My friend Amber Clisura is back this week with How to Dress for the Edwardian Ball. I think she provides great costume advice even if you do not happen to be going to the Edwardian Ball. I have a couple of cheap tips and plus size suggestions.
The obvious is a corset top. Dare to Wear has this style and other styles in a 5X, and I hear they run a little small. You can read my review and readers comments HERE.
You can find small headbands and “fascinators” everywhere now, but I love the breadth at Amazon, for figuring out how to make your own or buying one inexpensively. The one above as only $10 plus shipping and would dress up any outfit (second page of the Amazon link). As you may know I live in a costume sort of world so I am always looking for tricks to make it easy. In the photos in her post some women are wearing bustiers over their clothing, or over a bra, rather than alone. You get the effect without being so exposed.
I also find that most stretch or fishnet fingerless gloves fit me just fine, even inexpensive ones (at 275 lbs). I have not tried these velvet stretch fingerless gloves and they are a little more expensive, but I would be surprised if they did not fit. In very worst case, if they did not fit you could sew a little piece of black eleastic into one of the seams, easy and effective.
These little fishnet gloves I own in many colors, they are very inexpensive and have never found a pair that does not fit.
In addition, a Tie-On Bustle, which will make any skirt you own a costume. It says it is one size, but I have worn these before by just replacing the ribbon. If you want to spend more I would check out Etsy. Steampunk is kind of “Around the World in 80 Daysish” and not unlike Edwardian in the costume world.
So with a pair of gloves, a fascinator, a ribbon around your neck and a tie-on bustle, you could make almost anything in your closet into a Steampunk or Edwardian Costume. If you want to stretch a little and try a bustier it would make the costume even more authentic.
And a video with lots of ideas that are not size related, make-up, masks, big fun: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO4eIRpIZ1k?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Hips and Curves has a Steampunk Section on their site. A lot of the collection only runs to a waist measurement of 50″ so that may not be helpful, but they have some cute accessories.
Bustiers: Here is a great bog post, Plus Size and Proud, about Corset Boulevard Global and how they fit and how they look. Great information, and there are a couple of great photos.
In addition, Clockwork Couture has a variety of accessories.
Or you could do a little DIY steampunk, it is all over the web, last year I did a vacuum tube hat and necklace made out of computer and old doll parts.
Peace…affinity
The Raygun Gothic Rocketship has been at Pier 14 for 2 1/2 years. It has been a fun piece of art for San Francisco. I am very sad about the Rocketship’s departure and I feel like a little bit of San Francisco is leaving. When I was the blogger for the Black Rock Arts Foundation I wrote about the Rocketship a lot, as you can see if you click here. Now it is leaving and last night the Space Cowboys put on a street party. While I was there I met the lovely and interesting, Miss Kitty Stryker, who was part of the Rocketship crew. I loved her uniform, and loved it even more when she told me that when she had it made she told the designer that she needed ruffles and cleavage and fun. So I thought you might like to see how that turned out.
And yes, the party rocked and then the Bay Lights came on. It was a special moment, that last time these two fabulous pieces of art would been seen together.
