- 1). Start with a Victorian suit. Waistcoats and vests were popular in Dickens' time, as were frock coats. If you can sew, patterns are available from sites like Harriets.com and Longago.com. If not, study Victorian photos like those at Gentleman's Emporium, then search local thrift stores, Goodwill and the Salvation Army for similar looking suits. You likely won't find a suit from the 1840s, but you can often find older suits and tuxedos that will work.
- 2). Buy or make a top hat to match your suit. You can find top hats locally at men's formalwear shops, costume shops and occasionally at thrift stores. You can also make your own. The Barony of Granite Spyre of the fantasy roleplaying game "Amtgard" has a good tutorial for felt top hats, while user "Idzit" at Deviant Art shows how to make one out of cardboard.
- 3). Cover yourself in chains. This is the most important part of your costume. If the costume is for a child, you can buy safe, plastic chains at most costume stores or online. Otherwise, metal chain is fairly inexpensive, can be found at any Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace or other hardware store, and will give your costume Marley's signature sound. Add padlocks for an extra touch.
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