Costume College 2018!

In case you hadn’t noticed, my recent spate of costume posts was inspired by my upcoming trip to Costume College this year. I went this past weekend and it was fabulous! Also, my daughter sent her Cat-icorn (above) with me to keep me and my tiaras company.

These are totally my people– detail-obsessed lovers of gorgeous and/or hilarious outfits, willing to discuss the intricacies of fabric design or corsetry at the drop of a hat, and always appreciative of the work we all put into these things! I can’t wait to go back next year!

I did take a few photos of randomly beautiful costumes, but not nearly as many as I should have. Also, I was wearing gloves for two of the big events and it’s a lot harder to manage taking pictures with my phone that way. Next year, fewer gloves = more pictures!

I went with a longtime friend (and soon-to-be fellow obsessive costumer) and had a great time attending classes, socializing, and gawking at everyone’s clothes. Highlights:

Taking dramatic photos in 1920s gear in our hotel room between classes. Honestly, the window provided way better lighting than anything in the main hallways.

Reviving the wisteria dress for the Friday night social– while the gloves made it difficult for me to eat the tasty-looking desserts, I did drink plenty of champagne!

Recreating the Portrait of Madame X with my awesome friend/model (with some photoshopping of the background to make it consistent).

Making cool stuff– I made a Phantom Bustle out of wire, string, and some twill tape– it’s easy to make (and historically accurate!), packs down small, and I can’t wait to use it for a new outfit!

My friend made a fantastic leather shoulder pauldron and is now obsessed with leatherworking.

Wearing the embassy ballgown to the Gala!

Where there were knights!

Having fun with my vintage-style dragonfly suit— the lilypad fascinator was probably the most-admired piece I wore for the whole weekend! (even if the hot glue did give way immediately upon my return home– I need to stitch it together more securely before I wear it again)

Hilarious tableaux vivants at the Fantasy Tea– case in point, The Birth of Venus:

And fun costumes like “The Industrial Revolution” destroying the countryside:

I’m already full of ideas for next year! I want to get a group together of people dressed as various literary or historical Marys– dibs on Mary Bennet, I’m already planning a drab Regency day dress so I can go around quoting from Fordyce’s Sermons while staring disapprovingly over my spectacles. I bought some gorgeous embroidered dupioni that I’m dying to turn into a Worth-inspired gown, and I’ve got my eye on some beetle wings to reproduce Sargent’s famous painting of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. So much to plan for– can’t wait to get started!