Elizabeth Rex
So this isn't actually my Halloween costume. To be honest, while I went to a Halloween party, I ended up not being able to dress up as much as I would have liked. I had this whole clown thing that I wanted to do, but unfortunately the white makeup that I bought didn't look very good and was also really unpleasant to have on my face, so I ended up just kind of dressing up as myself, but with, like, a little more eyeliner.
Of course, there's a pretty thin line between clothing and costume for me, so it isn't much of a leap from "slightly theatrical day to day outfit" and "Halloween costume." In a sense that's kind of a weird thing to admit, because as vintage lovers it's always annoying when someone assumes that your super cute 1950s day dress is a costume. On the other hand, I love putting on different styles of clothing and feeling like I'm embodying a new person, so it is factually accurate to refer to my outfits as a costume, I guess.
But anyway, I took these photos about a week ago now. Brian and I had some errands to run in the Chicago Loop, and I asked him if we could get some photos while we were in the area. We'd planned to go to Millennium Park, but it too crowded to get the photos that I wanted. I'd heard that the Chicago Cultural Center had a great interior, though, so we decided to duck in and check it out.
Not only was it stunningly gorgeous on it's own merits, it was absolutely perfect for what I wanted.
I've become kind of fascinated with adding a touch of Elizabethan style to my wardrobe. I know, it's kind of a strange place to draw inspiration from, but it's basically Valentino's fault. Their last couture collection had a strong Elizabethan influence, but rendered in a beautifully wearable and modern way that had me gasping with each new look.
I've always hugely admired Queen Elizabeth I anyway, so it was really fun to feel like I was dressing up as her. When I was growing up she was one of the few female world leaders that I knew anything about (on a side note, I'm really excited to have Hillary as president...), so any time there was a history paper or whatever to be written, she was pretty much my first and only choice.
Where do you draw the line between costume and clothing? Have you ever looked back on photos and realized that maybe you edged over it without intending to?
Inspiration
Jacket: 1950s, Knee Deep Vintage
Top: H&M
Pants: Pinup Girl
Boots: Asos
Brooch: Thrifted
Headband: Urban Outfitters
