The Haunting: Eleanor Vance

The Hill House has been the subject of a book, two movies, a play, and a Netflix series, but a lot of people didn’t like the 1999 “The Haunting” movie starring Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and Liam Neeson. While I know I probably watched this for the first time in 1999, I have no recollection of the first time I watched it. What I have a recollection of though, is that Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character, Theodora (Theo), was the first representation I had seen of a female character who was openly discussing being both bisexual and polyamorous. I probably didn’t even know the word polyamorous when I first saw this movie, but her open description of her romantic relationships was (almost) an accurate depiction of what I secretly desired.

You would think I would have chosen to be her character for this project, but unfortunately, I don’t have any of her fashionable outfits already on hand. I did, however, just invest in a black turtleneck, so I could cobble something together to be Lili Taylor’s character Eleanor “Nell” Vance. This is another outfit option if your costume shindig or Halloween event is outside somewhere cold as it includes not one, not two, but three long sleeve shirts!

This outfit consists of that “long sleeve rib roll neck top” from asos that I used to be both Annie Wilkes from Misery and Dr. Miranda Grey from Gothika. These are the same Mossimo boot cut jeans I wore as Allison from Hocus Pocus, May Dove Canady from May, and Heather Donahue from The Blair Witch Project. The Freebird Hustle boots are the same ones I used to be Sidney Prescott from Scream and May Dove Canady from May. I’m getting a lot of mileage from those three base items. Layered on top, I have a vintage Levi’s plaid collared button up shirt that was probably my d**’s at one point, and on top of that, I have an Apt. 9 collared button up shirt that I borrowed from my partner. Now, technically, Eleanor is wearing a jacket in the outfit I chose, but I think this shirt pulls off the look just fine.

Just a shot of this workhorse wig from the back.

For my hair, I have on the wig we’ve all come to know and love because I have used it for so many different characters already. You’ve seen it with bangs down, bangs split and hair clipped back, hair down, parted bangs and pulled back, just bangs, and bangs and hair down. Whew! This hair is putting in work. For $16.99, I’m hella impressed.

For my makeup, I only have on some Avon Ultra Color Absolute Lipstick in Ripe Rose. For my accessories, I have a pair of gold hoop earrings that I wore one of when I dressed as Justine from Raw.

For my prop, I have this antique Airess Atlas of Chicago suitcase that is monogrammed E.R.W. near the handle. I borrowed it from my brother who picked it up secondhand.