Costume Basics: Go to Outfit for When You Feel Like Playing Dress-Up

So, just in time to get those Halloween costumes started, I thought I'd share my recent costuming work as well as some that I did last summer as well. A lot of people look at elaborate costumes and get overwhelmed, but it's really not that difficult. You have to remember to take it one piece or element at a time. Whether you use a basic store bought pattern, draft your own pattern, or wing it by tossing together different clothing items and accessories you already have, it can be easy, fun, and creative to create your own costumes.

The first one that I will talk is a recent chemise/skirt ensemble that I made. My original idea was to make a traditional french maid dress for an event that Jean Bardot was hosting at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis. A maid was the first thing that came to mind because what else are you going to make with a whole bolt of bubblegum pink pvc? But really, how many opportunities do you get to go somewhere as a french maid? Probably not that many (if you asked yourself the question and answered every other day, clue me in to where you are going because I want to come along!).

So, with that in mind, I decided to make the outfit a little more versatile. Instead of making it a one piece dress, I opted for separates that later I can mix and match. I ended up using a McCalls shirt pattern that I had in my pattern box. This pattern is super generous in cut, so it fits a lot of different sizes and shapes in plus size. I chose option A for the shirt, but instead of making the ruffle around the neckline out of the shirt material, I used a by the yard trim that I picked up at the fabric store. It was a white satin ruffle with the binding tap built into the trim already. Using it instead of making my own binding or gathering my own ruffle saved a lot of time and frustration. I put this same trim around the edge of the capped sleeves too.

For the skirt I made a basic circle skirt using one of our favorite skirts as a pattern for making a new one. If you don't have a skirt that you really love to use as a starting point, there are a ton of sites online that will give detailed instructions on how to make your own custom circle skirt pattern. I knew from the start that I wanted a ruffled petticoat under my skirt, so I made it longer to accommodate the petticoat. If you don't do this it can very quickly become too short. I put the same white satin trim around the hem of the skirt as well.

I took some white pvc fabric that we had left over from making nurse outfits (see next post) and whipped together a freehand apron, which I trimmed with the same satin ruffle.

As a finishing touch I made a tube with some scrap pink pvc and applied the white satin trim to each side edge of the tube to make an accessory. I made it this way because it gives three different ways to wear it. You can slide the tube onto a basic plastic headband to creat the cute Japanese Lolita look. Another way to do the same thing is to thread a wide, ribbon through it  that you tie at the nape of your neck. I'm not a huge fan of this method because I have a hard time keeping these types of headbands on. The benefit to choosing the ribbon option thought is that it can also be used as a choker around the neck if you aren't feeling like a headband that day.

Now I have this cute outfit that I can wear as the originally intended maid outfit without a problem, but that I can also wear as other things as well. I can use it as a base for several cosplay outfits, as a base for a Lolita outfit, or as an adult baby / little girl outfit. While the adult baby option isn't really my thing, I know a lot of people are into it. I'm working on different diapers, diaper covers, ruffled bloomers, etc to list on my Etsy site in this genre currently and plan on selling one of these chemise/skirt ensembles as well.

I paired it with my pink brocade corset and my pink pvc boots for Jean's event, and I thought I thought it turned out really cute. I also made Steffie's dress in this picture as well and will talk about it in the next post. This outfit took me about 6 hours total to make including cutting the pieces out. I probably could have done it in 4 hours, but I wanted to be very precise on how it was put together.  Not bad for a last minute idea and a half a day's work.

If you like it and want to make one, now is definitely the time to do it. With Halloween coming up, the fabric stores are fully stocked with a wide range of pvc colors and textures.