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Err - Costume Party?
30 October 2013 04:47 pmI'm not a person who gets invited to a lot of parties. It's probably a result of lacking a large circle of friends and/or of not being perceived as a fun person. Which I totally understand. Introvert, yanno?
All that to explain why, since I HAVE been invited to a costume party on Saturday, I'm stuck with a closet full of costumes and no idea what to wear. Hence, I'm posting!
So, educate me on what Halloween costumes are supposed to be like; or at least, what you friends (and most of you costumers) consider a Halloween costume as opposed to any other costume.
I do have some criteria/inclinations.
The party itself:
1. For the Hello, Dolly! cast.
2. Adults only, but this IS a church group. So it's adults-only meaning that little kids won't be there.
3. At a house.
I've worked on various costumes during Dolly and previous shows, but no one's seen any of my finished costumes in person. (A few people saw one of them - the plaid silk 1860s - when I was working on the hem before Costume College.) So there are a couple of inclinations I've got:
* I kind of want whatever I wear to have the Wow factor. Frankly, I'm an introverted diva. I DO want some attention for this! People know I "make costumes for fun," but I want them to see it and go "Whoa, you make COSTUMES!"
* It kind of works against the previous one, but from experience, big costumes - particularly hoops - can be Really Awkward in ordinary-sized spaces with non-hoop-wearers. I don't expect it to be unusually crowded. But it doesn't take many people in a regular (~2000 sq ft) house to make getting around in a hoop rather tiresome. I have less experience with a train, but at times at Costume College trains can be an issue.
* I don't want to be terribly uncomfortable. I have no idea if they're planning games of any kind or what, but I'd like to be moderately prepared.
* I'd like to wear something I don't get to wear all the time. I wear a lot of vintage in regular life, and have opportunity to go all-out at WWII events and the AE shows fairly often.
* Is it expected that you be SOMEONE in particular for Halloween? Like either a particular Name or Profession? I still get the question "Who are you?" even when reenacting, as if I'm expected to be an Actual Historical Figure or Fictional Character. Just "an 1860s person" is pretty blah in comparison.
So, what options really do I have?
1. Plaid silk 1860s. It's gorgeous, and some of the cast did see the fabric and my inspiration. But it's a hoop, and has a slight train.
2. Pink gala court dress. IMHO a big Wow factor. But a big train, and definitely not comfortable, even if I don't try to get it as tight as it will go.
3. Maid Marian. I don't know how much of a Wow factor this one has any more, cloth of silver or not. Also, the wimple and veil make me a bit hard to recognize. It's fairly comfortable. And with at least some theater people, it's more likely that people will know what/who it is (i.e. copy of the movie). But against it, I've worn it a fair number of times now and I've got newer things.
4. Red wool Regency. I love this dress loads; it's the easiest and most comfortable to wear. But although it's red, it's not shiny or glitzy at all. I *could* spin it as Lizzie Bennett or Elinor Dashwood, maybe, but short of a nametag there's no way to convey that clearly.
4.a. I could add the paisley feather wings again and just go as a Fabric Fairy or something. But it might just confuse people.
5. 18th century - the pink wool that I wore last year to the Georgian picnic, maybe with the bonnet. Less impact, but "Colonial" is recognizable to modern eyes.
Any thoughts?
All that to explain why, since I HAVE been invited to a costume party on Saturday, I'm stuck with a closet full of costumes and no idea what to wear. Hence, I'm posting!
So, educate me on what Halloween costumes are supposed to be like; or at least, what you friends (and most of you costumers) consider a Halloween costume as opposed to any other costume.
I do have some criteria/inclinations.
The party itself:
1. For the Hello, Dolly! cast.
2. Adults only, but this IS a church group. So it's adults-only meaning that little kids won't be there.
3. At a house.
I've worked on various costumes during Dolly and previous shows, but no one's seen any of my finished costumes in person. (A few people saw one of them - the plaid silk 1860s - when I was working on the hem before Costume College.) So there are a couple of inclinations I've got:
* I kind of want whatever I wear to have the Wow factor. Frankly, I'm an introverted diva. I DO want some attention for this! People know I "make costumes for fun," but I want them to see it and go "Whoa, you make COSTUMES!"
* It kind of works against the previous one, but from experience, big costumes - particularly hoops - can be Really Awkward in ordinary-sized spaces with non-hoop-wearers. I don't expect it to be unusually crowded. But it doesn't take many people in a regular (~2000 sq ft) house to make getting around in a hoop rather tiresome. I have less experience with a train, but at times at Costume College trains can be an issue.
* I don't want to be terribly uncomfortable. I have no idea if they're planning games of any kind or what, but I'd like to be moderately prepared.
* I'd like to wear something I don't get to wear all the time. I wear a lot of vintage in regular life, and have opportunity to go all-out at WWII events and the AE shows fairly often.
* Is it expected that you be SOMEONE in particular for Halloween? Like either a particular Name or Profession? I still get the question "Who are you?" even when reenacting, as if I'm expected to be an Actual Historical Figure or Fictional Character. Just "an 1860s person" is pretty blah in comparison.
So, what options really do I have?
1. Plaid silk 1860s. It's gorgeous, and some of the cast did see the fabric and my inspiration. But it's a hoop, and has a slight train.
2. Pink gala court dress. IMHO a big Wow factor. But a big train, and definitely not comfortable, even if I don't try to get it as tight as it will go.
3. Maid Marian. I don't know how much of a Wow factor this one has any more, cloth of silver or not. Also, the wimple and veil make me a bit hard to recognize. It's fairly comfortable. And with at least some theater people, it's more likely that people will know what/who it is (i.e. copy of the movie). But against it, I've worn it a fair number of times now and I've got newer things.
4. Red wool Regency. I love this dress loads; it's the easiest and most comfortable to wear. But although it's red, it's not shiny or glitzy at all. I *could* spin it as Lizzie Bennett or Elinor Dashwood, maybe, but short of a nametag there's no way to convey that clearly.
4.a. I could add the paisley feather wings again and just go as a Fabric Fairy or something. But it might just confuse people.
5. 18th century - the pink wool that I wore last year to the Georgian picnic, maybe with the bonnet. Less impact, but "Colonial" is recognizable to modern eyes.
Any thoughts?