How to Make a Sargent Pepper Costume

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a famous album by the popular band The Beatles. The album cover features members of The Beatles dressed as the fictional Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The four British rockers' brightly colored military outfits have become an iconic image, making a Sgt. Pepper costume a popular choice for parties and Halloween.

Things You'll Need

• Pink, blue, red or green long jacket
• Measuring tape
• White or orange fabric
• Scissors
• Pins
• Needle
• Thread
• Hot glue/fabric glue (optional)
• Brass buttons
• White or orange fringe
• Orange, red, yellow, or blue rope
• Pants in the same color

Instructions

1. Lay the jacket flat on your work space and remove any buttons. Measure from the top of the lapel to the jacket's bottom. Cut two rectangles from the white or orange fabric that are that length and about 2-inches wide. If your jacket is blue or red, use white fabric. If it is green or pink, use orange. Pin the rectangles to the edge of your jacket's opening and sew them down. If you'd prefer, you may attach them with glue.

2. Measure the jacket from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. Cut a rectangle of that length from the same fabric you used for trim. Make the edges pointed like an arrow. Repeat this step four more times, decreasing the rectangles' lengths by an inch each time. Cut each pointed rectangle in half and pin the halves on either side of the jacket's opening. Make sure the top rectangle is the longest, followed by the second longest. Sew or glue them down.

3. Sew a button onto the outside end of each rectangle. Cut two pieces of fringe in the same color as the trim fabric and glue them to the jacket's shoulders so they make a half-circle at the top of each shoulder, with the open ends facing in toward your head.

4. Cut a 2-foot long piece of rope. Pin one end to the fringe on back of the jacket's left shoulder. Let the rope hang down a few inches, then pin it to the front of the fringe. Let more of it hang down and pin the end to the second rectangle on the jacket's front. Sew or glue the rope down at each pin.

5. Measure down the side of the pant's leg from the top of the waistband to the cuff. Cut two rectangles from the trim fabric that are that length and about an inch in width. Sew or glue the rectangles to the outer side of each pant leg.

Tips & Warnings

• You can wear a military-style hat and carry a musical instrument to finish your costume.

References

• The Beatles