Alongside queuing to get my comics signed by some of the UK and US’ leading writers and artists - including Stan Lee!!! I’ll also be taking pictures, watching panels and dressing as Ms. Marvel.
Ms. Marvel as drawn by Sana Takeda
This was an interesting choice for me. Ms. Marvel is one of the few Marvel books I have read and I really love the art of Sana Takeda on the late runs of her more recent outing.
Plus I already had the blonde wig so that went some way to help make the decision for me.
This is the closest I have come in a while to vastly modifying a costume, and will require sewing a lightning bolt on to a black t-shirt and making the red sash for my waist.
Never have I come home from the cinema and felt quite so compelled to write as after my recent trip to see Sherlock Holmes: A Game ofShadows but don’t worry, you won't be getting any analysis of plot or in-depth translational cinema discussion here.
The thing that inspired me: The Clothes
It is perhaps a strange choice (…or probably not given the context of my blog) after all there have been many more lavish or historically accurate costume dramas over the years but something about this movie really made me take notice. There is, however, the distinct possibility that this is because the lovely Robert Downey Jr reminds me and awful lot of my fiancé in this film (what with the scruffy stubble and shaggy hair) but I'd like to think there's a little more to it than that.
I have long had a love affair with Victoriana and Victorian fashion, its just so… inaccessible! It is a style that champions the hour glass figure as much as the 1950s and as a natural hourglass (a gift and a curse ladies) that instantly appeals to me.
Get Waisted! Marilyn Monroe and Rachel McAdams
I remember back in the day, early naughties if I remember rightly, that ‘Victoriana’ made an appearance in Topshop and other high street retailers. With ruffled corset tops, long skirts and even the velvet military jacket making being available as part of mainstream fashion. It was not to last however and fashion shifted in favour of something a little easier to wear, jeggings, and the Victorian inspiration disappeared into the same bargain bin as shoulder pads and those bracelets that you needed to slap on.
A favourite Victoriana staple for me however was the Victorian boot. This lace up classic seems to have never gone out of fashion, with adapted versions hanging around in shops (does anyone remember Jennifer Lopez’s combat version from Jenny From The Block?). One place that does always have a variation of the more classic Victorian Boot is Clarks - I’ve had a pair of theirs in my wardrobe for the last 10 years.
The two leading ladies were dressed to impress in this film, Rachel McAdams wore a beautiful hat/jacket/bustle combo in the opening scenes and Noomi Rapace inspired me to attempt a slightly gypsy look the next day (although I really needed a cropped jacket for this, but you make the best with what you have!).
The flowing midi skirt boots and fitted jacket combo is very flattering for a lady with curves and well everyone loves a hat (but it does remind me of a Jennifer Lopez video again though?)
But perhaps the most important success of this film (outside being number one in the box office in several countries) was helping my lovely fiancé get inspiration for his wedding suit. There was a moment during the film where he turned to me and said ‘That is exactly what I want to wear for the wedding’. Who knew men could react in such a way. Needless to say, I was very pleased... I just need to work out where to find it!
I'll let you 'detect' what it is :D
And lets not forget Holmes is right at home on Fancy Dresscapades as he’s a man that loves a good costume!
One final note before I retire for the evening, this was yet another movie of 2011 with a vintage wedding dress (I know its a period film, but still...) and a lovely one at that:
Perhaps if you've not seen it this will inspire you to do so? (I thought the plot wasn't half bad too!)
I felt like mentioning something a little different today. I am a fan of The Big Bang Theory, and whether you like the shows content or not, I feel it does something for costuming and fashion that few shows do:
Championing the geeky t-shirt!
From the earliest blossom of the ‘emo’ trend back in the early naughties to the current (or teenies…?) trends for late 80s and 90s styling- the nerdy t-shirt is something that has been rapidly pushed to the forefront.
Clark Kent- the original geeky t-shirt?
Of course being a bit of a comic fiend I certainly appreciate the many shirts of the lead character Sheldon Cooper, played by fan favourite Jim Parsons. Sheldon, a theoretical physicist, is the definitive geek and this is reflected in his wardrobe. The shirts range from regularly occurring portraits of heroes The Flash and Green Lantern to geometry themed, science fiction references and retro gaming. In fact the cult of the Sheldon tee has even spawned several websites Sheldonshirts is particularly nice as it provides many links to vendors selling similar tees so you can buy your own.
The shows use of geeky shirts has also lead to the creation of a large franchise of Big Bang Theory t-shirts so that the Sheldons among us can share the love. A particularly iconic/ironic choice is the ‘Bazinga!’ shirt often featuring variations in colours and styles (my favourites are those that replicate The Flash t-shirts Sheldon wears so often) and sometimes even featuring Sheldon’s face (available here).
Other than t-shirts the show is a haven for alternatives to traditional costuming, the five main characters are very stylised, Leonard Hofstader (Johnny Galeck) is a typical casual geek, Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) has his track jackets and patterned jumpers, Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) preppy casuals and Howard Wolowitz’s (Simon Helberg) has a constant 70s vibe. Even the more recent additions to the cast, Amy Farrah Fowler and Bernadette Rostenkowski, have very distinctive styles and there is excellent potential for group costumes.
An extra added bonus for this programme is that they love cosplay (especially as the Justice League) from the episode where they all dress as The Flash for Halloween to the ‘The Justice League Recombination’ where they dress as the full team for the comic shop cosplay competition, and as a molecular biologist I appreciate the use of the word recombination! (I also mentioned Penny’s Wonder Woman outfit here).
So quick he can be in several places at once!
A particular favourite moment features Sheldon dressed as the Doppler effect and miming noises at confused party guests who think he’s a zebra.
On the whole, even though the show is filled with stereotypes and gimmicks I find that the portrayal of geeks is handled with a particular affection that I can’t help but appreciate (even my extremely nerdy fiancé finds the show amusing!) so I assume they must be doing something right.
The Big Bang Theory season 5 can be found on channel4 OD now and airs on CBS in the United States.
Just to finish I though I’d recommend a few places where you can find some geeky t-shirts of your own: Snorg Tees, Think Geek and Cafe Press
Something a little bit different again today. I am trying to schedule more regular posts and come up with a few regular features- this is one of them :D
Movie Dresscapades, a.k.a. movies you should watch if only for fancy dress/cosplay inspiration or fantastic and visually stunning costuming.
This month its Halloween (in case you’ve not realised) so I decided to pick something themely.
Screen Dresscapades: Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is a movie that I have watched on a fairly regular basis since I was very young (probably a little too young if I’m honest- but that’s what you get when you have a Dad that likes that kind of thing and a Mum that occasionally worked night shift on a Friday). It has a very odd mix of comedy, horror, sexual innuendo and bizarre visuals that over the years Tim Burton has become known for.
The plot premise is simple- a couple, Adam and Barbra, move into their small town dream house, accidentally die before they ever get to really live in it and are doomed to spend the rest of their lives haunting the dwelling- so far so good...ish. What complicates the matter is when the ‘outrageous’ designer Delia, her husband Charles and their daughter Lydia move into the house and start to make some changes. The couple then hire Beetlejuice, a striped suit clad spectre, to help them haunt the family away.
Big hair + big clothes = 80s
Beetlejuice himself is played by Michael Keaton, in his best role (in my opinion), he is a wonderful mix of crude troublemaker and sarcastic guide to the couple and Keaton gives a good physical, as well as verbal performance and is on cue with the laughs throughout.
Don't forget to wear your smile
Spooky yet stylish
Although Keaton’s look is a bit gouhlish, it is very iconic- meaning it is easy to get the look with minimal effort. The key is to be able to find the stripy suit (there are some inexpensive options on eBay), once you have that some white facepaint, eyemakeup and hairgel is all you really need to complete the look.
Another great look in this film is that of Lydia (played by Winona Ryder) the 80s goth inspired look is great to emulate, with the pale face, black clothes, giant hat and of course, a camera! Lydia has the great bonus of the red wedding dress from
the final scenes of the movie too.
Gothic-Lolita Chic
The costume inspiration doesn’t end there either, there’s the huge hair and 80s dresses of Geena Davis, the plaid shirt stylings of Alec Baldwin, the hoard of dead football players among many others!
Of course you can always just go with the Sandworm… but I have no idea how you’d go about that- some kind of sock puppet I’d expect. Check out this one in particular!
In fact, this film has so much fodder for fancy dress that one of my favourite Brighton based fancy dress events Trailer Trash opened its doors at the Komedia with a cabaret club night based on this very film. (On a side note Trailer Trash is one of my favourite excuses to dress up, as anyone who has read any Fancy Dresscapades will be able to tell, and they have had many events each with a cult movie theme).
Costume Gem
My favourite possible costume in this movie is that of the dead-receptionist-beauty-queen. She wears a bright red dress, with orangy-red hair and has magnificent green skin! Quite the challenge for any fancy dresser!
I wonder if the green skin was what got her noticed in that beauty pagent?
Trailer Trash organiser and arial artiste Miss Kitty Peels pulled off this look with ease at the event in March 2009- check her out here! All I can say is that when it comes to being a girls best friend, body paint is right up there with diamonds…
Final Verdict
On a final note, although it’s a bit of a weird film, Beetlejuice is actually a very entertaining movie, and it’s filled with fancy dress fodder- definitely a good choice for any up-and-coming dresscapade.
So that’s it for now then.
Hopefully after a few more posts I’ll have quite a little catalogue for inspiration.
So its been a little while since last I updated, with work *yawn*commitments, family commitments and various other, erm, commitments… lets just say August was a tough month.
But enough about that, it is now September which means one thing:
HALLOWEEN PREPERATION!
Halloween is the one time of year when the ghouls and goblins come out, but also the cats, witches, nurses and cowboys it is arguably the only time of year when everyone feels okay to go out and wear a costume. As such, to those of us who are enthusiasts for a bit of costuming it’s a big event.
Added to this is that the European Cosplay Championship finals are taking place at Octobers (28-30th) MCM Expo in London! Although I’m not entering (I am no where near that standard, and since I don't make the costumes myself I don't consider myself a Cosplayer) I will be attending the Expo and I am hoping to report on the event like I did for the qualifiers held in May this year (Article...).
The MCM Expo is probably the lead event in the country for Cosplayers and the last time I attended my costume was a somewhat safe choice as I wasn’t sure what to expect. This time I am planning something a bit more out there:
The Black Canary
Black Canary
Canary Yellow Hair
Black Canary is a popular character from DC Comics Birds of Prey (an excellent series BTW, especially those written by Gail Simone). Her costume comprises of a black body suit, cropped jacket, fishnets, boots and a blonde wig, and just so you know I’ve already bought the wig ;)
I think this costume is fairly simple, but should be quite effective especially for a crowd of geeks and comics fans. I’ll update on how the costume comes along later.
Now for Halloween specifically, I have chosen something a little more in keeping with the theme and am going to dress as Catwoman. I know Catwoman isn’t the most original outfit, but hey, I already had the catsuit!
Obviously there are many guises and variations on Selina Kyle, and I have chosen to go with a retro 60s Batman version in the style of Julie Newmar. This is mainly in honour of Anne Hathaway’s styling in the released photos for 'The Dark Knight Rises' as the long hair and eye mask seem to be closer to the 60s version than the goggles and pixie crop of the current comic incarnation.
Julie Newmar's catwoman-yes I'm on a diet now...
This costume compromises of the catsuit, whip, cat ears, eye mask, and of course incrediably 60s hair. I anticipate the hair to be quite a challenge, but I have 6 weeks to practice so hopefully on the day it will look great.
Now who has a Halloween party for me to wear it to?!
I’m plotting a few articles for the up-and-coming month of fancy dress, including my top tips to choosing and compiling a costume!
That’s it for now.
Happy Dresscapades!
(P.s. All images belong to their respective owners)
Has anyone else felt the creeping feeling of Halloween approaching? (And I'm not refering to the ghouls and goblins!) I guess a lot of people don't get this feeling until around the 25th of October when they realise they have a party to go to but no costume. I started to get this feeling towards the end of August...
As you've probably guessed from this blog title, I like fancy dress! This years Halloween I'm attending two events that require a costume and I've managed to get a little bit of a reputation with some of my friends as a bit of an all-outer when it comes to costumes.
The idea of this blog is to chronicle some of the accumulation of items for my ongoing costume adventures (up to Halloween and beyond) and to give some insight into the looks I've sported in the past.
Its not really meant to be a how too guide, I don't really sew or anything, but I want to mention a litle about how I put my costumes together and what sort of places are best for finding handy outfit additions.
Hopefully it may also inspire some people to have a little more fun with costuming!
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I thought I'd start by spilling the beans on my plans for Halloween...
My to events are:
1) Work Halloween Party
Requires: Something not too radical, but festive
Choice: Sally from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
2) 80s Goth/Electro/Alt Night
Requires: Something black, a bit festive, possibly a little fetish ;)
Choice: Black Cat from Spiderman
Sally is a new costume and the Black Cat is a modification of an old one that involves sewing white fur to a black catsuit (fun! given that I have no/can't use a sewing machine)
