Wig Wag Thank You Ma'am

With all of Jennine's talk of wigs, and being in the market to buy, I can't help but share some wig-spiration from my own wardrobe (grand totals: 4 wigs, 4 sets of hair pieces/falls/extensions, only one looking natural).

Wigs are a great way to bring some vibrancy and creativity to your outfits, whether they are natural looking or not. (Perhaps one thing that would have made the Met's Superhero themed gala more interesting would have been a few in-character wigs!)





Really, it's not just me who has this obsession with wigs. You're likely to find several in the closets of most of my friends.

wait... Oh, where do we wear them? To the bar, the club, during the entire weeks of Halloween and Mardis Gras, to clean in, to Rocky Horror, around our homes, etc.

Great, beautiful, top-of-the-line (or over-the-top) wigs aren't cheap. If you're good with a teasing comb and rather crafty, I imagine you can make some beautiful ones yourself.

If less craft-inclined, here are two resources I recommend:
Fifi Mahoney based in New Orleans. Always worth a trip if you're visiting!

Peacock Blue Design Studio. Makers of so very, very much more. Milliner-costumer all around beautiful goodies.

Adventure in Nola-land...

For the person who found my blog searching for "Alice in Wonderland dramatis personae," while you may not have been looking for me per se, but you're gonna get it anyway.

I present... Krewe Du Wonderland (February '06)









You can find the whole set here; and if you look closely, you can find MOST of the Dramatis Personae from both Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass.


For the lass (I assume) who came here wondering, "Which goes on first crinoline corset," I always recommend putting the corset on last (as demonstrated above). Very last. Not only does it help smooth out the overall outfit and ensure your crinoline is hiding possible bulge, it also means you don't have to get someone else to put your shoes on. That's kind of embarassing.

My One True Love

It began early in my life, as an impish youth who was given too many fashion magazines at too young an age (10!). It wasn't a love that grew from cold-shoulder tops or high waisted shorts, but rather for the pictorial spreads that engulfed the magazines. By 15, I was taking as many photography courses in high school as I could, first learning the "how to" only to start branching out to my own "fashion shoots" by senior year.

In the past few years, I've fallen out of sorts from photography, sadly. My access and time for the darkroom has become non-existent, as have my chances to play impromptu fashionista photographer with my friends. I recently came across this ad campaign for Miu Miu, featuring Kristen Dunst.

Simply stated, it took my breath away.











Now, I understand this set has been posted all over the place, but frankly I could care less about that. This set is provocative and thoughtful for me, and I thought I'd share some of that process.

Things I love about this:

While not a particular fan of Dunst, I think she was perfectly suited for this ad series. She has a combination of youthfulness and sensuality that contradict one another beautifully.

The clothes are magnificent (particularly the white dress with black and red stripes; that I may have to replicate on my own), and there isn't a pair of shoes I wouldn't wear.

I love the visual allusions. This series reminds me of several things: the David Lynch series Twin Peaks & Agent Cooper's dreams of the White Lodge; a lascivious carnivalesque-circus theme; a modernization of Old Hollywood glamor photography mixed with pin-up photography; Alice in Wonderland.

The dramatic use of color and lines as emphasized by the use of strong and bold lighting. Visually, I could stare at these for hours, noticing small and new details with every passing second.

Corsets and Crinolines

In a typical fashion, I find myself coveting another (new) corset. My current two are a couple inches smaller than I'd like them to be, which makes perfect sense in my own mind as to why I should by new ones!

If money were no object, I'd buy this beautiful corset by Etsy Designer Gifling. The corset looks as thought it were made for me: the carnivalesque ruffles along the bottom, the original artwork that has been printed on to glove leather, and it's even my size! Sadly, at $680, I doubt that I'll be able to afford it any time soon.


While I save up my hard earned pennies, I may invest in one of Louise Black's corsets. They're amazingly affordable for the work that goes in to them, and share the same style of front art design that Gifling's Carnival corset does. I'm particularly fond of her new Peacock design, which I think would look amazing customized with red velvet and the cream/burgundy striped cotton. Louise Black has added several beautiful new designs to her corset shop, and they're the perfect opportunity to experience a custom-made corset at an out-of-this-world price!