I've always been a wee bit too fond of the dressing up- I have fond memories from childhood of reading around the house decked out in a Prince Caspian costume, or trying out a thifted ascot and blazer for a riding lesson (somewhat oblivious to the sweatshirts and rubber boots of the other kids), while wincing slightly at memories of the 5th grade sweater-vest debacle (when my school uniform fetish led several times to my arriving at school in the exact same red sweater-vest and plaid tie as my male teacher...oh dear...I was so inspired by the preppy plaids in my sister's Seventeen magazine!) ).
So yes, Halloween is a time of flurry and excitement as I chase down some costume element that I've decided I can whip up in my down time. This usually means some form of crazed all-nighter near the end .
This year we were invited to a fairy-tale murder mystery party, and I thought it would be fun to put together a Rapunzel costume, with a super long hair piece as the main feature. I've had a lot of fun putting together an image based on the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley- when I was a kid it seemed like a lot of the fairy tale illustrations looked (rightly) to period 18th-century costumes for setting, though I can't seem to find many examples of it now! I love the whimsical grotesque of his late-19th-century deco sensibility, and er...my costume aspires more to the whimsical side than the grotesque!
There has also been a lot of interesting hair art recently- I picked up a few images for further inspiration. The costume itself? Well, yesterday was a last-minute rush to get to the party that involved some stapling and strapping, but I will have to put it all together again for a family gathering to give out treats tonight so photos are pending!
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| Louis IXV, by Hyacinthe Rigaud,1701 |
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| Marisol studio, cul-de-sac hair wigs |
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| Nick Cave Sound suits |
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| Nick Cave sound suits |
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| Miwa Yanagi, Rapunzel 2005 |
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| Dancer Maud Allen, 1908 |
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| Alice Anderson, Rapunzel 2001 |
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| Norma Shearer as Marie-Antoinette |
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| unknown source |
Whether the costume should attain the image in my head is well, uncertain, but I've certainly become more adept at braiding twenty-foot lengths of wool recently...!
