I have become a big fan of the show The Good Place, so it was natural for me to want to cosplay as the character Janet. For uninitiated Janet is “not a girl” and “not a robot”, but is the foundational mainframe for the neighborhood. She contains all the knowledge in the universe and can answer almost any question and make almost anything appear upon request. Janet even has a “ride or die protocol” she can engage if the need arises.
Janet’s outfit was inspired by flight attendant uniforms. It consists of a purple skirt and vest combo and a cloud print blouse with a jabot. My goal was to get as close as possible without breaking the bank. I try to spend as little as possible, while still capturing the character. That and I wanted it to be finished for this year’s New York Comic Con.
I got lucky on the skirt and vest. I found a purple skirt and vest set on eBay for less than seventeen dollars. It wasn’t exact, but it was close enough. I thought about removing the belt, but kept it in the end. Janet’s vest is more tailored than mine so it helped define a waist.
The blouse was the hardest part. At first I bought a white tie-front blouse with the intention of painting on the clouds. Unfortunately, my tests were not up to my standards. I had to go all in and sew it from scratch. Mood Fabrics had the Janet print fabric and a free download of a tie-front blouse that they suggested as a good Janet cosplay option.
This was my biggest cosplay challenge to date. Printing out a sewing pattern at home requires it to be pieced together like a puzzle before even starting on the fabric. Also, I have very little sewing machine experience. My mom helped me a huge amount with the sewing. I didn’t actually quite finish, I ran out of time and energy and the blouse ended up being held closed with pins, not a big deal because the vest covered them.
Janet’s hair and makeup is pretty simple. The hair has loose waves and a side part. The makeup has pink lips, rosy cheeks, and I did purple eyeshadow.
Janet wears light blue heels but I went for purple flats that I already owned (no added expense and flats are more comfortable). Small pearl studs are the only other accessory. I also knitted a cactus purse for my phone and wallet. In one episode Janet was malfunctioning and kept producing cacti no matter what she was asked for, so they’re popular among fans
I can’t begin to explain how much I enjoyed cosplaying as Janet. So many people were happy to see me. I went around with a Janet-like smile all day. If you’re thinking about trying a Janet cosplay, do it, it’s totally worth it. Hey, and if you don’t like being perky, there’s always Bad Janet.
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