I style and dye my own hair, and it's taken a lot of practice and frustration at times to 'get it right'.
People often ask me how to achieve vintage styles, but the biggest tip I can give is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! You're gonna have good days, you're gonna have bad days. You're gonna have days where you think your style looks awesome yet when you walk out of your bedroom your roommates laugh at you. Don't let it stop you! You are also going to have to invest in some hair products (hair spray, leave in conditioner, setting lotions) and tools (bobby pins, pin curl clips, wave clamps, rollers, curling irons). I like to experiment with new styles while watching TV. Some times I get an awesome style and am never able to recreate it, but a new style blossoms out of it. I have my everyday styles that are quick, easy, simple and I could do with my eyes closed then I have my styles that are more elaborate.
If you want to begin trying your hand at vintage styles here are some wonderful links!
Vintage Hair Livejournal Community; A great place to ask for advice, browse photos and find more helpful links.
Beauty Is A Thing of The Past: Many helpful scans from vintage beauty magazine including setting patterns.
Look for tutorials on Youtube., there are several!
If you want to play it safe, go to a hair dresser or a beauty school, the students are trained in pin curls and waves and often are cheaper then hair dressers. Bing photos of the style you want!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Burlesque Tips: Pack your bags!
Some times, you may get a last minute call to fill in for a dancer who's ill or unable to make it. Sometimes you may have to dash to a show right after work, whatever the case it's best to be prepared!
Designate a "dance bag" or suitcase and have it always stocked with the following items:
A backup CD of music
A spare garter belt and g-string/rufflebutts
Stockings/Fishnets
A spare set of pasties, tape and/or glue
Hair accessories and products
A make up bag with all the essentials
This way you can pack your costume in a hurry and still be ready to go if you are called to perform at the last minute and won't waste time dashing around gathering these items.
Make sure to restock any supplies that are low as you use them.
Designate a "dance bag" or suitcase and have it always stocked with the following items:
A backup CD of music
A spare garter belt and g-string/rufflebutts
Stockings/Fishnets
A spare set of pasties, tape and/or glue
Hair accessories and products
A make up bag with all the essentials
This way you can pack your costume in a hurry and still be ready to go if you are called to perform at the last minute and won't waste time dashing around gathering these items.
Make sure to restock any supplies that are low as you use them.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Burlesque tips: Building a wardrobe
Costume EssentialsEven the newest performer can create a wide variety of costumes on a limited budget!
First of all, pick a few colors that flatter you and stick to items of those colors to start off with. That way you can mix and match more often. You may want to pick colors that are easier to find: solid colors, black and white- versus sky blue, barbie pink and so on. Of course you can use those harder to find colors in the future but sometimes it can take hours of hunting in stores and online to find the perfect bra, accessories or trims to match those colors and often you could find out it isn't the same shade you had hoped for.
Some basics you should have are:
"Rufflebutts" - as we call them. The basic panties with lots of ruffles on them. Hell, even Target carries them now! These work for just about any occasion and are perfect for venues that require you to have your entire butt cheek covered. Many of them are transparent but you can wear a g-string or solid colored pair of panties under them.
Corset - You can get basic corsets for super cheap on ebay. They won't do much for your figure and you'll have to spend some time reinforcing it so it holds up but if you're on a budget it's a good option. You can also decorate them to make them more stage-worthy. Add some trims to the top and bottom, sew on some appliques and glue sequin trims over the boning. Maybe add a feather boa as a bustle. Beautiful!
Garter Belt - Find a good sturdy one! Alter it if the waist clasp is too hard to work on stage and you plan on taking it off.
Stockings - Stock up on stockings as you never know when one will wander off! I love Sock Dreams - they have a large variety, great prices and a free shipping option! I've noticed that the fencenet stockings hold up way better and last a lot longer then fishnets. I've had one pair of them for nearly a year!
Bras - Of course! Feel free to decorate them with trims, sequins and jewels to make them a little more flashy!
Dresses - Look for sturdy dresses that are easy to get on and off and again, decorate them more if you'd like!
First of all, pick a few colors that flatter you and stick to items of those colors to start off with. That way you can mix and match more often. You may want to pick colors that are easier to find: solid colors, black and white- versus sky blue, barbie pink and so on. Of course you can use those harder to find colors in the future but sometimes it can take hours of hunting in stores and online to find the perfect bra, accessories or trims to match those colors and often you could find out it isn't the same shade you had hoped for.
Some basics you should have are:
"Rufflebutts" - as we call them. The basic panties with lots of ruffles on them. Hell, even Target carries them now! These work for just about any occasion and are perfect for venues that require you to have your entire butt cheek covered. Many of them are transparent but you can wear a g-string or solid colored pair of panties under them.
Corset - You can get basic corsets for super cheap on ebay. They won't do much for your figure and you'll have to spend some time reinforcing it so it holds up but if you're on a budget it's a good option. You can also decorate them to make them more stage-worthy. Add some trims to the top and bottom, sew on some appliques and glue sequin trims over the boning. Maybe add a feather boa as a bustle. Beautiful!
Garter Belt - Find a good sturdy one! Alter it if the waist clasp is too hard to work on stage and you plan on taking it off.
Stockings - Stock up on stockings as you never know when one will wander off! I love Sock Dreams - they have a large variety, great prices and a free shipping option! I've noticed that the fencenet stockings hold up way better and last a lot longer then fishnets. I've had one pair of them for nearly a year!
Bras - Of course! Feel free to decorate them with trims, sequins and jewels to make them a little more flashy!
Dresses - Look for sturdy dresses that are easy to get on and off and again, decorate them more if you'd like!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Burlesque Tips: Tricky Costumes!
I'm sure you all know how important it is to practice in your costumes over and over again! I've been dealing with some tricky costumes lately and have some good advice.
It's true, sometimes taking off your clothes isn't as easy as it seems!
I know it's a pain to keep getting dressed and undressed sometimes... Keep your practice sessions short to avoid frustrations or practice half the time with costume, half the time pantomiming the costume removal so you can focus on your dance steps too!
You never know what will go wrong so it's best to practice often in full costume to find those problems and see if you can fix it. For instance, you may notice a skirt that once fit well is too big or small. Or if you wear a corset it makes your waist smaller and your skirt now sags below your corset or slides right off over your hips! Or you may notice a zipper is too tricky or velcro sticks to your fishnets. isn't best to get those problems out of the way before taking the stage?
It can be hard to take clothes off over your head. As you pull it over it could get stuck on earrings, jewelry, or ruin your hair. Because of this, I prefer clothes that slide off over my hips or can be opened with a zipper, buttons or snaps, but that's my own personal preference.
If you do pull your clothes off over your head, it's been pointed out to me that the easiest way to do it is to cross your arms, grab the bottom hem and guide it gently and slowly up and over your head and hairdo!
Buttons, hooks, snaps, and velcro cause pose problems as well! They can hook to other items of clothing as you try to discard. For this reason, don't drop your clothing near your body, hold it out to the side and drop it and be careful when swinging clothing near your body if it has one of these items on it!
Some tricky zippers can be fixed with a little bit of oil on a q-tip but be very careful not to stain your fabric with it. You can also attach a tassel or a charm to your zipper pull so it's easier to find while onstage.
Ties can be tricky too! Silky ribbon is easier to untie but also has a tendency to slip and not stay tied. If you use a silk ribbon make sure it's still knotted and everything is in place before you get on stage!
May I suggest avoiding using safety pins when possible. It's so easy to loose it during a routine and you could drop it and it could hurt the people performing after you!
Practicing also gives you good ideas for covering those problems that can arise when you're on stage. If you are practicing and something gets stuck, keep going as if you were on stage and try to cover up the problem as gracefully as possible! You'll get some creative ideas and can go back and examine the problem later and see if it can be fixed.
Don't be afraid to ask a cast member or audience member to join you on stage to help you get out of a costume malfunction. There are a lot of ways to play it up as though it was all part of the act.
The audience doesn't know your routine. If you are having problems with an item, act like you were teasing them about removing that particular item. You can come back to it later or even leave it on.
If all else fails, make a joke of costume blunders! Play up the struggle them punish or scold the offending item once you are finally free!
Sometimes no matter how much you prepare, something you never expected goes wrong!
One time my foot slipped out of the strap on my sandal that goes over the top of my foot.
The sandal laced up my leg and that part stayed secure of course. A quick glance down gave me no quick solutions on how to drop my fans and remove the shoe before my music ended so I had to finish my routine with my sandal dragging behind me like a ball and chain. After I got off stage I tried to figure out what happened and was baffled. I couldn't recreate the problem and it's never happened again!
I could write a novel on this subject but it's something to revisit later. Good luck with your costume adventures!
It's true, sometimes taking off your clothes isn't as easy as it seems!
I know it's a pain to keep getting dressed and undressed sometimes... Keep your practice sessions short to avoid frustrations or practice half the time with costume, half the time pantomiming the costume removal so you can focus on your dance steps too!
You never know what will go wrong so it's best to practice often in full costume to find those problems and see if you can fix it. For instance, you may notice a skirt that once fit well is too big or small. Or if you wear a corset it makes your waist smaller and your skirt now sags below your corset or slides right off over your hips! Or you may notice a zipper is too tricky or velcro sticks to your fishnets. isn't best to get those problems out of the way before taking the stage?
It can be hard to take clothes off over your head. As you pull it over it could get stuck on earrings, jewelry, or ruin your hair. Because of this, I prefer clothes that slide off over my hips or can be opened with a zipper, buttons or snaps, but that's my own personal preference.
If you do pull your clothes off over your head, it's been pointed out to me that the easiest way to do it is to cross your arms, grab the bottom hem and guide it gently and slowly up and over your head and hairdo!
Buttons, hooks, snaps, and velcro cause pose problems as well! They can hook to other items of clothing as you try to discard. For this reason, don't drop your clothing near your body, hold it out to the side and drop it and be careful when swinging clothing near your body if it has one of these items on it!
Some tricky zippers can be fixed with a little bit of oil on a q-tip but be very careful not to stain your fabric with it. You can also attach a tassel or a charm to your zipper pull so it's easier to find while onstage.
Ties can be tricky too! Silky ribbon is easier to untie but also has a tendency to slip and not stay tied. If you use a silk ribbon make sure it's still knotted and everything is in place before you get on stage!
May I suggest avoiding using safety pins when possible. It's so easy to loose it during a routine and you could drop it and it could hurt the people performing after you!
Practicing also gives you good ideas for covering those problems that can arise when you're on stage. If you are practicing and something gets stuck, keep going as if you were on stage and try to cover up the problem as gracefully as possible! You'll get some creative ideas and can go back and examine the problem later and see if it can be fixed.
Don't be afraid to ask a cast member or audience member to join you on stage to help you get out of a costume malfunction. There are a lot of ways to play it up as though it was all part of the act.
The audience doesn't know your routine. If you are having problems with an item, act like you were teasing them about removing that particular item. You can come back to it later or even leave it on.
If all else fails, make a joke of costume blunders! Play up the struggle them punish or scold the offending item once you are finally free!
Sometimes no matter how much you prepare, something you never expected goes wrong!
One time my foot slipped out of the strap on my sandal that goes over the top of my foot.
The sandal laced up my leg and that part stayed secure of course. A quick glance down gave me no quick solutions on how to drop my fans and remove the shoe before my music ended so I had to finish my routine with my sandal dragging behind me like a ball and chain. After I got off stage I tried to figure out what happened and was baffled. I couldn't recreate the problem and it's never happened again!
I could write a novel on this subject but it's something to revisit later. Good luck with your costume adventures!
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