So now that things have settled down a bit, I wanted to do a post about Costume College this year! As you may recall, I had a great time last year, so I’ve been excited to go back! You’ve already seen the making-of posts for the costumes I wore, and my favorite shots of the beetlewing gown, but here’s a summary of the rest of the weekend!
Before even arriving at the conference hotel, we stopped by the Fashion District to shop– and when I say “stopped by,” I mean “shopped for five hours straight.” I ended up with 17 yards of fabric, plus assorted other items, that (with luck) will be showing up in future posts!
Upon arrival, first up was the “Garments of the Galaxy” pool party on Thursday night. I wore my 1930s-style beach pajamas with the light-up hat— I had a swimsuit on underneath, but didn’t end up going in the pool, so that was kind of a waste. The outfit had a nice flow to it, but the pant legs were so wide that it was really difficult to tell that they were pants as opposed to a dress in photos.
My friend decided to go the constellation route and went as Orion in a toga-like outfit embellished with LEDs. Notice the three stars on her belt?
On Friday I attended a limited class on rotary cutters, which was useful in terms of discussing what kinds of cutters were out there, what kinds of mats to use, and techniques for getting around sharp curves. I cut out some sample pieces, and also a white cotton chemise that I’ll stitch together at some point later, once I acquire some lace to finish off the neckline.
Friday daywear was all about Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and I wore my embellished jacket with a hat I decorated at the last minute– I pulled some ribbon from my stash, along with peacock feathers and a decorative medallion that just happened to coordinate with the colors of the jacket embroidery. I did a little shaping of the hat with hot water to make it look more cloche-like, though it could’ve used a little more, I think.
Friday night I wore my Dior bar suit again, which was also referred to by many as a “cocktail dress” (get it– cocktails?) and had some fun posing in dramatic lighting. I love these shots– they’re like something out of a film noir!
Saturday daywear was Mary Bennet— a few of us got together as the Marvelous Marys, as we all dressed as historical or fictional people named Mary/Marie/Merry/Maria. Sadly, we weren’t able to get the whole group together at once, but it was fun nonetheless!
In keeping with my Regency theme, my partner in crime dressed as a merevilleuse— a woman prone to wearing very high-fashion but very risque clothing consisting of sheer gowns and short chemises to really push the limits of propriety. She had way too much fun posing…
I took a limited class on making ribbon roses– you can see the fruits of all our labors (mine is the blue plaid in the middle), and I’ll totally be making more of these soon!
I also got a chance to take a class about taking care of velvet, and two classes on bodice fitting, which provided some excellent tips on how to place darts and ensure that my bodices will fit smoothly. Looking forward to putting those into practice!
Saturday night was the Gala, and there were some truly amazing costumes on display (including, if I may say so myself, my beetlewing dress)! So many that I couldn’t possibly post them all, so here are some (very few) of the standouts that I managed to get pictures of!
Of course I had to take photos of my friend as Snow White (who seems to hold a grudge against her bird companion):
And here’s me with another fabulous beetlewing-wearer:
On Sunday I took a fabulous class on crazy 1830s hair, which I will totally indulge in at some point (8 of my 17 yards are earmarked for an 1830s gown).
We also attended the Haunted Mansion tea, which was pretty amazing in terms of decorations and playing up the theme generally. I embraced my inner spooky spinster and my friend was the creepy girl from The Ring… who just happened to be attending a tea party.
Did I mention that I also got up early to hit up the Bargain Basement, and got some amazing deals?
In the photo above is a tweed three-piece Natural Form reproduction suit (bodice, skirt, overskirt), a bunch of burgundy gimp trim, a roll of autumn-toned plaid ribbon, and a yard of coordinating striped taffeta. Not pictured are about 10 yards of black embroidered lace, more spools of ribbon, two pairs of vintage gloves, a vintage cape pattern, a seam gauge, a bangle bracelet, and some more fabric remnants. Guess how much I paid for the lot? $25.00. Incredible! I’m so looking forward to fixing up the tweed suit to wear this fall– the striped fabric is going to make a great accent and/or hat!
Anyway, I had a really fun weekend, as usual, and am already planning what to wear next year!
It's All Frosting... 
This sounds like an amazing conference. I may have to look into this for next year.
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Costume College is the perfect opportunity to meet people who share a love of costuming! If you are thinking of coming to Costume College for the first time, take a look at our Freshman Orientation page.
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