Rate My Look: Festive Fascinator, etc.

One of the advantages of taking a new job in the fall is that none of your new co-workers know or saw what you wore to the holiday party at your previous job. Meaning? You get to re-use whatever fabulous outfit you wore. In my case, it was my "lady in red" dress that I made for myself last year. It was a HUGE hit with my new co-workers and that is saying something when you consider what fashionistas they all are. Here I am at last year's holiday party at AMT:

And here I am at this year's holiday party with my new co-workers McKenzie, Juhree and Elizabeth, a sales consultant, the store manager and the store owner, respectively: 

So, I may have had a second "debut" of the dress in real life, but I certainly can't fool the interwebs! If you've been reading the blog long enough to remember that I wore the dress, then I think I probably owe you a second outfit on this post, and a good one at that. Fortunately, I have one. 

One of my favorite couples hosts an annual New Year's Eve party that is always fun. While living in Pennsylvania, I wasn't ever able to attend, but I remember going in years prior to my move and always enjoying myself. One thing I love about this party is the eclectic mix of people in attendance. You never know if someone will show up in jeans and a trucker hat (like last night), or a full tuxedo (2005, I believe), or even an authentic dress kimono (2006, maybe). You may think that makes dressing for the party difficult, but you'd be wrong. All it means is that each guest is encouraged to dress in whatever way they deem appropriate and comfortable. Regardless of what you are wearing when you show up, you will be welcome. I decided to wear an LBD with a couple of fun accessories: 

You've seen the dress before in this post, but in this setting it's perfect for a NYE party. The sequins add a touch of glamour to an otherwise basic LBD. Leopard print heels amp up the sex-appeal and the fascinator makes it as festive as can be! When I walked in the door to the party, my host said, "You are New Year's Eve personified!" I'd call that a compliment, for sure! While it is a bit over-the-top, the fascinator is actually very light-weight and comfortable and some other guests at the party enjoyed donning it, too: 

Sherry, a guest at the party

Danielle, our hostess

To me, it's very Philip Treacy, but it certainly didn't cost anywhere near what his designs go for. In fact, I found it at Forever 21 a couple of years ago for only $5.80! I knew I would have to wait for a "dress up" opportunity to wear it, and I'm glad that opportunity came sooner rather than later (if you can call two years "sooner"). 

Now that I've shared my holiday party outfits, why don't you tell me about yours? Leave a comment on this post or email me a picture! 

Happy New Year! 

Hurray! I'm Employed!!!

I promised to update you on my job search and I have a very exciting update today! I was just hired to be the Alterations Manager for Madeleine's Daughter, a bridal boutique in Portsmouth, NH. I am SO excited to start this position later this month. In my work at AMT, I did a lot with formal gowns and I loved it. I figured heading into the bridal industry would be a nice progression for my career. I interviewed last week and wasn't expecting to hear back until the end of October, but I got the offer yesterday and accepted it today. I am really looking forward to it- I know that I have a LOT to learn- I've never worked in sales before and I've never worked in the bridal industry, either. However, I think it's right up my alley. And this opportunity is proof that even if you don't have experience within a certain industry, you can still be the right person for the job.

When I got into theatre, it was originally as a musician- I was playing piano and keyboard for various orchestra pits and I was also working as a musical director for various theatrical productions. After a few years of that, I ended up trying out costume design, completely by chance. I distinctly remember the first costumes I ever made. I was the musical director for a production of "The Music Man" (one of my all-time favorite shows, by the way) and the costume designer was overloaded with work. One of the barbershop quartet members came to me and explained that they weren't going to get to wear the candy-stripe vests that barbershop quartets are so famous for. He was so disappointed and he asked if I knew anything about sewing. I said that I didn't know much, but that I would be willing to try to make the vests. He bought the fabric and a few days later, I'd made the vests for them. He was SO happy! A few weeks later, I was working for another theatre with a different director and he heard from Brian (the barbershop guy) about the vests I'd made. Before I knew it, I was being offered a job working on the wardrobe staff of this new theatre. Two years later, I was the head costume designer and wardrobe manager for AMT and now I'm heading into bridal. You never know where life is going to take you, but if you're open to new experiences, it just might lead to somewhere great.

My point is this: if you are at all unhappy with your current career situation, take the steps to change it. You might not succeed in the way you thought you would, but then again, you might succeed in spectacular ways you never even dreamed of, too. You won't know until you try. My current situation in Pennsylvania was not working out for me. The area didn't provide many opportunities and over time I become pretty unhappy. When I quit my job, packed up my life and moved back to New England, I had no idea what the future held. It was not easy to take that leap of faith, but fortunately for me, I had an incredible support system in my family and friends. I knew that if I moved back to New England, I could end up flipping burgers at McDonald's and my family and friends would still be there to support and encourage me. It helped to take the pressure off the job search a little and as a result, I think I did a better job with the resumes I sent, the interviews I went on, etc.

Speaking of interviews... I mentioned that I was offered a job on the spot yesterday. You may be wondering about that job versus the bridal shop job. Well, fortunately, the job interview yesterday was for a temporary contract working for a ballet company on their costumes. I hope to be able to do at least some of the sewing work before I start up at Madeleine's Daughter. I guess when it rains, it pours!

I'll be sure to keep you all posted on my experiences in the bridal industry as well as any other fashion, style, costume or sewing work I come across in the future. And if you're in need of a formal gown, be it a wedding gown, prom dress, or anything formal, I encourage you to make an appointment at Madeleine's Daughter!

Edible Fashion

When I gave my notice to AMT, I explicitly told them, "No cake." Those farewell cakes are always so awkward and sad and then everyone eats their feelings. Well, when I saw MY farewell cake, it was NOTHING like I expected it to be! It was the perfect cake for a costume designer:

Not only is it a ballgown cake, but they made sure it was my favorite color- Tiffany blue! I was so touched! And it was delicious, to boot. They also had lots of cupcakes to go with the giant ballgown cake and everyone came to say "Goodbye." It was a perfect ending to a great job that I have truly enjoyed for nearly four years. But it's time for the next step in my life. I'm packing my entire apartment into a moving truck tomorrow afternoon and driving the nearly 500 miles up to New Hampshire on Saturday. Wish me luck! I don't think I'll have much time to blog between now and then, but once I get settled, I'll get right back to it. In the meantime, feel free to click through some of my archives if you have fashion-blog-withdrawal. Can you believe I have nearly 500 posts? I can hardly believe it.

On another note, I'm excited to be in another area with a whole new world of fashion to explore. Boston is a pretty fashionable city. It's not New York, but it's also very different from the style of Central Pennsylvania! Since I have so many fashionable friends back home in New England, I'm really hoping they'll all be willing to be featured on the blog every now and then.

Finally, if you live in the New England area and are interested in utilizing my styling services, feel free to visit my website. You can email me to book a closet consultation or a style party or to talk about just about any fashion or style-related needs you may have. Also, (prepare yourself for the shameless plug) the holidays will be here sooner than you could possibly imagine, and what better stocking stuffer is there than a gift certificate for my styling services? You can purchase them on my website here. See you in New England!

My Labor Day Weekend

I'm working for part of this holiday weekend because Alice Cooper is playing at AMT today. I'm not familiar with much of Alice Cooper's music, but I know he's mostly hard rock/heavy metal- quite a departure from AMT's typical programming. It's not really my scene, but it's still been a pretty fun day at work so far. In between setting up dressing rooms and the green room, I've started working on a new dress to sell in my Etsy shop. It's a slightly more complicated dress than I'm used to constructing, so I hope it comes out right. If not, I guess you'll figure it out because it won't show up in my Etsy shop.

*A quick note about my Etsy shop items: If I ever make something for the shop, but it's not in your size, or you'd like it in a different color or print, please email me and request a custom item. It may cost a bit more, or vary slightly depending on the size you require and whether or not the fabric I used is still available. But if you like something, don't hesitate to ask!

I've been sewing a lot this week, but I'm going to wait a few more days to show you what I've been working on. It's nice to have a bit of downtime between working on shows to spend on my own projects. All too often when I'm eye-ball-deep in designing a show, I don't always have the energy to work on my own pieces when I get home. It's also nice to "re-charge" and take some time to get inspired by something. It's easy to have tunnel-vision and be very focused on the show, but now I'm able to look around and see things with fresher eyes. Like the leaves that are ALREADY changing! Can you believe that? Or the way the temperature has suddenly dropped? Fall is just around the corner! Hopefully during this downtime I'll find some inspiration and have time to work on some more pieces for the shop.

The rest of my weekend is also going to be fairly busy. I am planning on having a yard sale this weekend in preparation for my big move. I'm excited to purge all my storage and closets. It's so liberating to get rid of clutter. I tend to be a bit of a pack-rat, but lately I've gotten much better at letting things go. I have even started to follow my own rule of throwing something away if I haven't used it in a year. Sometimes that's really hard to do, but if I am going to be honest about it, I know it's a much better choice to sell something or give it away and hope that the new owner will put it to more use than I have.

What are you all doing this Labor Day weekend? I hope your plans are a little more fun than mine! Leave a comment if you like!

Abbey Road Videos and HairDo Review

As if opening night isn't stressful enough on its own, this particular show was fraught with even more anxiety since the entire show was filmed that evening. It's mostly for archival purposed, but the theatre brings in a 3 person camera crew who edits it together afterwards, so it's more than just a straight-on shot the entire time. A bunch of cuts were posted on youtube this week, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

First up, "Hard Day's Night." I want to show you this because of the fabulous grey suits I chose for the men in the show:



At this point in the show, their suits are in the more "disheveled" stage- most of them have loosened their ties, removed their jackets, rolled their sleeves up, etc. But you can still get an idea of what the suit itself looks like on Todd (singing lead). The suits came from H&M and were very affordable- only $99 for the jacket and $49 for the pants. We had to perform some minor alterations like taking in the waists and hemming the length on the pants, but overall they have a really nice, slim fit. I also liked that they have a nice sheen to them- almost like a sharkskin suit, but not quite that shiny.

Next up is Blackbird, performed by Michelle. She's a regular performer at AMT and for this show I got to put her in some really spectacular gowns. This particular gown is beaded from top to bottom and looks really beautiful under the lights. I don't think the video really does it justice.



Did you happen to notice her hair- probably not, but if you did, you saw that it's about shoulder-length. Well, in act 1, it's all the way down her back. You can see it in this video of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." Skip to about 1:45 to see her hair if you like:



Looks pretty great, right? I actually used Jessica Simpson's line HairDo to achieve the long, 70's-era locks on Michelle. I purchased it at MaxWigs and it wasn't cheap- $89 for synthetic, but it was worth it. The color she's wearing is "Sandy Blonde," but there are plenty of other color and style options available. The great thing about the HairDo line is that it is intended to work with your own natural hair. You pull the hair at the crown up and out of the way, then you use the clips that are sewn into the hair piece to secure it in place. Let your own hair down over the top of it and it's a perfect seamless blend of natural and faux hair.

She dances a LOT in the show and the piece has never once even started to come loose, so you know it's quality. Here's a picture of the hair in action:

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I highly recommend the HairDo line. I own the bangs myself, and after seeing how great this piece has worked out, I'll probably use more pieces in shows in the future. Have any of you ever tried this line? What do you think of it? Would you ever wear fake hair in real life? It's one thing to do it on stage, but another thing entirely to pull it off in real life. I've done it, so it's definitely possible! Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Abbey Road Show Pictures

Since I love to post pictures of the shows I design, here are some action shots from "The AMT Band plays Abbey Road."

Remember my pink and green vinyl outfit?

Well, there's actually another costume over it that gets ripped off and reveals the tiny vinyl costume underneath. Missy, one of our dancers, plays both characters that these costumes were designed to represent.

Another great dance feature is Bethany in this lovely lyrical dress that I covered (and I mean COVERED) in rhinestones. It sparkles like you wouldn't believe!

You may remember from a while back that I commissioned some special jewelry for this show. I love adding that special finishing touch to costumes. If you look closely, you'll see that the girls are wearing these necklaces (available on Etsy soon).

And finally, Missy's most risque dancer outfit in the show (yes, that's a whole lot o' black vinyl):

Our photographer got a lot of good group shots, too:

Of course, all our singers need a great band to back them up. I love how the boys in the band look in their red and white outfits. Some were a little upset with my choice to put them in skinny jeans (red ones, to boot!), but I like how it all came together.

If you want to see more, you'll have to come and see the show! Have a great night, everyone!

Some weeks are harder than others

Yes, I am aware that I've been M.I.A. since Tuesday. Sometimes that's how it goes in the entertainment industry. There are shows that go up without a hitch and you just seem to breeze right through tech week into opening night with enough time for a pedicure and an oil change. Other weeks are like the one I just had.

We opened "The AMT Band plays Abbey Road" last night. Catchy title, right? I'm being sarcastic, of course. That's just about the only criticism I have of this show, though. The title stinks. Everything else is pretty amazing- the show is a visual stunner, and I'm not just talking about the costumes. The entire set is like one giant light box- it reminds me of Mondrian's color blocking artwork. Actually, there's even a costume I made that is inspired by Mondrian's color blocking as well, only I used the color palette of neon pink, neon green and black as opposed to his palette of red, white, black, yellow and blue. I promise to post pictures of the show eventually. Much like everything else with getting this show together, we're behind on getting actual show pictures taken. We did, however, have a photo shoot for the promotional materials a couple of weeks ago, so I'm happy to share some of those with you:

See the cool light boxes?

Left to right: Sam, Gus, Michelle, Todd and Jared- the talented singers in our cast.

As you can see, this picture above features Missy, one of our talented dancers, wearing the Mondrian-inspired gogo dress made with neon pink and green vinyl. Yes, vinyl. It's always classy in my costume shop! ;)

Anyway, as I mentioned, this show was particularly hard to get up for a number of reasons- most of them related to the technical elements of getting a show together. And because of that, I'm not going to bore you with them. I'm just going to say that some weeks are harder than others. On top of everything, I managed to get a flat tire while out running show-related errands. Like I said, some weeks are harder than others.

But no matter how hard the week, all our efforts paid off. The show is without a doubt a great one. Our artistic director, Andrea, has outdone herself on this one. She was given the concept of creating a show in two acts. The first act needed to be the Beatles' album "Abbey Road." Note-for-note, the music absolutely HAD to remain the same as the album. Our cast and band took on the challenge and they sound amazing. As for the visual, she created a beautiful, artistic visual "ballet" for lack of a better word. I don't want to tell you too much, in case you want to come and see it (and I strongly recommend that you do if you live in the area), but just know that it is whimsical at times, dark and edgy at others, but the entire act is so well done, I was in awe when I saw it all "Come Together." (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.) For act 2, she chose to rewind back to the Beatles early music and then take the audience on a fairly chronological journey sampling music from most of their albums. There are some original arrangements, and others done a la "Across the Universe" or arrangements of other artists' cover versions of Beatles songs. Much like the first act, there are a lot of interesting visual choices utilizing the light boxes, among other conventions.

Hopefully I'll recover soon and get back to blogging regularly! In the meantime, enjoy another photo from the show:

Hey Jules

Today my lovely and talented coworker Julie showed up to work in the most fabulous micro- mini I have seen in a long time. Julie is one of those cool chicks who wears quirky vintage dresses and outfits all the time. A lot of her pieces come from her mom's closet and are authentic period clothes. I can only assume from Julie's wardrobe that her mom was a pretty cool chick back in the 60's & 70's. So if Julie is always wearing cool vintage clothes, what makes today's outfit blog-worthy? Well, today's outfit shows off Julie's rather incredible set of legs. All too often, we as women are insecure about different parts of our bodies. So when I see someone wearing an outfit that so clearly demonstrates confidence and self assurance, I just have to applaud them. So raise a glass to Julie tonight whose daring sartorial choice sends a message to all women to be proud of how you look and to not be afraid to let the world know it.

Fabulous Etsy Find

Ok, this isn't technically an Etsy "find" for me since I commissioned these pieces, but they could be considered an Etsy "find" for basically anyone else. Check out these super cool up-cycled necklaces made by BBBellezza:

Super cool, right? I contacted Kim (the artisan behind these cool pieces) because I'd seen her up-cycled and recycled jewelry before and was impressed with her work. In addition, she's local to Lancaster, and I love supporting local artists and businesses whenever I can. Anyway, I explained the concept of a costume I'd designed for the upcoming "Abbey Road" show that I'm currently working on. As great as the costume was, I felt it needed a cool finishing touch and her nuts-and-bolts-style pieces were perfect. We got together to discuss the concept in a little more detail and these necklaces are what she came up with to complete my design. I couldn't be happier with them, but the even better news is that if YOU like them, they are going to be available in Kim's fall collection on Etsy. You have to wait a couple of months before they'll be available, but I think they're worth the wait. In the meantime, visit her Etsy Shop to peruse her other pieces.

Best Accessory EVER

Please forgive the less than flattering angle on this photograph- I merely want to show you all the BEST ACCESSORY I HAVE EVER WORN:

Look closely and you will see my backstage pass to the Ringo Starr concert that played at AMT on Tuesday. I need to frame that sucker. And yes, I did get to meet Ringo, very briefly. Then I listened to his soundcheck and then I watched the concert which was fabulous. Never in my life did I ever expect to hear a Beatle sing live. When he sang "Yellow Submarine" and "A Little Help from My Friends," it was absolutely surreal. I'm only 31 years old. When the Beatles came to America, my parents hadn't even met. It would be another fifteen years before I was born. I've always been a Beatles fan, but I never imagined I would get to hear one sing only 100 feet away from me, much less meet him. Ringo sang a few songs down front, but for much of the concert he played his Ludwig drum kit, the same style kit he played with the Beatles. Of course the Beatles logo on the bass drum has been replaced with a star. It's funny- one of my coworkers said he felt chills when he heard Ringo singing, but less thrilled when he sat down at the drum kit. I sort of felt the opposite. I felt like when Ringo sat behind his drum set it was like going back in time a little and that gave me chills.

The other amazing thing about the evening was hearing all the other members of the All Starr Band. The band is made up of some of rock n' roll's greats including Gary Wright (Dream Weaver), Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer of The McCoy's, Wally Palmer, Richard Page and Gregg Bissonette. I mention the McCoy's because during the concert Derringer told the story of how the McCoy's have the distinction of having had a No. 1 hit on Billboard- "Hang on Sloopy"- while the Beatles' "Yesterday" was at No. 2. Of course it only lasted a week, but still- that's quite an accomplishment. The concert was wonderful- these guys all played and sang like the rock stars they are.

It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I'm glad I was there to do it. Next up- Paul McCartney! (If only...)

Shoesday Tuesday- Out of Time!

So I just realized that I promised you all a Shoesday Tuesday later today, but I totally forgot about my plans for the evening with my friend Amy. So, the point I'm trying to make is that I don't have time to put together a thoughtful and interesting Shoesday Tuesday post, so I'm totally copping out and giving you photos from opening night of the fiercest shoes in the show- I have 2 favorites. Enjoy!

Honestly- if ever there were rock star shoes, these are it!

In case you're having trouble seeing these crazy shoes, here's a close-up:

Even though they aren't my favorites, I sort of love that there are black-on-black Converse chucks in the show. You can barely see them, but  I promise they're there:

There's something really cool and hipster-esque about black-on-black Converse chucks, don't you think? Love 'em.

And since I feel guilty about this cop-out post, I'll finish with a photo of the black-light dance costumes I showed you a while back:

Super cool, right? Ok, once again I'm sorry for the cop out. I hope you enjoyed the costume photos instead!

What to wear to the company picnic

Yesterday afternoon was AMT's annual company picnic. This event is always a lot of fun. There's delicious catered BBQ, games like croquet, horse shoes, softball, and even Bingo! We eat and drink and socialize and it's a lot of fun for everyone. It's a family event, so a lot of people bring their children, and overall it's just a fun way to kick off the summer. Since we opened California Soul on Friday, it was also a nice way to relax and enjoy celebrating the newest show on our stage. It did get me thinking, though, because the subject came up about what would be an appropriate outfit to wear. Since it's not actually work but still a work-related event, what is the protocal on dressing for this type of event? Since this was not my first AMT company picnic, I had a good idea of what to expect- a casual dinner at picnic tables at a local public park, followed by games out in the sun- definitely a very casual affair. But some companies host their company outings at country clubs or fancier venues than a local park. What do you wear in that type of situation?

Just as in dressing for work, when dressing for a company event, whether it's a casual picnic, or an important function, look to the higher-ups and model your attire after them. Because even though the event is not technically at work, you are still there representing yourself to your company and if the HR director is there seeing you in dirty cut-off jeans and an old "Budweiser" t-shirt, it's definitely NOT a good thing. So, that being said, the first step to dressing for a company event is to find out what to expect. Where is it located? What will be happening there? Ask your coworkers how people tend to dress for the event. It's okay to ask- it's far better to feel a little embarrassed about asking that question than it is to show up dressed completely wrong and sticking out like a sore thumb. Once you know a little about the event, you can make an informed sartorial decision.

AMT's company picnic is very casual as you can see from some of these candids I snapped yesterday:

The most important thing for nearly everyone in attendance was that we wore sunglasses and comfortable clothes that would keep us cool in the hot summer sun. Dressing up was not a necessity for this event. However, if you work somewhere that hosts a little more formal summer event, such as a boating trip, or even if the event is simply held at a country club or resort-type venue, then you need to be more concerned with your attire. You can still wear jeans and a t-shirt, but make sure they are clean and wrinkle-free, not to mention stain-free. An even better choice for guys would be a pair of khaki or seersucker shorts with a polo shirt. "Mandals" (Man sandals) are a great choice to finish off the look. They almost always look better than sneakers, but I'm certainly not completely opposed to sneakers, especially if they are low-top Chuck Taylors. Ladies, as always you have far more choices for your attire for a company function, so just be careful to choose something that is tasteful and doesn't show too much skin. If you wear your favorite cut-off short shorts, then avoid the crop top. And if you choose to wear a sundress, particularly a strapless one, keep the hemline at or around the knee. This season, rompers are very "in" but if you choose to wear one, pair it with flat sandals, flip flops or even fabric oxfords to keep the look appropriate.

I think a summer event for your company is a good opportunity to show your personal style a little bit, especially if the corporate side of things has a strict dress code. It's just important to keep it appropriate and professional even if it is a casual event.

Here I am with my friend and co-worker Julie, who really nailed the perfect AMT picnic outfit. She balanced the short short with a cute button-up shirt that was long enough that she never showed her belly. Also, she added a pop of fun and quirkiness to the outfit with those amazing pink cowboy boots. Not only do they show her personal style, but they even managed to reduce the amount of leg she was showing so that those cut-offs were not the least bit questionable.

Bethany (left) and Missy (right) also put together great outfits for the event. Bethany sported an adorable dark chambray romper, in a loose, comfortable fit. Missy paired a simple white top with cute denim shorts and a wide belt. Both ladies donned gladiator sandals and aviator sunglasses and they also kept the accessories simple and casual.

This picture just cracks me up! We kept saying these guys were having a "Dude-Off." Whatever that is. They were being "dudes." Most of them did a pretty good job, but I'd say Jacob (in the yellow) really nailed the right look. Khaki cargo shorts and a bright polo shirt, topped off with a worn-out baseball cap and finished with a pair of flip flops. Mike and Chris, the guys in black t-shirt and jeans, were probably really hot all afternoon. It was a sweltering day, so they probably would have been a lot more comfortable if they'd chosen shorts instead of jeans and worn a lighter-color t-shirt. But they're musicians, used to wearing head-to-toe black nearly all the time, so we can hardly blame the for not stepping out of their comfort zone. (P.S. I love how the three guys are posing with their horse-shoes as Chris- in front- is about to toss his. Hilarious!)

I hope this has been helpful to you for any future company events you may have to attend. Have a fabulous week! I'll be back later today with a Shoesday Tuesday post, so stay tuned!

Sorry I've been M.I.A...

... but I'm in the last couple of days before we open California Soul, so I'm pretty busy. You know I want nothing more than to be able to blog all day, but this week it just doesn't seem to be in the cards. I even missed Shoesday Tuesday yesterday!

But I figured the least I could do was to check in and give you a little preview of what I'm working on. There is a section in the show with lots of 60's style hippies. We had a photo shoot last week and here are some pictures from it:

They did the photo shoot without the set, so this really is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how it will all look, but I think they're pretty fun pictures anyway. Have a great Wednesday and hopefully I'll be back to blogging by the end of the week!

P.S. All pictures are courtesy of American Music Theatre.

NCL Closing

Hello everyone and Happy Saturday! Today is the closing day of Nashville City Limits, the show at AMT that has been running since early May. I'm sad to see this show close because it was not only a lot of fun to work on, but it's also a blast to watch. And I'm not a country music fan! The costumes were fun to work on- there was a lot of plaid and denim, even a "denim tuxedo" if you know what that means.

Anyway, since it's the last day, I don't suppose there will be any harm done in posting a few videos from YouTube of the show. Some are official- posted by AMT and others are videos taken by fans, etc. Enjoy!







It's always bittersweet when a show ends (unless you've hated it the whole time- haha), but there's something really special about live theatre and knowing that the same show will never be performed again the way it has been these last six weeks. I am very proud of the work that not only was done in the wardrobe department on this show, but I'm also proud of the work everyone on the production staff did on it. From the scenic design, to the complex lighting and video combinations (there are over 15 video screens and TV's on the set, not to mention dozens and dozens of lights), to the cast and band with their incredible musicianship and performance quality- this was a great show and I'm proud to have been a part of it.

What I Did Today...

Sorry for being a bit MIA the last 2 days, but I am currently in production for the next show of the season at work, so I'm pretty busy. And when I get home from work, I'm often pretty exhausted. And the apartment is a disaster and really needs a deep cleaning (it's really embarrassing at this point), but I'm wiped out, so it's getting done little by little. For example, last night I was taking out the trash around midnight and on the way back from the dumpster, there were dozens of fire flies all over the place. Some people call them lightning bugs. They are so gorgeous the way they glow. I was absolutely mesmerized and I just stood there in the grass watching their lights glow. I remember being a little girl and visiting friends of the family up in a rural area of Maine. (Who am I trying to kid? ALL of Maine is rural!) Anyway, I remember the lightning bugs/fire flies were glowing bright orange. And last night down here in rural PA, they were glowing bright yellow. Does anyone know what makes the different colored lightning bugs? I suppose I could Google it, but it's late and I'm sleepy. How does this relate to this blog or the title of this particular post? Well, I spent most of today working on a costume that actually reminds me quite a bit of the lightning bugs:

Forgive the pins holding the sequin trim in place- it's not quite finished in the picture. And also forgive the messy fringe- I didn't smooth it all down perfectly before snapping the picture. Oops! Anyway, you may think this costume reminds me of the lightning bugs because it is literally neon, but that's not the only reason. In the show, it will be featured in a full black-light number, which I find pretty exciting. As you can see, the entire costume is covered in fringe, which reacts to the black light really well. There will be another dancer in a yellow version of the same costume- kind of like the two colors of fire flies- orange in Maine and yellow in Pennsylvania. And no, I did not choose those colors to copy the bugs, it is merely a coincidence that they are so similar.

I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I LOVE designing costumes for dancers. First of all, they have the most perfect bodies, so there are rarely limitations in terms of how form-fitting or revealing a costume can be. Second, their costumes are all about movement, so it's fun to come up with ways to make the costume move based on the choreography. Can you guess the type of dancing that will be done in this black light costume? In case you can't tell from the picture, the base underneath the pink fringe is white, so there will be a fun contrast in colors under the black light since white glows purple. I'm excited to see it all come together, but I have to wait a couple more weeks for that.

I'm sorry if this post wasn't very fashion-y, but please understand when I'm mounting a show, there's not much else I think about. In the meantime, if you have any questions about my work as a costume designer, clothing designer, seamstress or style consultant, leave a comment and I'll either answer it there, or if there are a lot of questions, I may do a Q&A post to answer them.

Have a great weekend!

It's opening night!

I love opening night of a show- I always sit in the audience and look at the people around me to see how they are enjoying the show. I love when I see smiles on their faces, or people singing along, or just excitement when they hear the first notes of a song they love. It's so different from all the dress rehearsals done for a nearly empty theatre and the energy is always charged. This show- Nashville City Limits- was a lot of fun for me to work on. I'd never done an all-country show before and I loved playing with the casual, laid-back vibe while also "blingin' it up" here and there. It was also fun to sort of create different moments and "looks" throughout the show that were a small tribute to that artists' style. If you live in the area and would like to see the show, it runs Thursdays through Saturdays, May 7th through June 19th. Visit AMT's website for ticket info. I promise you, this is a show you will love to see. I'm very proud to have been a part of it and I think it will be entertaining to anyone, not just country fans. To wet your appetite, here are a handful of photos from our last dress rehearsal:

This is one of my favorite costumes in the show, but you'll have to get a ticket to see the front (Trust me, it's fierce and worth the price of admission.)

This picture is from one of my favorite songs in the show- "Southern Voice" by Tim McGraw. 

 

This is our spectacular fiddle player- Erica. She's pretty incredible (incredible enough to upstage those boots, which is no small feat).

What Nashville-inspired show would be complete without some patriotic coyote-ugly-esque outfits?

Thanks for reading- I'm off to go get my hair done and get dressed for opening night! To all my NCL cast and band- BREAK A LEG!

Vintage Inspiration

My latest assignment at AMT is to design the wardrobe for "California Soul" a rockin' tribute to the music of the 60's & 70's, specifically geared towards the west coast. There is so much great music in this show, but what I'm loving the most about it is all the fun research I get to do. The late 60's through the early 80's were a crazy time for fashion, particularly the 70's. Psychadelic prints, maxi-dresses, big hair (on women AND men), platform shoes, bell bottoms, I love all of it. It's a lot of clothing that I personally might not have the nerve to wear, but that's what make the fantasy of it so much more enjoyable. I've encountered some great style icons in my research including:

Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane

Janis Joplin

The 5th Dimension

Twiggy, the icon of icons

All the clothing is so over the top, but I adore it all. We all know what a treasure trove of vintage can be found on Etsy, so here are some fabulous inspiring pieces from various vintage etsy stores for all of you:

Does this dress make you go cross-eyed like me?

As Tim Gunn would say, this maxi dress is a lot of look!

Is there anything more "hippie chic" for a hippie chick than this cool printed blouse?

Well maybe, but it would have to be these zipper trimmed bell bottom jeans!

Let's not forget the stylish options for men! Every guy needs a great dashiki, right?

I also love a guy who can rock a fur-trimmed collar on a coat like this.

And what vintage 70's round-up would be complete without a pair of fierce platforms?

And finally, don't you just die for this swirly Mod dress?

I tend to look better in 50's style silhouettes (a-line and full skirts), but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the silhouettes of the following 2 decades. Do you have a vintage style icon? Leave a comment and tell me all about your faves!