Modesty's Costume Closet

Modesty is the internet handle I adopted for myself way back in high school. I will answer to it as a name. People I meet on the internet tend to call me that. But I adopted this as a name for myself not only because it starts with "M" like my real name, but it is a virtue I aspire to. I don't always live up to it, but I continue trying.  What is Modesty? Now, immediately, the connotation for modesty seems to be telling women how to dress. And as everyone knows, people LOVE being told what to do.  Modesty, like any virtue, cannot be forced upon you to really take root. It must be nurtured in the heart of the person themselves. So, modesty is not forcing you to cover up.  The sister virtue to modesty is humility , which opposes pride...the greatest vice. It is the focus on self that often causes strife between people. Humility is not a popular virtue, but it is healthy and important for living with others harmoniously. And ultimately, make us happy.  Humility doesn't ...

 For most of my costumes, I assume that my time outside will be minimal. Nothing more than walking from the parking lot to the venue. But there are plenty of reasons for outdoor events to be costume events as well, such as Ren Faires, Live Action Role Play (LARP), Historical Reenactment, Film Shoots, and outdoor theatre.  In this post I want to go over how to make sure your costume can deal with:  Heat and Cold Precipitation Sun Exposure Uneven Terrain Dirt/Mud/Dust Shopping Convenience Staying Healthy and Hydrated Your physical health, safety and comfort should be a top consideration in designs.  Temperatures 🌡 When and where the event is located will affect the weather you'll likely encounter. So here are some suggestions for adjusting or planning your design to suite the typical temperature of the event's location.  Hot Weather 😎 For our body to keep cool, it needs sweat to evaporate off our skin. The more skin we can expose to the air, the more efficient o...

Resin is common casting material for costumes accessories and props. Typically, it comes out as a clear, hard, plastic product. There are 3 major types of resin I'd like to introduce: UV Resin, Epoxy Resin, and Plaster-Resin. So lets jump in.  🚨Health and Safety⚠ Epoxy resins especially have harmful health effects if not handled properly. The fumes created while mixing are noxious and require ventilation and personal protective equipment such as a respirator. It is a skin irritant so best practice requires nitrile gloves and clothing. Best protect your eyes from splash as well.  During the curing process, the resin gets hot. So be careful with what you use as a mold and what you put it near.  Lastly, sanding resin is especially harmful to lungs and even nerves. You must wear a respirator, a dust mask doesn't cut it.  UV resin does expose you to low levels of UV light so take care of your skin and eyes. Granted the exposure is very short, but worth mentioning. Again,...

 Just giving the update that my dress is done! I did my performance, but I'm still waiting on the video footage.  [Image -tbd] For accessories, in the end I made a couple of pearl necklaces. They did not hit my partner thankfully. I have the t-strap mary janes...they're a bit rough to dance in. And I made a headband with a feather in it. I have a couple of simple pearl earrings I could wear too and the beaded false lashes.  Retrospective I should have measured between the layers of fringe with a ruler. It was all pretty thick on the hem but it did move nice.  I wore nylons instead of my usual shorts. This was nicer looking IMO.  The brooch I used on the belt flew off during practice. Had to tape it closed with a band-aide. 

 The design frenzy has settled down. The initial excitement wanes a bit as expected. But there is still more to think about. While I'm pleased with the potential ideas, there are a few things I should consider on a more logical and practical basis. For example, what's going to be the challenge in making this dress? How expensive do I think it will be? Is my production plan the best way to make this? When it comes to accessories, what will be great for dancing and what will get in the way or become an annoyance?  Current preferred Design Lets start with determining potential Accessories. Accessory Evaluation Going off my drawing, here are the accessories I might use:  Feathered Headband Stud Earrings Long Pearl Necklaces  Ornamented Necklace Black Gloves Gold bangle bracelets White Feather Boa Ornamented Belt/Sash T-strap Mary Jane Shoes A couple of non-negotiables include the shoes and at least one other Flapper staple such as the headband or pearls.  For dancin...

 I've had a sleep and some time to think on things and a few more ideas for the dress have crept in. So here's how day 2 is going.  First, I reviewed my previous day's results a few times. I did make some doodles but was not happy with my color scheme of red and black. It seemed too grim and again, too much like my current competition dress. (Which I finished by the way...here's what that looks like.) So things that bothered me were colors and cuts. While the styles of the 1920s go against every rule of dressing a pear shaped body, I decided that I wouldn't care...but I could "lessen" the effect with a few tricks.  For now I decided that the mesh-top with a heart shape would be best, but I'll put in a triangular cut-out to make a plunging V shape in the heart. I plan on using sequins to make lines on the bodice and making it a highly decorated top...which IS good for pears. The back line will be V-shaped as well.  During the night I peeked at some onli...

Just got good news that there is going to be a showcase this year at my dance school and it's going to be different than before! This time it's theme is a Murder Mystery in a 1920s Speakeasy. It's going to have a story to it so I'll be in-character after my dance number. (I've been craving a theatrical project. I'm going to have to brush up on my '20s slang.)  Right now, I'm plotting what to do with the character that I've chosen and how to design her costume. I thought this would be a fun example of developing a costume design as in the moment instead of in hindsight.  Character Description This is the character prompt I received from the organizer:  Polly Peppers - The flapper with a Dark Past. She dances and laughs like she hasn't a care in the world, but Polly's real story is darker than anyone knows. Is she hiding more than just a broken heart? So a few words stood out to me immediately: Flapper, Peppers, Laughter, Dark Past To be honest...