Aunt Gladys is the sweet-looking, secretly terrifying witch from Weapons, played by Amy Madigan in an Oscar-winning performance. Her look is a wig, a pair of huge glasses and a loud tracksuit, which makes her one of the easiest costumes to recognize instantly and one of the cheapest to put together.
How to Make Aunt Gladys Costume
Purple Retro TracksuitWig, Glasses, Necklace and Bell SetVintage Floral Clutch PursePurple Zip Track JacketPurple Track Pants with White StripesRed Fabric TapeCopper-Red Curly Bob WigGiant Pink Square GlassesChunky Pink Bead NecklaceSmall Brass Hand BellSaveTap any item in the photo to shop itClick any item in the photo to shop it
| # | Item | Description | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purple Retro Tracksuit | A purple tracksuit jacket and pants with white and red color-blocking, built to match Gladys's retro sportswear. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 2 | Wig, Glasses, Necklace and Bell Set | A 4-piece set with a curly copper-red wig, giant glasses, a chunky bead necklace and a small hand bell in one purchase. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 3 | Vintage Floral Clutch Purse | Gladys carries an old, flowered handbag stuffed with her spell-casting tools. Any busy floral clutch works. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 4 | Purple Zip Track Jacket | A royal-purple zip-up jacket with a white side panel, the same retro colour-blocking as the film tracksuit. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 5 | Purple Track Pants with White Stripes | Wide-leg purple pants with white side stripes. Together with the jacket they make a purple, white and red tracksuit once you add the red tape below. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 6 | Red Fabric Tape | Stick or sew strips of red tape along the jacket sleeves and down the pants to add the red trim. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 7 | Copper-Red Curly Bob Wig | A short, curly copper wig with bangs. Trim the bangs short and a little crooked, and wear it high on the forehead. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 8 | Giant Pink Square Glasses | Thick, oversized pink square frames. Pop the lenses out if they are tinted. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 9 | Chunky Pink Bead Necklace | Big, glossy pink beads on a short chain, worn over the jacket. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 10 | Small Brass Hand Bell | A handheld brass bell to ring when you want to be obeyed. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
Items 1 to 3 are the quick route: the tracksuit and a ready-made wig set. Items 4 to 10 let you build the same look from separate pieces (swap them in for items 1 and 2) for a better fit. They are close matches, not copies: the jacket's white panel stands in for the film's white-and-red trim, and the wig is wavier than a dedicated one. If you want a better wig on its own, look for a dedicated copper-red wig: copper-red, curly, with sculpted, blunt-cut bangs worn high on the forehead.
Getting the details right
- The wig sits high. The film's hair and makeup team said to wear the wig "higher than you think you need to," exposing the forehead, and to make the bangs a little short and crooked.
- Draw a wonky eyebrow. Gladys's eyebrows are drawn on slightly uneven, and her lipstick is a thick, smeared slash of red. Both make the look read as unsettling rather than just eccentric.
- Carry the bell. Ring it once in a while, the way Gladys uses hers to summon and command.
- The vibe is Boca Raton retiree, not classic witch. Director Zach Cregger described the inspiration as Cindy Sherman, Twin Peaks and Florida retirees, so lean into loud, campy 90s style rather than robes or a pointed hat.
Aunt Gladys costume ideas to go with it
- A group of "weapons": since the film's title refers to the children Gladys controls, a group can dress as sleepwalking kids in pajamas following behind her.
- A Halloween icon duo: pair her with another recent horror breakout for a two-person "new classics" costume.
About Aunt Gladys
Aunt Gladys is the main antagonist of Weapons (2025), a horror film written, directed and produced by Zach Cregger. She's introduced as a frail, elderly relative who comes to stay with the Lilly family in Maybrook, Pennsylvania, claiming to be helping care for her sick nephew's parents. She's really a witch who bewitches the household and uses a boy named Alex to summon and control seventeen of his classmates.
Amy Madigan's performance won the Academy Award and the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress. Weapons was released on August 8, 2025, and grossed $270 million against a $38 million budget. A prequel following Gladys, titled Gladys, is scheduled for 2028.
