Ginger Snaps: Ginger Fitzgerald

One of my exes introduced me to Ginger Snaps on our first date, and I will forever be grateful. I’ve repressed most of the rest of our relationship, but how had I lived my life up to that point without seeing Ginger Snaps? A horror movie starring two gothic sisters who loathe the suburban life and yearn to die rather than be doomed to be trapped within the constraints of domestic American life.

Brigitte: Just say you won’t go average on me.

Ginger: Just ’cause some gonad gets his zipper going? I’d rather be dead.

One of them gets “the curse” and started to change physically and mentally while the other tries to save her from becoming something monstrous. The analogy between werewolves and puberty might seem cliché, but for me, this movie spotlights the way society views females, especially during their terrifying adolescence.

The best quote I found when doing research to grab pictures and such: “Ginger is an embodiment of these impossible binaries: she is at once sexually attractive and monstrous, ‘natural’ and ‘supernatural,’ human and animal, ‘feminine’ and transgressive, a sister and a rival.” (Why does this make me wanna write an academic paper about this movie? #EnglishGraduateProblems)

Ginger: [to Brigitte] A girl can only be a slut, a bitch, a tease, or the virgin next door.

It was a toss up between Ginger and Brigitte, but my wardrobe leans more towards Ginger’s style. I actually invested in some fangs and claw nails for this character (and another I ultimately didn’t do), but I just wasn’t feeling all that effort when it came time to do it. I also considered dressing as Ginger and Brigitte’s mom, Pamela, as she has some great outfits in the movie.

This outfit consists of a black long sleeve rib-knit Henley shirt with snap enclosures from Old Navy, a black with gray print H&M stretchy skirt, black tights, and the black Target boots I wore as Magenta.

I also did a variation of this outfit where I put a black Gap Body zip up hoodie and a Romeo & Juliet Couture Cheetah Cardigan that I got secondhand and could never live without now. (I literally looked for it in my closet to wear and had a moment where I freaked out that I couldn’t find it, before I remembered it was on the clothes rack of character costumes I had for this project that was in another room. lmao)

I also did a variation of the base outfit, without the hoodie and sweater, but instead with a Blue Vintage Jerold Coat with Silver Buttons. This coat is so amazing! I’m pretty sure I got it from my grandmother, but it could’ve been a clothing swap too. There is a belt for it that I have curled up in my deep pocket too.

For my hair, I used this wig that I was originally the most stoked to get, and then, ended up the most disappointed in, out of all the wigs I used. I was going to use it for more characters, but ultimately decided against it. It isn’t the worst, but I had different expectations.

I also use two white hair extensions for when Ginger starts to turn. Between the awful part on the wig and the clips of the extensions, I had to be creative with the placement, especially because I was trying not to look like Rogue. For makeup, I just did a little black mascara and some Avon True Color Lipstick in Country Rose.

For my accessories, I wore three silver hoops in each ear (which is something I used to do all the time, and I will probably keep these in now for quite a while). I also put on a few silver rings that I wear often. On my neck, I have a three strand black choker and a necklace I made specifically for this project out of a couple shells and a couple of beads that look like bone, with a black cord, and a brass bird skull pendant from Michaels. (I initially made earrings with the bird skull pendants, but they were way too heavy, so I wasn’t upset to take them apart to make this necklace.) Other accessories I considered: a silver hoop belly button ring and a tail.)

For my first prop, I brought back my beautiful butcher knife. Even though the tip has snapped off, it is a lot sharper than I remembered! Escpecially after all these photo shoots, I anticipated it to be duller.

For my second prop, I used a milk carton. There’s a specific scene with a milk carton in this movie, and I already had one in the house. Other props I considered: a pink razor (with or without hair/fur stuck to it), a book on lyncanthropes, a strawberry shortcake, polaroid camera (especially if dressing as Brigitte), a field hockey stick, a cigarette or joint, a bone pen, dried wolf’s bane/monk’s hood, and some severed fingers.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Ginger Snaps: Ginger Fitzgerald Vibes board on Pinterest.