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Dexter Morgan Costume Guide (Dexter)

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Dexter Morgan Costume

Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall in Showtime's Dexter, has two outfits people recognise. The first is his "kill outfit": a fitted olive or khaki long-sleeved henley, cargo pants, black gloves and, in the kill room, a plastic apron. The second is his daytime look as a blood-spatter analyst for Miami Metro: short-sleeved patterned button-up shirts and slacks.

The kill outfit is the one people expect at Halloween. Small details sell it: a few blood splatters, a roll of plastic wrap, or a wooden box of blood slides.

At a glance

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Rough budget: $50–$100
  • Best for: Halloween; works solo
  • What people recognise first: Olive henley + gloves + blood slides

What you need

  • Olive long-sleeve henley — Fitted, not baggy. This is the core of the kill outfit.
  • Cargo pants — Khaki or dark green, practical and plain.
  • Black apron — For the kill-room version. A shiny plastic or rubber apron looks closest.
  • Black gloves — Thin black gloves, worn snug.
  • Fake blood — A light spatter only; Dexter is meticulous and never messy.

How to put it together

Kill outfit

  1. Put on the henley, buttoned partway, and the cargo pants.
  2. Add the gloves and the apron.
  3. Flick a small amount of fake blood across the apron; keep the shirt mostly clean.

Props

  1. Make a blood-slide box from a small wooden box and glass microscope slides, each with a drop of red nail polish.
  2. Carry a roll of plastic wrap. Skip realistic knives; most events ban them, and the slides are more recognisable anyway.

Daytime Miami version

  1. Wear a short-sleeved patterned button-up shirt, slacks and a lanyard ID badge reading "Miami Metro Police Department".

About the character

Dexter ran on Showtime from 2006 to 2013, based on Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Dexter Morgan is a forensic blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who is secretly a serial killer, targeting other killers according to a code taught to him by his adoptive father, Harry.

Michael C. Hall returned for the limited series Dexter: New Blood (2021). A prequel, Dexter: Original Sin (2024), stars Patrick Gibson as young Dexter, with Hall narrating, and Hall returned again in Dexter: Resurrection (2025).

Frequently asked questions

What does Dexter wear when he kills?

A fitted olive or khaki long-sleeved henley, cargo pants and black gloves. In the kill room he adds a plastic apron, and the room is covered in plastic sheeting.

What does Dexter wear to work?

Short-sleeved patterned button-up shirts with slacks, often in light colours to suit Miami.

How do I make Dexter's blood slides?

Put a drop of red nail polish or fake blood on a few glass microscope slides, let them dry, and store them in a small wooden box. It's the most recognisable Dexter prop.

Can I carry a knife prop?

Check the event rules first. Most conventions and many venues ban realistic blade props. The blood slides and plastic wrap identify the character without one.

Further reading

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