Yesterday I was a sailor, today a can-can girl. Don’t you just love the flexibility of modern life? After Part 1 of Halloween in My Closet… thanks to requests to see a can-can girl from Kate and UND I decided to with this for Part 2.
If you look to the left, you’ll see me as a can-can girl circa 2004. I borrowed a striped evening gown from a friend and wore a corset over it. Underneath I wore the biggest red petticoat… and between the squeezing for the corset and the layers of the petticoat, even at night in the autumn I was boiling hot.. .and the next day I was in pain… goes to show, if you’re going to do corsets, go custom, ask Ashe Mischief, she seems to know a lot about corsetry.
Here is the the second part of my Halloween series… yesterday I was a sailor… every day I’ll post a costume made mostly of the the clothes I already own. Of course I’ll need accessories, but while we still have time (9 days) I’ll only post accessories you’ll actually be able to acquire before Halloween. Towards the big day, I’ll work entirely with my own pre-existing wardrobe.
Can-Can Girl Essentials
Below are the base essentials I found in my closet… to be a can-can girl, you’ll need a tube top, here I have a sequin one, two skirts one for the top, a second one to give volume and look like a petticoat-luckily I had a lace skirt that works perfectly. Gloves… all I have right now are leather gloves and vintage tea gloves, but opera lenght gloves will work even better. Lace or fishnet tights. A choker… I made one out of black bias tape, and sewed it on with a single stitch… but some of you may have more substantial chokers.
The Result
If I had no time… this would be my end result, some improvements would be getting a pair of opera length gloves, or feather fascinator… like this, this, this, or this.
I put my hair up in a bouffant, which can also be handy for other costumes revolving around the 60′s… liquid eyeliner is handy for giving lovely cat eyes, and a beauty mark. I used lipstick to make more exaggerated blusher and for red lips.
Since I have a lot of ideas of what I can do for Halloween, and I can only post a few of them, and please let me know if there is anyone you might want to see, or if you have any suggestions… please leave a comment:
Halloween in My Closet:
- Circus Ringleader (second by Nikki)
- Sailor (done! click here to see!)
- Natasha from Bullwinkle & Friends
- Can-Can Girl
- Pirate or …
- a Founding Father… same base costume as Pirate.
- The Mad Plaider
- Beetle Juice
- The See’s Candies Girl (only makes sense in California… but Jeanne would like to see it!)
- Evil Babydoll (second by Mette)
- 60′s Housewife
- An East German DDR protester (may be offensive… but Tres Plus Cool would like to see it)
- A superhero
- Dawn Davenport (suggested by Imelda Matt)
- Cat Lady (suggested by shopfair)
- ?????
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Doh! I didn’t realize this was a Halloween look (at first) and I admired it while thinking, Damn, Jennine shares my taste for North Beach Bordello apparel! Brava!
And then I realized it was a jerry-built costume and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I saw this ensemble as a Fun Festive Frock for Frauleins. Which is to say I’d wear it any day of the week.
oh suzanna.. i do have a taste for north beach bordello… why those are my old stomping grounds.
as for wearing it any day of the week? obviously if you are anything lke me, and my whole wardrobe is a costume…. why not?
I LOVE it! How fun & festive, and I think you did a great job with what you had in your wardrobe.. I’m LOVING this series!
And you totally reminded me how I wanted to do more corsetry posts
I have a new custom one being made right now! :X
p.s. SO many ideas I’d love to see you do, though circus ringleader is one of my favs! But I DO love a circus…
Because we can can … can-can can-can! Your photo reminds me to that song, the one from Moulin Rouge.
I have my version of Cabaret:
Here!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/bellechaotique55555/Charleston%20Girl/DSCN1743.jpg
I’d love to see Natasha!
@ashe…ooh more corsetry! so lovely!
@cecile… your link is darling, i love the feathers!!!
@anna… you will get your wish.. i’ve been wanting to do that too!
xx
jennine
Love this! Gorgeous and costume all at the same time.
ya i love this series too
more more!
So Moulin Rouge — I love it!!
oh I’m picturing my closet and I don’t think I have anything flapper either!!
Wonderful photos. You go, girl!
@k-line… it’s hard not to be glamourous when you’re a can-can girl!
@swan… don’t even get me started
@tara… MR was my favorite muicsal for a while…
@haily… maybe it’s time for a flapper?
@wendy you’re too kind.
OMG! I looove your look here. Very Moulin Rouge.
I LOVE THE NEW LOGO! The heart is adorable. And your improvised Can Can girl is super cute (it helps to have that great painting behind you, like you’re in a Toulouse Lautrec poster. I would like to see a 60s housewife costume - I know you’ll look great! Big hugs from SF!
Awesome!!! I’m seriously itching to revamp a fairy costume (corset, petticoat, etc.) I wore earlier this year into something a bit more sexy and burlesque-ish!
I love your resulting outfit-the tights seal the deal, imho. Can’t wait to see your other outfit ideas! (I personally would love to see the Cat Woman costume too… )
I love themey outfits — you could wear this everyday! That said, I totally dig the made from scratch costume, I would LOVE to see you as Natasha! Sally Kellerman played her once in a weird early 90′s HBO movie (I swear to God) and you look kind of like her (in the prettiest of ways!)
Nice bosom.
So adorable! I’ve been meaning to get fun slips for ages-this is such motivation!
aww, the costume is adorable. i love the way you collected all the items and combined them. really good!
ohh lady coveted!!! you never seize to amaze me, this is perfection, bravo!!!!!
I want those polka dot gloves.
hey, i thought it was cute!
Hi,
All the costumes are looking good. I like the opera lenght gloves very much.
Thank you
Nancy.
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