Outfit Collection: Halloween Costumes

I'm sure if I went back and re-read all my posts leading up to Halloween each year, I probably have said many times that I just don't have any ideas for a Halloween costume and then at the last minute, inspiration strikes and I pull something together.  Well, this year, I actually didn't come up with anything.  I mean nothing at all.  So, I thought I would just revisit all the previous years of costumes instead for this week's outfit collection.  Maybe I'll try to make up for it by doing something extra extravagant next year, but for now, let's take a look back at past Halloween faves.  Below you'll see Alice, Miss Peregrine, Fleur Delacour, Flapper Girl, Basic Witch, Marie Antoinette, and Evelyn from The Mummy. 

Halloween 2022: Evelyn from The Mummy

Who knows what inspired us.  I certainly don't have much rhyme or reason to my costume choices.  This year I chose Evelyn  from the 1999 blockbuster The Mummy.  Rachel Weisz plays the lovely Evie and stars opposite Brendan Fraser.  I was a huge fan of the first movie, and a reasonably sized fan of the second and third, yes I hung in there for all three, but not The Scorpion King because even I have my limits.  

I have made it a tradition to watch The Mummy each October as part of our Halloween rotation, but this year I decided to take it a step further and dress up as Evie, enlisting Mr. Bleu to dress as Brendan Fraser's character, Rick.  He usually doesn't get on board with couple's costumes, but possibly because he didn't have the time to make something else or because he didn't have any ideas, he agreed to my suggestion this year.

In order to create this costume, I started by watching the movie...again.  Then I looked at photos and finally headed over to ThredUp to see what I could find on the cheap.  I managed to find a passable skirt and shirt and located the tie and glasses on Amazon.

The Book of Amun Ra was my prop of choice. I spent a quiet Saturday afternoon working on this.  Although I intended to also make the key, I have now run out of time and steam on this costume, so it will be the only prop I use.  It's constructed of cardboard, 4mm EVA Foam, and spray paint.  I used a soldering iron to create the impressions in the foam and though my paint job is a little lacking I'm fairly pleased with the end result.

This was my inspiration board as I gathered my costume pieces:

I actually found a shirt that was a little closer to Evie's but ThredUp canceled the order probably because they noticed something wrong with it and didn't want to send it that way, and so the search began afresh.  Fortunately I found something in my size that was better than good, it was good enough.

Perhaps the thing I like most about this costume is that I'll probably wear it to work much more than just this Halloween.  It already plays to my style and unlike a purchased costume, it isn't flimsy and doesn't feel like plastic.

As much as I hoped Mr. Bleu would wear his costume with me for today's photo shoot, he is still currently gathering articles of clothing, so perhaps we'll get a few shots on Halloween.  

Shopping Info:  Top and skirt from ThredUp.  Use my link to save $20 off your first order.  Tie from Amazon, Glasses from Amazon, Shoes are Chelsea Crew

Let the World Be the World

It is entirely possible that what you're seeing here is a sneak preview of this year's Halloween costume.  It's also entirely possible that I'm just playing dress up and this will never make it to Halloween when I can have so much fun wearing it right now.  Plus, I really feel that if one happens to have a pink pompadour wig, it really shouldn't sit on the shelf.

Hello, my name is Leandra and I am an adult who likes to play dress-up.  And until everyone else in the world is ready to apologize for their weird collections and strange obsessions and pointless hobbies (I'm looking at you people who dress up to gather and scream at whatever sports-ball is in season) I refuse to apologize for for my favorite past-time of playing dress-up.

I'm still on the lookout for a community to share my passion with.  So far, living so remotely, it hasn't been easy to find like-minded individuals, but I haven't given up hope.

Recently I read a book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson.  A line in the book that stuck out to me regarded how we spend more of our time organizing and cleaning our collections than actually using them, so what is the point in having them.  In summary:  Use it or Lose it.  Food for thought.

Ms. Magnusson wrote this book from a different place in her life, that is to say, the end.  Where as I still find myself (God willing) somewhere in the middle and I have the time and energy to just enjoy my things, and yet, I don't want to have piles of useless things taking up the limited amount of time in my life and space in my home.  To that end, I took Margaretta's words to heart.

Regular clothes are necessity.  Princess dresses are a luxury, an indulgence, a past time, a passion, a hobby.  So, I made a decision that rather than give up on my princess dresses, I would whittle down my regular wardrobe, limit my princess wardrobe to truly treasured pieces, and be sure to use each and every single dress as much as possible and for any and every occasion.

Yes, one day I suppose I will part with most of my collection (hopefully to a granddaughter or great-granddaughter with a passion for dresses to match or exceed my own who will love and care for each piece as much or more than I do.  And of course, I'll be buried in my strawberry dress!) But for now I going to make a more dedicated effort to using my dresses, playing dress up as much as possible and enjoying them while this time in my life lasts.  Who knows, maybe I'll meet some fellow princess dress lovers who'll want to get together for princess picnics and group photo sessions.  Well, a girl can dream, anyway.

Shopping Info:  Selkie La Belle Etoile Marie Dress from boho-chic-clothing.com, pink wig from amazon.com

The Belle Époque with Scarlet Darkness

The Belle Epoque was the era from the late 1880s to the early 1900s when Sandra Bernhardt was gracing the stage and Jenny Lind was touring the world stealing hearts with her nightingale voice.  European lifestyle and culture were flourishing.  It was a time of scientific progress and artistic experimentation.  It was, to translate its name, the beautiful era.

Is it any wonder that we still admire those styles created during the years of the Belle Epoque.  From Alphonse Mucha's organic illustrations to Charles Dana Gibson's iconic models and hairstyles of the Gibson Girl, it was an era of unparalleled creativity.

Belle Poque's brand Scarlet Darkness has kept alive the styles of the beautiful era like this Scarlet Darkness Victorian Maxi Skirt.   With its high waist, front decorations, and smocked corset back this skirt has all of the style and elegance of a Gibson Girl illustration.  I am so pleased to be able to collaborate with them on this post.

I thought it only fitting that I try to recreate that Gibson Girl hair, with its beyond believable dimension and incomparable femininity, it was no small feat to accomplish this.

In addition to it corset back this Victorian Maxi skirt features a side zipper  which made it all the easier for me to put in since  I opted to wear an authentic Edwardian era full slip dress to add fullness to the skirt and to add an extra layer beneath the blouse.

The back of the skirt has elastic smocking and a corset tie for a really customized fit.  I find that it runs true to size and is excellent quality.  I also love the dark lace border around the hem, such a lovely extra detail.

I am so glad that I have found Scarlet Darkness to update my Victorian and Steam Punk costume pieces.  The quality is wonderful and the prices are so reasonable.  This skirt comes in six different colors and five sizes from Small to XXL.  

In my next collaboration post with Belle Poque I hope to showcase something from another favorite style era, the 1950s-60s.

Shopping Info:SCARLET DARKNESS Women Victorian Maxi Skirt Vintage High Waist A Line Skirt from ScarletDarkness or Scarlet Darkness.com, Roselind Blouse from FP One

The Roaring Twenties

 

So, here it is.  The big day is finally here.  Yes, I'm talking about Halloween!  And my costume this year is a flapper girl from that wild carefree era known as the Roaring Twenties.  It was a time when a war weary world decided to cut loose.  Styles morphed from stuffy Edwardian long skirts and corsets to loose fitting dresses with short hems influenced by the discoveries being made of Ancient Egyptian life and culture.  The short straight or wavy bob hairstyles were also influenced by Egyptian relics and were all the rage, but I am not that committed to the look, so I've tucked my hair into a loose roll.

At my youngest daughter's brilliant suggestion, I decided to go with a flapper girl costume since it's 2020 and the days of the flapper girls dancing the Charleston in their tasseled dresses are 100 years ago.  It was the time of prohibition, gangsters, Hollywood glam, the American nouveau riche being able to travel the world for the first time and the calm before the storm of the Great Depression and World War II.  It was a strange and remarkable epoch in American History and one that has always fascinated me. 

When I was a teenager I didn't know much about the history of this era, but Swing Dance parties were all the rage.  The artsy college kids would throw them year round, everyone had to come in costume.  My friends and I, being small town high school kids weren't on the invite list.  The way to find them was to just drive around with the windows down on a Saturday night listening for the sounds of swing music.

I scoured all the thrift shops to find a dress, but the only ones that turned up were authentic, fragile, and hopelessly expensive.  So, I broke code and went to those parties in my standard 90s alternative clothes--you know the wide leg trousers, a fitted tee with some sort of print like a can of Spam on it, Chuck Taylors, a chain wallet, etc.  We carried on that way until people started asking who these costume-less party crashers were. 

I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I just couldn't swing a swing dress.  This was all back before the internet was really in use.  Now there are tons of inexpensive options.  This dress came with a basic headband and gloves for only $28, but I opted to buy my own accessories set to go with it so I could get something a little more opulent.

Full disclosure: the pearl necklace immediately broke when I took it out of the package and tried it on.  It is made of glass pearls, not plastic, and although I appreciate the weight and quality of glass pearls over plastic, it made the strand quite heavy which is why it broke.  Fortunately there is a knot in between each pearl so only one pearl fell off and it wasn't a total disaster.  I still have all my old tools and parts for jewelry making, so I just attached a clasp to the broken ends.  It wasn't easy, but I was able to salvage the necklace, and I think the necklace really helps to sell the look.

Everything else in this kit has been lovely and very nice quality.  The dress also seems to be quite nice and a very good quality.  I think I'll have this costume for many years.  And, who knows, maybe swing dance parties will make another comeback and I can send my teenage daughters to the party in style--even if they have to crash them.  

Shopping Info:  Flapper Dress and Accessories Set from Amazon.com, Ivanka Trump Heels from ThredUp