They might only be four inches tall, but Sonny Angel dolls have left a big impression on Gen-Z, so much so that many of us want to become one for Halloween.
Nobody quite knows when or how, but somewhere down in recent history, these tiny dolls captured the hearts of young people around the world, becoming one of the most sought-after non-fashion, non-food items for Gen Z and Zillennials — and it's thanks to something most of us can relate to: existential dread. "Societal collapse is in the air," said Gen-Z darling Timothée Chalamet once. It was that mere idea that inspired Japanese toy manufacturer Toru Soeya when designing the Sonny Angels. Originally created as a companion for stressed-out young working women, it is no wonder droves of them have flocked to these figurines as a form of escape, joy, and now also a potential holiday ensemble.
That brings us here: Do you want to be a Sonny Angel for Halloween? So did I, and that's why I've prepared everything you need to nail the Sonny Angel costume in advance. In my quest to become the perfect naked baby for Halloween, I tried to find the Sonny Angel Official Costume from the beloved an.mé shop in New York City. However, tragedy struck when, within two days of stocking the costumes, the rabbit ears I had my eye on had already sold out at the East Village location. (The costume also comes in a fawn and mouse option, in case you are wondering.)
After a trek to the West Village an.mé, I got my hands on my beloved official Sonny Angel rabbit costume and, okay, we have the headband; what about about the nakedness of it all? To achieve the naked baby look, I wore SKIMS's Fits Everyone Triangle Bralette in Ochre and Uniqlo's AIRism Soft Pocket Biker Shorts in 30 Natural (which, spoiler alert, did not look natural on me, but I trust you'll color match better than I did!). The wings I got to round off the look are soft and adjustable, which helped me nail the high placement on my back.
Makeup-wise, to mimic the rosy look of a Sonny Angel, I used a mix of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand in Pinkgasm and VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Blush in Inés (which is inspired by her daughter's flushed literal baby cheeks), and voilá! Je suis baby — almost literally.
All in all, the Sonny Angel Halloween costume is quite simple, but if you need extra help with the steps and product suggestions if the official costume is not up for grabs, we've got you covered. Here's a quick and dirty guide:
Step 1: Pick which Sonny Angel you’ll be — i.e. pick an animal, fruit, or vegetable headpiece.
The beautiful thing about Sonny Angels is that they are as varied as life itself, with multiple collections to choose from as inspiration. One of the most popular options is, of course, fruits. Etsy creator AyamisFunnyFunnyHats is plentiful on the product list below due to their amazing ability to make homemade fruit and vegetable hats that almost perfectly replicate its Sonny Angel counterpart.
The Flower Series is one of my personal favorite Sonny Angel collections, especially the sunflower that looks like a hat, which, lo and behold, is also on Etsy. (The felted bucket hat listed below is arguably even better than the original with its bumble bee detail.)
The Sonny Angel sprout is a secret pull that is somehow even cuter than any other Harvest Series pull. Currently being sold on Mercari for $175, he is also more expensive. For the girls that get it, the Sprout Sonny Angel costume is the niche-est of the niche. If fruits are not your cup of tea, why not be a cute elephant? Or simply go for a classic retro swim cap? The latter bring the '70s rage and color back into the picture. A great option if doing your hair doesn’t feel like one. The variety of colorways also makes this an interesting pick.
Step 2: Be nude — or, kind of.
Never before have there been more nude options for everyone when it comes to underwear and shapewear. Go skimpy with a bralette and shorts or more full coverage with a body suit. Make sure to pick a nude that truly matches your own skin to really look like a naked baby Sonny Angel.
SKIMS will be a purchase you keep forever and a place where you can actually, in good faith, find a nude that matches you, but there are also more full-coverage nude options if you don’t want to freeze your butt off Halloween night or want a more modest look on Amazon. If you are still struggling to find a nude that matches, LeShopdeDominique on Etsy has a wide array of leggings, shorts, and sports bras.
Step 3: Add wings!
The wings fully round off the Sonny Angel costume. If you can find a fluffy pair like these ones from Amazon, they'll be more similar to the texture of the official costume: soft, pillowy, and baby!
