Cosplay Inspirations: London Super Comic Convention 2013 - Costume Preparation

Right. It's been a while since I posted anything on cosplay but I am finally ready to share the details of my latest big project.

I am preparing a costume for London Super Comic Convention - or LSCC.

I went last year and it was a lot of fun so I was very eager to go back. I wrote a round-up of what went on for Den of Geek last year and I'm sure this year will be no less fun. The full line up of artists has just been announced and the con runs over the 23rd and 24th of February  so there is loads of time if you decide you'd like to give a bit of cosplay a go!

It was a great event for fans of comics but it was also a great chance to meet other movers and shakers of the cosplay world. Oh yeah, then there's the autographs and sketches... oh... and the shopping of course! I went to lots of panels and met lots of people and bought lots of stuff. It was awesome and I'm really glad to be going back.

Now then, last year I dressed as Ms. Marvel. Back before she became Captain Marvel and it was great fun to prance around like an idiot wearing a mask, now this time I am stepping up the cosplay. I am dressing as Carol Ferris as a Star Sapphire:

No not that costume...

But the classic version from the 1960s:

That's better.

Progress is going quite well, although I'm having a lot of trouble with the fabric for the white panel. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes.

Bye for now!

Hair and Beauty: New hair...

Just a quick post today - I have new hair!

I was getting tired of the old blonde streak and thought I'd go for something different. The constant roots maintenance was a pain and the damage it was doing to my hair was not great either so I decided to go back to a more brunette shade.

With regards to colour, I didn't have a lot of choice. I needed to go with something reddish to counteract the blonde. I am probably going to go back to the plummby tones of my past in a little while though but for now I have a red tinge.

My new do is partially inspired by 1960s comic icon Gwen Stacy - she had a fringe and sleek sides. But it is also partially inspired by Zooey Deschanel in the movie 500 Days of Summer (a film that deeply influenced some aspects of my life but that is a tale for another time). Now I could have a whole post about her as I think her style is awesome but ill hush on that matter for now.

I am, however, dreading the day when I attempt to curl it. I've not had a fringe in such a long time I'm not sure how to make it work. On the plus side it is much closer to the one-length type pf style you need for doing rolls so maybe it will be easier than I think. We'll see.

Oh yes, and if you like the plaid dress it was from last seasons Monsoon sale, I teamed it with a long sleeved t-shirt from Gap (that I've had over 10 years) to keep me warm and a pair of fleece lined Doc Marten's for walking in the snow.

The only problem Is that now I am going to have to update my blog logo, although it is probably about time to be honest.

Anyone out there changed your look lately?

Vintage Outfits: Da Doo Blog Blog - A 1960s Girls Night Out

Submitting my thesis was a huge ordeal for me (and I promise this is the last you'll hear on it for a while) - and the event needed to be marked with a proper celebration! Luckily for me my friend Miss Doherty had been plotting an evening out with some of her friends that I was invited to tag along to.

The night was Da Doo Ron Ron (named after the hit song of the same name). A night of 1960s girl pop and Mowtown that has usually been pretty popular to my knowledge - although somehow in 4 years in Brighton I'd never been.

The jokes, however, is really on me really as my first trip there, was also the last ever Da Doo.

Sad times indeed as it was really a fun night. I visited Miss Doherty's flat and met two of her friends Hayley and Katie from the southern vintage scene. We gathered for drinks and jokes as we listened to records and Miss D made sure my hair was in ship shape.

My hair was up in a sort of beehive inspired with a couple of curls on the top. Sadie made sure that it looked perfect from the back too. On a side note I know my roots are terrible! Please don't judge me, I'm getting it all sorted out later today.

Interestingly we all observed that dressed in a somewhat 1960s style we were all out of sorts with out usual attire. I thought that of us all my look was closest to my usual wardrobe but that is probably because my look is a little more... erm... eclectic (aka less polished) than others.

Any who, what did it wear.

Being the size and shape I am, I'm not really comfortable in the typical 60s shift mini dresses. In a panic I had a look around Primark and managed to lay my hands on two dresses that were okay, but in the end I found something better so they will be going back. During the day I went to a shop in Hove called Department where I browsed the rails. It is one of those mixed-up shops that houses all types of old things all together, china, furniture, clothes and it even has a cafe!

I found my dress tucked away in the basement and looking a little moth eaten. But it fit! Rather splendidly if I'm honest. It looks hand made to me from the way the sleeve cuffs are done, and there are no labels at all so it's hard to date. It's a sort of wool/felt fabric. It had a few holes that aren't too tricky to fix but all in all I think it was a pretty good buy.

The look ended up being a bit more inspired by the sort of Joan from Mad Men look, although I'm not sure I do it so well as Christina Hendricks - she is the queen of the wiggle dress!

Image is property of AMC and the creators of Mad Men

Thesis submission and a wedding article!

Hello blog world!

I apologise for disappearing for the vast majority of January so that I could finish my thesis, but I am all submitted not and officially back.

This post is just a little prod to remind people I am here and also tell you about another project of mine that was recently published.

I wrote an article for Your Perfect Wedding 2013 magazine on the process of choosing and ensuring you get your perfect wedding dress.

It was a fun project and I ended up putting quite a bit of work into it (and got to talk to lost of people about their weddings) although they did cut some of it out. But its still my first in print freelance article!

Here's a couple of pictures from my article. I'm quite proud as you can probably tell...

On a side not the magazine looks quite helpful if anyone happens to be planning their wedding. I know looking at things like this certainly helped me.

Casual Cospaly: The Day I Tried to Dress Like a Crawley

...or more like a servant on their day off.

Before Downton Abbey came on Netflix I was unsure what all the fuss was about (although I was aware of the very pretty clothes). I have always liked those type of period dramas, things like Upstairs Downstairs, and I know I am pretty easily sold on anything set from 1850 to 1960 simply for the clothes alone. Yet somehow I had managed to miss Downton.

I have now seen the light! For me Downton is a sort of Eastenders in the 1910s-1920s with its social drama, scandal and cliffhangers and I have rapidly become one of the Downton obsessed fans we all know and 'love' to listen to...

My favourite character from her portrayal but also her dress sense is the wonderful Lady Cora Crawley. She always seems to have a mix of prim and proper with the ability to bend society rules to do what she feels is morally right.

That, and she has a fantastic collection of hats:

Not that the other ladies don't wear fantastic hats too, or the men:

I'm not sure why, but more than anything the hats are what drive me wild with envy (as you can probably tell)... I think this may be because I cannot wear drop waist styles so the dresses do little for my figure.

Anywho, after the Christmas special this year I was inspired to take a turn about town and attempted to dress in a way inspired by a bit of the post-Edwardian style featured particularly in Season 1 and 2.




My dress is a vintage Laura Ashley from that period in the 1980s where they made amazing sailor dresses however so many of them are drop waisted, I felt lucky to find one that had a defined waist and an amazingly detailed lace collar. Its a new favourite of mine. My hat is vintage but I'm not sure when from but it has a little label in the back that says 'Miss Caroline of California' which I like for some reason.

Then for the journey outside I wore some lace up boots that remind me very much of that turn of the century era. Eventually I'd love to find the perfect vintage coat to wear with an outfit like this but as of yet I haven't spotted one - let me know if you have any recommendations of places to look for one :)

Dress - Vintage Laura Ashley

Hat - Vintage Miss Caroline

Coat - Vintage Monsoon

Boots - M&S

Anywho, what a show! If you've not seen it yet I highly recommend checking it out.