Sunday, March 30, 2014

Costume Appreciation

My entire spring break has been spent absorbing movies, shows, video games, comics...honestly the list goes on and on. Since I've decided not to leave my house and simply vegetate for two weeks I've have been falling in love with a lot of character costumes. Will I actually take inspiration from them in my day to day wear? Well, maybe. Probably not. I did a post a short while ago detailing characters I've actually been taking inspiration from. While I've fallen in love with these, incorporating elements from most of them wouldn't be...practical. Practical or not, I want to thank the wardrobe and styling departments, or artists, responsible for all of these ensembles.

Jareth


Ok so I doubt there are many people here who haven't seen Labyrinth at some point in their life. I'm sure I'm not the only one who drooled over Bowie every time he made an appearance. Scratch that, I know I'm not. That being said, I don't care if this is old news because the costumes in that movie are fabulous. When in doubt, add more leather. And glitter. All of the glitter apparently. Not to mention, that hair speaks for itself. Labyrinth is one of those movies I consider a mandatory re-watch at least once a year.  Getting excited about the costumes (The ball scene anyone?) is just a bonus.


Worried About the Boy


This is actually a TV film about the life of Boy George that I didn't know existed until a few weeks ago. The movie is excellent, but the costumes take the cake. fThis is just one of the many gems to be be found in the film and it's certainly not just the actor playing Boy George who gets the good stuf. The alternative 80s are in full swing, especially the New Romantics (of course) so there's no shortage of dramatic, brilliant looks.


Amadeus



Amadeus is equal parts silly and serious and it remains one of my favorite movies. All that aside, I'm a sucker for period costumes like this (ridiculous wigs aside) and the jackets and frilly things make me deliriously happy. Whenever I watch movies like this or Marie Antoinette (though I can't say I recommend that one) it awakens the romantic goth in me and I immediately want to go out and buy a jabot.


Malfatto 



Is there anything I would ever want to wear in real life that even remotely resembles this? Well, no. Malfatto is very high on my cosplay list, but I won't be rocking the plague doctor look in public any time soon. No, definitely not. That being said, it's dark green and black! One of my new favorite color combinations. There are a million buttons, his hat is wonderful, and up close that mask is exquisite. So it's really too bad he was such a minor character, because I would have loved to see more of that costume.


Kingdom of Heaven


I saw this for the first time last week and while it was very enjoyable, I couldn't help but notice every historical accuracy that popped up in the film. It's an unavoidable internal battle with me most of the time... and there were a lot of inaccuracies. However, the costumes were gorgeous. I fell in love with the King's outfit immediately (as well as his personality). Besides serving it's functional purpose the white and silver costume had such an ethereal quality. The mask he wears to the battle site is even more beautiful. As for Sibylla, most of her outfits were lovely, but the one she wore in her first appearance is my favorite one of all.


 Zodiac 



 Ah the 70s... Besides the fact that this movie is phenomenal, it's also got a few great wardrobe choices. Robert Downie Jr. was rocking most of the outfits I liked, so I may be a bit biased, but no matter. Waistcoat and ascot? Why not? That could be a really cute outfit done right.


Lady Loki

Well, we all know Loki is one of my favorite Marvel characters, and another drool-worthy one ever since Tom Hiddleston took up the role. But what about Lady Loki? Some of my favorite comics featuring Loki are the ones where he's in his female form. (Sif's body if we're going to get really nit-picky) She's gorgeous, and she can pull of the scales and fur. Me? Not so much. You won't see me walking around with that diadem in public, but I wouldn't be opposed to threading some gold discs through my hair on the days I'm feeling dramatic. 


What about you? Do you ever take inspiration from fictional characters, or fall in love with a costume knowing it'll be difficult to emulate without looking costume-y? Do you make little nods to people with accessories? Or do you just decide to find a way to make it work? Or maybe I'm just crazy. There's always that.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Outfit Dump and Evolving Makeup

March has been yet another slow month for writing, but a great one for outfits so far! Since I've been such a slow blogger so far, and will probably keep up this pace throughout the rest of the school year, here are some new outfits to make it up to you. I've been bad and spent far more money than I should have last month. I'm saving up for Vancouver Fan Expo in April after all.

So lately my everyday makeup routine has changed a bunch. My normal wings have become a lot more dramatic, and I've been cranking up the eyeshadow. I've also stopped being lazy and now my brows are as dramatic and black as my hair. Since they're so blond I can draw them on easily with pencil without shaving farther than I pluck, and you can't even tell. It's really fun doing something a little more extreme so I think it'll be my new go-to. Consult my last two outfits for some examples. It's a little hard to see, but they should hopefully get the point across.

I don't wear this skirt enough.
Also, beehives rock.

I think this may actually be from February.
My hair is shorter and the new dress is from Blackfish Apparel.

What did I say about the polka dots?

My Cecil costume tie is becoming everyday wear.





Sweater-vests are comfy and geek chic ;)
No one will convince me otherwise.
This is my new favorite maroon shirt I was talking about!




Bonus pic of me trying to learn to skate. (On the left)

Also, only one month until the con! Which means if you guys are still interested I'll be posting some updates on my Scarecrow cosplay very soon. I've made a ton of progress and I'm really excited.