Sexy Everything Costumes: Not a New Thing
I keep seeing complaints about how “kids these days are making everything into a 'sexy whatever’ costume! When will it end?” Probably never, as people have been pulling this crap since…well, queens on Crusade dressed as Amazons, and a bunch of masquers’ wild men costumes caught fire in 1393, and that’s just what I know about. The early modern era was totally into masques, Catherine the Great loved dressing up as a guy for cross-dressing balls, the list goes on. The Victorians looooved them some fancy dress parties, and showed off rather more ankle than they could normally get away with at them (or just wore pants), a trend that continued through the 40s, which is where I lose interest anyway. So if anybody gives you shit about your “sexy fake news” costume, call your grandma, she should back you up.
The origin of the “sexy fake news” costume, the Wastepaper Basket (1896). Which actually seems desperately weird to me, particularly when you’re supposed to commit to a dress that looks like a basketweave, not just stitching bits of paper onto an existing garment.
Electricity, "Electric blue satin, covered with silver zigzag flashes; silver cords are wound about the neck,arms, and waist; to typify the electric coils. Bodice of blue satin draped with silver and crepe de chine; wings at the back; an electric light in the hair. A staff carried in the hand with coils encircling the globe which surmounts it.“ There are some more tech costumes coming up, because I love them dearly.
Champagne Bottle, bringing new meaning to BYOB.
An EYEBALL, which is actually a circus/carnival costume, but I don’t care, it’s an EYEBALL. Completely with EYEBROW. What the hell.
Hell, or nightmare. Personal favorite, I now desperately want to make one of these and just deathstare at people.
Gothic architecture, with really unfortunately drawn bodice details. I’m also unimpressed at the lack of commitment to stained glass, although once you’ve gotten the skirt buttresses to stand up I guess it’s okay to have run out of time.
Cherry tree. I’ve read too many fairy tales to be comfortable being dressed as a tree, also the number of “pick your cherry” jokes would make this intolerable.
Flower basket. Are you supposed to use an actual wicker basket here? That’s not so different from the crinolines of the era holding the skirt to that shape, so okay, but it would be a lot easier/comfortable/less likely to snag on the fabric to use wide ribbons or fabric strips.
A forest at night. Not just a forest, mind you, but a forest AT NIGHT. So you can not only have a moon on your bodice, but another one on your forehead, as you do.
The alphabet. I’m not going to lie, I love alphabets and get a kick out of this one, silly as it is.
The hornet, which has the benefit of making the bustle into a stinger, and that is the only good thing that’s ever been said of a bustle.
Telegraph, 1884. Presumably only counts if the bell functions.
Zeppelin, with weird little flappy fins on the hips, because she’s supposed to look like a zeppelin while also having one on her head. So meta.
Sexy clowns are old school.
Another classic, na-na-na-na-na-na-BATGIRL. Complete with hat and shoes.
Candy kitchen (1902). I think this is an advertising postcard rather than a costume somebody wore to parties, which is good because there’s no way drunk people would not be obnoxious about that costume.
Feather duster (1872, also a rainbow and I don’t know what’s in the middle). Making feather dusters sexy before Disney. Don’t start on the handle jokes, just don’t.
Damned if I know, but she wore it in 1924.
Tulip. This one is actually rather pretty in its own bizarre way, but it’s still a tulip costume and that’s weird off the stage.
Airplane. I hope she got to take the wings off and get something to eat soon. I would insist on back-strapped wings for exactly that reason, although this does give a better effect.
Pumpkin and LETTUCE. How desperate do you have to be to dress up as LETTUCE?
The twenties were really into veggie costumes, including asparagus. Or artichoke? I don’t know. I just don’t know. How far would you go to get away with showing your knees?
Human lamp, 1937, again showing serious dedication to an uncomfortable costume.
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