Monday, March 9, 2009

Will the real Barbie please stand up?



So today is Barbie's 50th birthday! Whoopdeedooo!
Perfect opp to show you my 2004 Barbie Halloween costume.

(Unfortunately I can't find any high-res pics. These will have to do.)
The costume was based on the original swimsuit Barbie from 1959, and was way more fun to make than it was to wear.
Not only did I have to crash diet all week and still cinch my waist to the smallest size I could bear/still breathe, I also had to DJ all night looking through tiny pinholes in the mask.
I'd made the mask out of one of those plastic wig form faces, so I could paint on Barbie's evil side-glancing eyes as accuratly as possible.
I made the bathing suit out of some tacky sweater-top thing, and wore it over a vintage bustier and the cincher I'd made out of canvas and skirt hooks. (Oi, Never try this; just get a white strapless bathing suit and paint the stripes on).
The 6-inch high lucite shoes were a $38 splurge, but have since come in handy for my Mermaid costume, Tina Turner costume,  Morticia Addams costume, and Lady Gaga Costume. (I like to be tall on Halloween...)
Several finishing touches included pink coat (it was October after all) with oversized buttons and "B" monogram, oversized faux pearl earrings, pink hand mirror, chunky white sunglasses, and black patent leather purse with Barbie's ® name.

2 comments:

a friend said...

This costume is unbelievable! It's 100% perfect. Not only that but the photo in the convertible???
What is it reminding my of - Cindy Sherman maybe?
anyway, you could seriously do an entire calendar of these barbie shots.
Oh yeah, just remembered that you'd never be able to sell anything under the barbie name - never mind.
This makes me want to go find a copy of Superstar and watch it this weekend.

Gretchen Kelly said...

HI Lisa,
You are the winner of the Miss Halloween Universe contest of all time. Not to be morbid but we are talking Halloween- on your epitaph- it will say "She lived life dressed to the nines + always made the best Halloween costumes"- anyway I would mind that on mine.
GK