Bodacious Babes - Costuming for the Luxury Sized
Finishing Touches!
I'm biased, so take this section with a grain of salt. I typically wear
10 rings, 5 earrings, a charm bracelet with 15 charms, two necklaces, an
ear cuff, and a watch. Sometimes I'll add a pin or an anklet. And this is
daily, not for costumes! I realize this is over the top for most people,
but I do also believe that one or two nice pieces of jewelry really help
bring together a look or a costume. If nothing else, you can use the art
of redirection to focus attention on places you want people to look, using
jewelry!
Redirection
Think about what attributes you have that you want people to pay attention
to, and which you'd like them to avoid. If you don't want people staring at
your chest, don't hang an interesting pendant between your breasts!
If you want to draw attention to your throat, try a choker. If you have
expressive hands, or would prefer people focus on something besides your
derierre, try a flashy ring or bracelet.
What Time Is It, Anyway?
What do you do about a watch with a costume or a particular look? Does it go
with the overall effect? Can you hide it? And do you care? I generally
wear my watch if I can hide it or if I'm in more-or-less street clothing.
Otherwise, I take it off and carry it in my pouch. You're unlikely to be this
anal-retentive if you're just experimenting with more daring clothing, but it
is something to think about for SCA costumes and the like.
Another good suggestion is to try a pocket watch (thanks, Renee!). They can
fit well with certain period-type costumes, and are available in futuristic
styles as well. Target, Fred Meyer, and pretty much any given department
store generally carry a reasonable selection. Watches also come in brooch
styles, to pin to your shirt. Decorative and functional!
Where Do I Keep My Stuff?
The best solution I've found for this is to find a guy with pockets who is
willing to carry your ID, Visa, keys, and other relevant items for you!
But seriously, where do you put stuff?
- Fanny Pack
These things are great for keeping your hands free, and for
keeping your belongings right where you need them. However, they're also
terrific at focusing attention on your waistline and rear end, are kind of
the "Geek Choice", and can really wreck a sexy outfit! I wore one for a long
time but my personal opinion is that they should be left for times when you're
wearing jeans and a t-shirt and running to the store, not when you're trying to
let people know how fabulous you look!
- Wallet
The obvious problem with this choice is that a lot of sexy clothes and
costumes don't have pockets. Aside from this, not everything you might want
will fit in a wallet (how do you put a lipstick in a wallet?), and having a
big ol' lump in your back pocket is a sure way to get people to look at it.
Again, probably best left to when you're wearing jeans.
- Purse
A fine choice. Purses come in all shapes and sizes. If you're going for
opt for a "look" rather than a costume, choose something small and in a
coordinating color, or pick one that really matches your look. For a costume,
consider making a purse out of the same fabric as part of your costume!
Hand held, over the shoulder, minibackpacks...your choices are pretty much
endless.
- Pouches
This is a great choice for certain costumes. Barmaids look perfectly fine
with a leather pouch or bag hanging from their belt or wrist. Medieval ladies
might carry a leather or satin pouch on a thong. You could even carry a
smallish pouch on a thong around your neck and tuck it into your cleavage...
give the merchants a little thrill every time you buy something!
- Pockets
Again, some costumes will lend themselves well to having pockets. Consider
having an inside pocket sewn into your favorite cloak (though I would advise
a velcro-closure on the top to prevent the dropsies!) or have pockets put into
a favorite full skirt. This option won't work well for tight clothing, of
course, but it's amazing how much stuff one can put in large pockets in a
voluminous skirt!
Armed and Dangerous
