add holes to the top of the neckline to thread the pale blue ribbon through. 

Make two holes close together and then leave a big space. Repeat all the way around the neckline. 

Thread the ribbon through and tie a bow in the front. 

I was thrilled to find a white corset that just needed some minor adjustments to fit me. It adds a lot to the outfit but is optional. I know it’s not very common to find!

6. Make the bandolier

I'm using a scrap piece of faux brown leather. I cut it into a long strip just a bit narrower than the width of the belt I’m using for the bandolier. 

This piece will encase the bullets. The bullets will be on part of the belt that isn’t near the buckle. Use the hot glue gun to secure the start of the bullet casing. Then use a bullet underneath the faux leather to serve as a guide. 

Fold or crimp the faux leather around it, encasing the bullet. Hot glue the fold onto the belt. Repeat several times. The bullets aren’t hot glued down. They move freely in and out. The faux leather folds keep them in place. 

Dolores doesn’t have all of the bullet casings filled so it’s ok to leave a number of them empty. (I guess she’s used them already!). Once you’ve completed this step, buckle the belt to wear as the bandolier.

7. Finishing touches

Dolores of Westworld always wears her hair half pulled back. The belt she wears at her waist is low-slung with a square or rectangular buckle.

Slide the small purse or wallet onto the belt. If the item you buy doesn’t slide on, you may have to sew or hot glue the purse onto the belt. The bandolier is worn off the shoulder.

I’ve paired it with cowboy boots but if the skirt is long enough, the footwear is hardly seen.

Dolores Westworld costume tutorial

I love this Dolores of Westworld costume! I think it came out gorgeous and I am so excited to wear this for Halloween. Let me know what you think in the comments and please share photos if you do decide to make this!