What’s in Alice’s closet: The Twilight cafeteria scene

It’s time, it’s time, it’s time – to finally show you what’s in my closet!

Despite being an Alice Cullen cosplayer, one thing I’ve suffered from over the years – which has truly kept me from showing off, outfit by outfit, what my own collection looks like – is a lack of good photography. I’ll be honest with you: I’m a words-first type of gal. I can write a pretty story, but I can’t sew a garment, snap a nice photo, or craft an accessory to save my life.

In that way, I’m a little – well, a lot – limited as a cosplayer. My looks tend to be pieced together through what I can buy or commission from other, more skilled costumers. As a result, I’ve avoided showcasing my collection because I couldn’t figure out the best way to present it. I don’t have a mannequin to put pieces on, and my photography skills aren’t up to par enough to create a compelling, aesthetic flat lay. Somehow, even my cosplay photos didn’t seem quite right.  

But in the last few years, something has changed: the quality of cosplay editing and photography we’ve created for my cosplay group, the Olympic Coven. Thanks to talented photographers like Elle Yoon, Dakota LeBeau, Noelle Uranga, Smanantha Trainque, and Krauzer – to say nothing of Just Bella Swan’s stellar editing skills – I finally feel like I have a great collection of photos to share with you all.

Disclaimer: These posts are for educational purposes, directed at those who are looking to build a screen accurate Alice Cullen wardrobe. However, not everything you’ll see in these posts will be screen accurate, because we simply don’t know all the brands Alice wore – especially in Twilight. In those instances, I’ll note when I’m wearing either fan-recreated replicas or alternate pieces I’ve sourced myself.

Mixing screen accurate pieces with alternates is a great way to create a more accessible and affordable character wardrobe, so don’t worry if your outfits aren’t screen accurate down to the socks the character wore. It’s your opportunity to put your own spin on a look!

Without further ado – let’s kick this thing off with the very first outfit we see Alice in.

Twilight: The Cafeteria Scene

Sweater: The first time we see Alice, she’s wearing the Knitted and Knotted Limehouse Sweater Coat, which originally retailed at Anthropologie for $198. This short-sleeved over coat is heavy, a creamy white, and rich with tiny, knitted details. It buttons across the chest, but Alice wears hers open, revealing layered pieces beneath. It’s the most recognizable piece in this outfit, so if you’re going to spring for a screen accurate piece, this might be it. However, you can easily create the same effect with a long, short-sleeved white sweater with intricate patterning.

Blouse: Like much of what Alice wears, this pintuck white blouse was by Joie. After eluding collectors for more than a decade, it was finally spotted by @thetwilightcloset. This is an extremely rare piece, and it’s easy to see why: those who have been lucky enough to find one report that it’s very delicate, often sporting holes and tears when purchased second hand. It’s possible that not many of these blouses have survived a regular cycle of “wash and wears” over the years, which is why we don’t really see them for sale!

As you can see in the above photos, I’ve never been able to find one – so I’m wearing a decent alt from Banana Republic instead. When purchasing alts, what you want to do is find pieces that capture the most important details of the screen accurate piece. I chose the Banana Republic blouse because it had a ruffled collar and tuxedo pleating across the chest – just like the Joie top. But it’s missing other details, like the ruffled hem, so I’m always on the lookout for a better alternative!

Vest: Alice layered her Joie top with the H&M slate gray seven-button waistcoat, which can be found on re-selling sites like eBay to this day. But be warned: there’s a black version of this waistcoat as well, so pay attention to the photos in any listings you find, as photos of the gray version may look black in low lighting. And don’t forget to count the buttons! H&M has sold similar vests, but this one has seven buttons down the front, which is how you’ll know you’ve found the right one.

Pants: Alice wears The Angel bootcut jeans in grey wash denim by AG, but really, any grey or light silver bootcut jeans will do. If you’re looking specifically for The Angel style, they do come in darker gray colors, so it can be confusing to figure out which is the screen accurate version. You’ll want to look specifically for a light grey wash that looks almost silver when searching on re-selling sites.

In these photos, I’m wearing a dark gray pair because the screen accurate version I purchased was accidentally shipped to someone else. Eek! I’m sure I’ll find another one eventually!

Shoes: A lover of flats, Alice wears the Cruz Pewter Flats by Sam Edelman in the cafeteria scene – and several more times throughout Twilight! You can also see them paired with Alice’s notable “meet the Cullens” outfit in a promotional still, although in the actual movie, she wears simpler silver ballet flats in that scene. 

As the name suggests, they’re made of pewter-colored leather and sport a crackle finish. They also feature the Sam Edelman initials fashioned out of black and silver rhinestones. When they were first released, they retailed for $118.

I was lucky enough to find these flats in my size years ago, but they were quite rare even when Twilight first hit theaters. If you can’t find them, any silver ballet flat will work – I promise.

Jewelry: This is where you can get extra creative, as we’ve only ever been able to identify two pieces of Alice’s jewelry in this scene:

• The blue lace agate ring she wears throughout Twilight, which was identified in a joint effort between me and @thetwilightcloset. It’s by Lucky Brand and was offered in one size: a size seven. You can still find it on re-selling sites, but it’s getting rare! As an interesting aside, Alice wears this piece on her right ring finger, though which hand and finger you place it on is ultimately up to personal preference or the size of your fingers.
• Alice wears an unassuming wedding band – which was originally sold at high-end retailers like Nordstrom – throughout the series. In fact, apart from her choker, it’s probably her most consistently worn accessory. Made of sterling silver and cubic zirconia, this dainty little ring, featuring a black heart in its center, is reflective of Alice and Jasper’s relationship: built to last without being flashy. We got a better look at this ring – and confirmation that it is, indeed, a wedding band! – thanks to the Twilight Saga Prop Auction.

As you can see in this promotional still from Twilight, Alice is wearing three more pieces of jewelry:

• A pair of dangling silver chain earrings, each featuring a faceted black onyx bead
• A multi-strand bracelet made of white beads in varying shapes, sizes, and shades
• A turquoise bracelet featuring several oval turquoise pieces set in what appears to be tarnished silver

It’s possible that Catherine Hardwick and Wendy Chuck, the original director and costume designer for Twilight, sourced these pieces from small, local shops in the Oregon area, which is why we’ve never been able to find them. But this also gives you a great chance to either find, commission, or make your own alternative pieces, which can be just as fun!

My jewelry was made by a now-defunct jeweler called Bella Bejeweled, which still lists their version of Alice’s white beaded bracelet for sale, though you can’t actually buy it anymore. I’ve included images of what they made for me above – as well as a great alternative to Alice’s turquoise bracelet, which was also made by Lucky Brand.

I hope you’ve found this deep dive into Alice’s cafeteria outfit – the first of many deep dives! – helpful. As for me… well, let’s just say I was able to wear this outfit during a very pivotal moment in time.

See you next time, Twilight fans!

xoxo,
Vee as Alice