How To Dress Like Carole Baskin From ‘Tiger King’ On Halloween For Less Than $40

With just these two pieces, you can instantly transform into Carole Baskin — AKA, Joe Exotic’s rival in the hit Netflix docuseries ‘Tiger King.’ We’ve also suggested optional add-on pieces if you’re going all out this Halloween!

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If you want to pay tribute to the Netflix gem Tiger King this Halloween, you’re in luck. It’s surprisingly easy to dress up as Joe Exotic’s nemesis, Carole Baskin! We’ve found two essential pieces to assemble your own DIY Carole Baskin Halloween costume to transform into the free-spirited, Big Cat Rescue founder. (BTW — we also found all the threads you’ll need to make a Joe Exotic Halloween costume, if you’re thinking of a couple’s costume!) Even better, they’re all from Amazon, so they’ll arrive by the end of October. You’ll be emailing people “Hey all you cool cats and kittens” in no time.

Given how popular Tiger King turned out to be, we especially want to help your DIY Carole Baskin costume stand out. Every piece was carefully picked to match the photo above! We just advise you to check out your shopping cart ASAP to ensure everything arrives by Oct. 31st.

1. The Tie-Dye Shirt

This is, arguably, the most important piece for your Carole Baskin ensemble. At the beginning of the docuseries, viewers are introduced to Carole as she gives a tour of her Big Cat Rescue sanctuary. For the iconic scene, she wears a shirt that can’t be described as anything but one-of-a-kind with its mix of floral and cheetah prints. And yet, we’ve managed to find an exact replica on Amazon! $27, amazon.com

2. The Flower Crown

Of course, you’ll have to wear Ms. Baskin’s favorite accessory: the flower crown. While she rocks a variety of flower crowns in her wardrobe, the one pictured above is intertwined with dainty pink roses. Amazon saves the day yet again with a near-exact replica of that flower crown! This piece from Floral Fall is made from polyester leaves and flowers, and the flowers themselves are three centimeters in diameter (so, nothing too overwhelming on your forehead). The crown overall is about 7.87″ in diameter, and — best of all — is handmade! $8, amazon.com

Optional Add-Ons

Listed above are the essentials you need for a standard DIY Carole Baskin costume. But if you have a few more bucks to spare, we have even more suggestions to transform into an extra convincing doppelgänger of the big cat activist! Here they are below:

A Furry Friend

To go the extra mile, carry around a stuffed lion! This plushie from the Wild Republic Store even lets out a ferocious roar (well, as ferocious as a stuffed toy can sound). The roar came from a real lion, too, which the Cornell Lab recorded! As an added bonus, the fill inside this toy is made from recycled water bottles. This toy’s company, overall, is committed to eco-friendly production processes that involve using “reusable packaging, phthalate-free non-toxic materials, and sustainable resources,” according to its website.

Think about it: Tiger King was one of the biggest cultural phenomenas of 2020, so there’ll be a good amount of Carole Baskin Halloween costumes out there this year. So, you’ll definitely stand out with your own miniature lion amid a sea of flower crown-wearing Netflix enthusiasts. As an added bonus, this little lion is only 8 x 4 x 6 inches — so you’ll still be able to balance that apple cider drink in the other hand. $10, amazon.com

Blue Flare Jeans

Carole’s style is best described as bohemian. In the photo of the Netflix star above, she is wearing wide-legged, blue jeans — comfortable enough to stroll around a wild animal sanctuary in, yet still fashionable for the cameras. So, we found this pair of high-rise flared jeans that fit both of those criteria! $39, amazon.com

Berry Lip Stain

Carole is wearing a berry-colored lip stain in the photo above, which perfectly fits her down-to-Earth vibes. If you want to channel the same energy, we suggest going with HAN’s cheek and lip tint in the shade “Rose Berry.” We could imagine Carole approving of this cheek and lip tint, too, since it’s animal cruelty-free and also doesn’t have GMOs or parabens. Instead, HAN makes its cheek and lip tints with plant and mineral-based pigments — no “harmful synthetic chemicals” here, according to its Amazon page. It’s also made of ingredients like organic argan oil, organic shea butter, coconut and Vitamin E, creating a soothing effect for both your face and lips! $16, amazon.com 

Colorful Earrings

Long, beaded rainbow earrings hang from Carole’s ears in her photo above. As a final touch to your DIY Halloween costume, we found these beaded tassel earrings featuring the prettiest array of colors! $10, amazon.com