19 Feminist Costume Ideas For Badass Little Girls

    ♫ Rebel girl you are the queen of my world.♫

    by
    Morgan Shanahan
    by Morgan Shanahan

    BuzzFeed Staff

    ,
    Macey J Foronda
    by Macey J Foronda

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    We put together these costumes to highlight and celebrate the lives of these inspiring women, some of whom made incredible sacrifices.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Clara Barton served as a Union nurse in the Civil War before founding the American Red Cross, becoming an avid women's rights advocate, and working closely with Frederick Douglass in the fight for civil rights.

    What you'll need: Long dark layers, garnished with lace, and as many ruffles as you can muster. Don't forget the humanitarian's signature center part.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: She's Oprah. She's got her own TV network, her own magazine, and her own army.


    What you'll need:     It turns out a blazer from mom's closet belted around the middle makes for a snazzy looking business suit. A pair of ugg boots (Oprah's favorite!) complete the look.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Brilliant, tortured, and unapologetic, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo stormed both the art world and life in general.


    What you'll need:     Frida kept it fresh with brightly colored flowers in her hair, and unmistakeable brows. She was also fond of floral dresses and flowing scarves.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have become the ultimate in #BFFGoals. These women not only have each other's back, Fey holds the distinction of being Saturday Night Live's first female Head Writer, while her bestie went on to found the empowering organization Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.

    What you'll need: Recreate one of the pair's most memorably hilarious moments hosting the Golden Globes, or bust out the suit jackets and throw it back to Weekend Update.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: A legendary warrior who risked her life by posing as a man to fight for her country, Hua Mulan has spawned her own Disney Princess and at least two action-packed biopics.

    What you'll need: Mulan was a woman of many layers -- go for full warrior gear if you've got it, or follow our lead and cut a neck hole in a yard of jersey fabric for a warm and cozy casual Mulan. Pair with an impressive belt and sword.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Together, Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes founded Ms. Magazine and played a huge role in feminism's second wave. Separately, both are accomplished advocates: Pitman Hughes is a pioneer in creating affordable child-care solutions for working moms while Steinem has spent the past six decades as a prolific writer and activist.

    What you'll need: Solid turtlenecks and raised fists in a show of solidarity.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: When Susan B. Anthony took to the polls in 1872, it was still illegal for women to vote in the United States. Today, thanks to her tireless fight for women's suffrage, her face appears on her very own piece of U.S. currency.

    What you'll need: To pay homage to one of our greatest suffragettes, cut out a circle from silver poster board to serve as your "coin" and paint as much of your kiddo's face silver as you can bear. A low bun and a lace collar (you can DIY your own from a scrap of trim) will make this costume truly mint.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: In 1962 Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez, just one incredible milestone in a life filled with advocacy for worker's, women's, and immigrant's rights.

    What you'll need: Always hard at work, Huerta's image was captured and iconified during the 1965 Grape Strikes in Delano, CA as she held up a HUELGA sign (Spanish for strike) in her white sweatshirt and black pants.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: The Presidential Candidate and former Secretary of State said it best when she recently declared "I think being the first female president would be quite a change." Bonus points to HRC for dropping the shadiest "no" ever spoken on national television.

    What you'll need: Nobody rocks a pant-suit like Hillary. We borrowed ours from the boy next door and dressed it up with debate-ready baubles. Add red lipstick for a little extra ferocity. (This look works for Condoleezza Rice fans too.)

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Malala was fighting for her right to an education and writing an anonymous blog for the BBC when the Taliban attempted to assassinate her on her way home from school. The Pakistani teen not only recovered, but has become a vocal advocate for girls everywhere, as well as the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history.

    What you'll need: As a dedicated Muslim, Malala is never seen in public without her hijab. Add a book or a small Nobel Prize to bring the homage home.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: The original Riot Grrrl, Bikini Kill front woman Kathleen Hanna’s music has been hugely influential on female-fronted bands like Pussy Riot as well as young female writers like Tavi Gevinson.

    What you'll need: Jeans with a sleeveless t-shirt or 60s sweater are comfortable and reminiscent of Hanna's signature style. Toss in a pair of tiger ears and a tail for a punny spin on the singer's late 90s band Le Tigre.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom as a young woman and became a prominent abolitionist, using the Underground Railroad to help guide many of her friends and family members to freedom.

    What you'll need: One of mom's shawls and a headscarf help carry off Tubman's unmistakeable look.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Cleopatra was named monarch of Egypt at just 18-years-old, and her diplomacy is the stuff of legend. She also has the distinction of being the last Pharoah of Egypt, which became a province of the Roman Empire after her death.

    What you'll need: We used two yards of white jersey and all the gold jewelry we had to capture the Queen's royal air.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Yayoi Kusama made a splash on the New York art scene in the late 1950s with her avant-garde, minimalist, and feminist works, which went on to influence the likes of Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg.

    What you'll need: Red and white polka dots and a blunt red wig will invoke Kusama's psychedelic style in a heartbeat.

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Along with Elena Kagan, these ladies make up the female component of the U.S. Supreme Court. And boy, can they write a dissent.

    What you'll need: Black robes and lace collars, baby. (Reminder, the craft store scrap bin is a great place for lace embellishments.)

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Add a crown to meme-ify your justice costume. (We couldn't resist.)

    Macey Foronda / Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Feminist cred: Rosie the Riveter isn’t just one woman — she represents many “Rosies” who took on aircraft construction and other wartime duties in the United States during WWII, redefining “women’s work” forever. Today, Rosie’s iconic image has come to symbolize economic empowerment for women.

    What you’ll need: Got red lipstick and a bandana? Then you’ve got a kick-ass feminist costume.

    Extra special thanks to the next generation of great feminists: Annie, Danicka, Delilah, Elsa Rose, Juju, and Nora.