American Girl Samantha Parkington Costume for Women

Samantha Parkington is the early 1900s Victorian doll that exudes wealth and fanciful style. Over the years, it’s been hard to find Victorian-inspired wear AND with the signature print she famously wears in the original Meet Samantha book. (Is it red and black? Purple? Gingham? Check? Reasonable minds differ.)

Now, I have finally found a good variety of ideas to share with you for your own Samantha American Girl costume. My goal is to give you costume ideas that are cheap and easy to pull together and also to select items that can sometimes be worn outside the context of a costume, so you get bang for your buck. That’s exactly what you’ll find in this Samantha Parkington Halloween costume!

Victorian Dress

Samantha Parkington’s dress is the most iconic piece in this costume, yet has always been the hardest to source. While this aubergine plaid dress isn’t the exact print, I think it’s close to it, while also having a silhouette that’s fairly similar to Samantha’s. As mentioned, that truly Victorian look is REALLY hard to find. So, when I saw this dress, I thought, “That’s it!”

Alternative Options

Burgundy Satin Sash

Samatha wears a burgundy satin belt with a gold buckle around her waist. This burgundy satin sash doesn’t have the buckle, but it definitely has the look, and it’s an easy one-size-fits-all option you can tie however you wish.

alternative options

If you want a belt that’s more on-point, then I HIGHLY suggest you check Etsy for searches like burgundy satin belt and even burgundy velvet belt. Some styles are extremely similar there from my research. I only chose not to link specific ones here because they can be custom or vintage finds that sell out.

Brown Hair Wig

Of course, Samantha not only has exquisite style but also perfect hair. Sigh. If you don’t have long, full, wavy brown locks like hers, this wig fits the bill (and the bun is detachable).

Burgundy Velvet Wide-Brim Hat

I may not be describing Samantha’s hat with the proper terminology, but I see it as a burgundy velvet wide-brimmed hat with ribbons, and this Victorian-style hat felt the most similar to me overall.

Alternative Options

Bow and Heart Brooch

This gold and pearl bow brooch is so pretty and looks Victorian too, as long as you don’t mind that it doesn’t have a dangling heart.

Alternative Options

Etsy actually has an amazing array of VERY similar gold bow and heart brooches. Again, I only chose not to link any specific options because many are vintage finds that can sell out and the options can change. But, I DEFINITELY recommend you take a look because they were so spot on when I did my research. I was squealing!

Pink Velvet Coin Purse

It simply doesn’t get better than this pink velvet Victorian coin purse, period. It just screams, “Samantha Parkington!”

Black Tights

In case you don’t have black tights already, I am linking these Hue opaque tights with a control top, as they are generally the ones I purchase myself.

Black Victorian Booties

For Samantha’s shoes, you can definitely wear black Mary Jane’s, but when I think of Samantha and Victorian style, I think of black Victorian booties. Specifically, I picture flat shoes that button up. The problem? The only ones I found were $300, which is just too much money for a costume, if you ask me!

Instead, these black lace up Victorian booties have a similar look and can work for other costumes as well.

Meet Samantha Book

Last but not least, I always love to recommend that you carry the book with your literary costume so it’s abundantly clear who you are dressed as. So, grab a copy of Meet Samantha if you need it!