Costumes From Your Closet: Vol. 2

I gave you all a few costume ideas last week, but I had many more, so here we go for round 2! Hypothetically for most of these costumes you would have at least 50% of the ensemble already in your closet, with the addition of an iconic hairstyle or accessory a costume can come together! 

We'll be starting off in the future today with one of my very favorite sci fi ladies, Rachael from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Rachael's look is mostly in the hair honestly, if you can persuade your hair into a 1940's front roll/victory roll-bumper bang comb you are half way there! Throw on a black suit, black patent heels, and layer on lots of shinny red lipstick. Faux cigarettes make a nice finishing touch, after all replicants don't get lung cancer do they? (or do they...?)

Staying sci fi but moving to zero gravity, why not turn your 1940's siren suit into a Kaylee Frye costume? Side note, I envy you if you don't know who I am talking about because it means you get to go off now and watch Firefly for the very first time! Do it! Anyways, add a 2000's era floral t-shirt, your hair in little buns on your head, and paint a white parasol with Kaylee's fun swirling pattern. You ever sail in a Firefly?

The retro gals reliable stand by costume! Rosie the Riveter is as simple and easy as a retro inspired costume gets, a red bandanna (preferably polka dots) and a button down shirt (denim or just blue would both work) with the sleeves rolled up. Pair with wide leg 1940's jeans or sturdy trousers, or if you are feeling more pin-up, a pencil skirt and heels. We can do it!

When it comes to iconic 50's ladies, one would be remiss to skip Lucy! Lucille Ball's look is again easy for the vintage wearer to achieve. Start with a 50's full skirted dress (preferably gingham or polka dot) and add a white apron, a pearl necklace, and 50's poodle hair! There are also Lucy wigs out there if you dont want to bother with styling your own hair, and a quick shot of orange colored temproary hair color could help take you from ordinary 50's housewife to Lucy. Remember to overdraw your lips a bit and to pull some really great faces!

While the real Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) was a criminal who met a horrific end, Faye Dunaway made gave her an iconic style in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. To get the look pair a slim sweater with a pencil skirt, tie a square scarf at your neck, and top it off with a beret. Add a prop revolver from the costume shop and all you'd need is a Clyde and V8 Ford. Try not to get into too much trouble...

 Speaking of villainous ladies, why not go as the evil but chic Cruella de Vil? All you really need is a big fur (preferably faux) coat and to spray half your hair white to have people recognize this costume! As many vingtage gals already have a LBD and a fur, this costume is a snap to pull together. Extra points for a long cigarette holder and red satin gloves.

For a more feminine and heroic costume (and something a bit more current) why not pull a hispster and go as Agatha from Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel. Make some Mendl's boxes with cardstock (there are free printables available online) and tie them up with blue ribbon. Start with Agatha's large birthmark (draw it on in a mauve lip liner perhaps) then add a pale colored shirt-dress, an apron, and put your hair into milk maid braids atop your head. Add a tan pea coat if you live somewhere chilly, and smudge some flour around for the full pastry chef finishing touch!

Hopefully some of you now have a new idea for a future costume! Putting these posts together has been really fun and I will have to think up new options for next year. I also cheekily omitted a particularly awesome lady from these posts because I intend on dressing up as her this year! So you all will see that costume at the end of next week! Is everyone ready for Halloween?