Romeo and Juliet Costumes | LoveToKnow (2024)

Romeo and Juliet Costumes | LoveToKnow (1)

Romeo and Juliet costumes are classic for couples. Shakespeare's famous play is known by just about everyone, making lovebirds who don these costumes instantly recognizable.

Romeo and Juliet Review

Even if you've never actually read the play, most people are well aware of the plot of Romeo and Juliet. In what is arguably Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, these two young lovers fall victim to their feuding families and one of the biggest evils ever to face couples: miscommunication.

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Ultimately the two lovers commit suicide rather than face the prospect of life without their beloved. The undying love the pair illustrates and the famous nature of the play make these characters a popular choice for couples.

These costumes are also sought after for high school, collegiate or professional productions, musicals, or other renditions of this classic play.

Romeo and Juliet: Renaissance Style Costumes

The play takes place in fourteenth century Verona, a city in northern Italy, a beautiful city in which some of the most famous works of Romanesque architecture reside. The styles of the costumes, then, would be reflective of the period known as the Italian Renaissance. As part of noble families, Romeo's and Juliet's apparel would also be distinguished, beautiful, and most likely elaborate.

A Romeo costume might include knee breeches or fitted pants with a long-sleeve lace up or a ruffled poet shirt. Juliet's gown would be a lovely Renaissance dress in rich fabric and accented with jewels, gold cord, or other beautiful embellishments.

Romeo may wear a rounded nobleman's cap, and Juliet may wear a female cap or conical princess hat. There are many different styles and colors for Romeo and Juliet costumes, and many Renaissance period costumes that would be well-suited to the characters of Romeo and Juliet as well.

Where to Buy Romeo and Juliet Costumes

Like most costumes, there are varying qualities and prices for Romeo and Juliet costumes. Some are made with less expensive fabrics and designed for occasional use for costume parties and Halloween, while others are made with more durable, costlier fabrics and designed to withstand usage for multiple theatrical productions. For theater productions, the scene changes necessitate several costume changes, including ball apparel, a nightdress, and others.

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Romeo and Juliet for Halloween and Costume Parties

For a Romeo and Juliet ensemble as a Halloween costume for couples, or for a party or other event, you can purchase Renaissance dress at many costume retailers. Although you can buy the Romeo and Juliet apparel separately, this couple costume may have a more unified appeal if purchased together, as some retailers may offer fabrics and embellishments that match. You can purchase adult, children's, and plus size Renaissance costumes.

Romeo and Juliet Costumes | LoveToKnow (3)
  • Walmart offers a variety of Romeo and Juliet costumes is a wide range of sizes. You can also find costumes for other characters from the play here.
  • Costume Craze and Buy Costumes have children's, adult, and plus sizes available. Styles for Juliet are available in purple, green, or blue velvet with laced or princess bodices, and Romeo or Renaissance male costumes are available as breeches and striped nobleman's shirts.
  • Costume Hub has several Juliet costume styles available, including one with a velvet dress and white silk underlay, along with Juliet wigs and other accessories.
  • Frank Bee Costumes has a matching Romeo and Juliet ensemble that offers simple elegance and little embellishment.

Romeo and Juliet Couples

Romeo and Juliet might just be the perfect couples' costume. With a little browsing, you're sure to find the style and price that's right for when you need to dress up as the ultimate tragic lovebirds. For other couple inspired costumes, check out our article on Princess Toadstool costumes and consider a video game romance with one of the Mario Brothers.

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Romeo and Juliet Costumes | LoveToKnow (2024)

FAQs

What costumes were used in Romeo and Juliet? ›

Romeo and Juliet: Renaissance Style Costumes

A Romeo costume might include knee breeches or fitted pants with a long-sleeve lace up or a ruffled poet shirt. Juliet's gown would be a lovely Renaissance dress in rich fabric and accented with jewels, gold cord, or other beautiful embellishments.

What was Romeo and Juliet wearing? ›

The only exception is the star-crossed lovers who wore a combination of the families' colours. At the masked ball, Romeo and Juliet wear a mixture of red and blue garments, dominated by the colour of their family but by the end Juliet is wearing a green dress with red trimming and Romeo a rusty brown doublet and hose.

What does Romeo's costume represent? ›

And finally; Romeo is dressed as a knight in shining armour, youthful and searching for his love; with Juliet dressed as an angel, representing her beauty and purity, her innocence and naivety.

Why do the Montagues wear Hawaiian shirts? ›

The Hawaiian shirts had references and foreshadowing.

They're just as religious [as the Capulets], but they're also a different gang. I wanted them to feel like Miami Beach, like they probably surfed, they went to the beach, they wore Hawaiian shirts, they maybe could have gone into the military,” says Barrett.

How are Romeo and Juliet's costumes symbolic? ›

In Romeo & Juliet, the costumes are instrumental visual cues that, in addition to the dancers' pantomime acting, help to tell the story without words. Color is an important indicator throughout—the fiery Montagues are distinguished by wearing red, while rival Capulets are dressed in blue.

What is the Romeo and Juliet aesthetic called? ›

Though the actors speak in an Early Modern English dialect, they do so in an engineered atmosphere of modern aesthetics and extravagance, dubbed the Red Curtain Aesthetic.

What items represent Romeo and Juliet? ›

  • Fire= overwhelming passion, either love or hate.
  • Stars= fate, doomed love.
  • Poison= death, greed, falseness.
  • Rose= love and death, Juliet.
  • Mask= secrecy, putting up a false front.

What are Romeo and his friends wearing to disguise themselves? ›

Romeo, Benvolio, and their friend Mercutio, all wearing masks, have gathered with a group of mask-wearing guests on their way to the Capulets' feast.

What object symbolizes Romeo and Juliet? ›

Shakespeare weaves floral symbolism throughout the play; Romeo, the object of Juliet's affection, is considered a “rose” -- a specific flower that symbolizes beauty and love, while Juliet's other suitor -- the affable Paris, is considered just a “flower in faith” -- pretty, but not special in any way.

What did Juliet wear at the party? ›

Juliet and Lady Capulet would have worn taffeta, silk, gold, or satin gowns, and everybody would have had hats, gloves, ruffs (an elaborate collar), gloves, stockings, and shoes equally elaborate.

What color represents the Montagues? ›

Montague colors are red and green; Capulet colors are blue and yellow.

What is the original aloha shirt? ›

The aloha shirt (Hawaiian: palaka aloha), also referred to as a Hawaiian shirt, is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. They are collared and buttoned dress shirts, usually short-sleeved and made from printed fabric. They are traditionally worn untucked, but can be worn tucked into the waist of trousers.

Why do Capulets wear red? ›

The Capulets wore bright colors because they were “new money.” They are the Kardashians in a bright pink hummer. The Montagues wore dark hues because they were “old money.” They had nothing to prove and were not out partying away their livelihood.

What does Juliet's costume mean? ›

Juliet's costume choice is a huge departure from the Capulets' usual black garments, and a direct opposite to Tybalt himself at the party—since he dresses up as the devil. Once again, the clear message here is that this girl is an entity completely separate from her family.

What kind of hand apparel does Romeo wish he was? ›

He continues to speak of Juliet's beauty, and when Juliet rests her head in her hands, Romeo says that he wishes he could be the glove on Juliet's hand so that he could caress her cheek.

What is the most important symbol in Romeo and Juliet? ›

Poison, both sleep inducing and lethal, is the instrument of Romeo and Juliet's deaths. (Technically Juliet stabbed herself, but that never would have happened if not for the sleeping potion.) While poison has a literal purpose in the play, it's also a symbol. The poison symbolizes the Capulet and Montague feud.

Why is Tybalt dressed as the devil? ›

He is calculating, vengeful, never by himself, has his followers. Imagery of his costume at the ball is a foreshadowing of death. Lucifer-like - dualism within the Capulet house; angels and demons. (Use of religious background knowledge is useful and adds weight to your perspective).

Who made the outfits for Romeo and Juliet? ›

Costume design for Romeo and Juliet - Rolf Gerard — Google Arts & Culture.

What is the disorder of Romeo and Juliet? ›

The pox — or plague — that Shakespeare was threatening in his dialogue was the venereal disease syphilis, a disgusting and deadly ailment that spread rapidly throughout the Elizabethan population.

What gender is Romeo? ›

Masculine Throughout the play, Romeo's character develops as he transforms from a Petrarchan lover to someone who allows “​rage to guide (his) actions” ​after his ​“friend” ​Mercutio is killed by the Capulet Tybalt. ➔ Here it is murder and revenge (both masculine acts) which has caused Romeo to refind his masculinity.

Why is Romeo 16 and Juliet 13? ›

Shakespeare might also have reduced Juliet's age from 16 to 13 to demonstrate the dangers of marriage at too young an age; that Shakespeare himself married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 might hold some significance.

What colors represent Juliet? ›

Juliet Capulet has both the colors gold and blue to represent her logical personality. Juliet values rules, makes and keeps commitments, and often makes decisions based on her feelings.

What animal represents Romeo in Romeo and Juliet? ›

One of the oddest of couples is looking for a new home, and their health depends on it. Romeo the cat and Juliet the dog are what animal experts call a "bonded pair," meaning one of them cannot live without the other.

What colors are symbolic in Romeo and Juliet? ›

the main characters in the film also portray a certain color, Juliet is the light (good girl) and Romeo is the dark (bad boy). When Romeo and Juliet were separated by the big blue fish tank; the deep blue water (represents peace& harmony), soft pastel pink (represents love). These colors create a romantic effect.

What are the masks in Romeo and Juliet? ›

A typical social outing for the upper class youths of Verona would be a masked ball where the women hold small black masks in front of their eyes to disguise their identities while flirting with the men.

What did Romeo carry with him? ›

Romeo, carrying a crowbar, enters with Balthasar. He tells Balthasar that he has come to open the Capulet tomb in order to take back a valuable ring he had given to Juliet.

What does Romeo hide? ›

The Balcony Scene

At the start of this scene, Romeo hides beneath Juliet's balcony and overhears her talking about him. He eventually comes out and they talk to each other. They declare their love for each other and arrange to meet the next day when Romeo has promised to marry Juliet.

What object does Romeo swear his love by? ›

Scene 3 – Friar Lawrence's Cell

Friar Lawrence objected to Romeo's love for Rosaline because he did not believe it was true love. He states that he objected “for doting, not for loving” (87) which suggests he thought Romeo was infatuated or obsessed with Rosaline, not in love with her.

What are the flowers in Romeo and Juliet? ›

Throughout The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet; flowers and buds represent different aspects of life and death. Shakespeare uses a bud to represent youth and the beginning of life. Since buds are the beginning of a flower before it blooms, it represents a young person before they have fully developed into an adult.

What symbol of her love does Juliet send Romeo? ›

Juliet gives the Nurse a ring to give to Romeo as a token of her love.

What costumes did Shakespeare use in his plays? ›

Men and boys played all the female parts. As with the men, women's costumes were usually ordinary clothes that reflected the social status of the character the actor was playing. They also wore wigs which, by their colour and styles, showed the age and status of their character.

What are the boys wearing to the party Romeo and Juliet? ›

After the film's dramatic introduction, the first characters we meet are the Montague boys—all of whom are wearing their usual brightly colored Hawaiian shirts as they drive in Benvolio's bright-yellow convertible, yelling at anyone who'll listen.

What are the 4 types of costumes worn by theater actors? ›

Four types of costumes are used in theatrical design: historical, fantastical, dance, and modern.

What are costumes in a play? ›

Costume is the clothes worn by actors in a play or film/movie or worn by somebody to make them look like something else. Costumes are special kind of clothing's worn by actors on stage in order to aid dramatic actions and interpretations.

Why does Shakespeare use disguise in his plays? ›

Disguise is the device that allows Shakespeare to complicate and multilayer his comedies, making them deeper and more interesting before delivering the surprising solutions of the endings.

What colors are Romeo and Juliet? ›

Each piece of gampi holds one hand-transcribed line of Romeo and Juliet. The play is color-coded by ink according to the “houses” –Montagues are blue-violet, Capulets are red-violet, Prince & his friends are cyan, Friar Laurence is Prussian blue, stage directions are black.

What colors are associated with Romeo and Juliet? ›

These common associations used with gold and silver, portray something different in literature. Similarly, in his play, Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare uses the archetypal colors of silver and gold to develop Romeo's maturing characterization.

How old is Romeo in Romeo and Juliet? ›

However, in the English poem the story is based on (Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke) Juliet is approaching her sixteenth birthday and Romeo is the same age whereas in the Bandello novella she is nearly eighteen with Romeo about twenty.

What was Mercutio dressed up as? ›

Mercutio, the drag queen is “crowned” with a woman's white wig and “robed” in a white outfit, while in the real world outside of Bacchanalian excess he is a black man who belongs neither to the Hispanic house of Capulet nor to the Caucasian house of Montague—an outsider were it not for his friendship with Romeo—be it ...

What objects represent Romeo and Juliet? ›

Shakespeare weaves floral symbolism throughout the play; Romeo, the object of Juliet's affection, is considered a “rose” -- a specific flower that symbolizes beauty and love, while Juliet's other suitor -- the affable Paris, is considered just a “flower in faith” -- pretty, but not special in any way.

What drug does Mercutio give Romeo? ›

Romeo agrees on hearing that Rosaline, with whom he is madly in love, is attending. They meet their friend, Mercutio, who has tickets to the party, and Romeo takes ecstasy as they proceed to the Capulet mansion. The effects of the drug and the party overwhelm Romeo, who goes to the restroom.

What does Friar wear in Romeo and Juliet? ›

He wore a plain robe or ankle length tunic with long sleeves a rope belt and it would be black or grey he would likely wear a wooden cross and possibly carry a rosary.

What does Benvolio wear? ›

Romeo's friends are Benvolio and Mercutio. Benvolio dresses in a green doublet with thin strips of yellow, green tights and matching boots. He has neatly trimmed hair and dances in an energetic yet clipped style.

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