Thrifty Subversion

Mean Girls: Regina George

When I started this October Outfits project last year, I went in with the mindset that I would not only try to use what I already owned to recreate characters but that I would do a low-budget, low-effort DIY take instead of getting caught up in the weeds to get the exact replicas of anything. (I’m kinda known for getting hung up on the details, so this has actually been a great challenge for me to learn to let things go and just roll with it.)

I debated on what Regina George outfit I was going to do. I almost used the same top I wore for Nancy Downs from The Craft for the outfit Regina is wearing when she invites Cady to stop at their lunch table for the first time. (pictured below) However, in that scene, you never really see what she is wearing on the bottom. (I thought it would be hilarious for Regina and Nancy to be in the same ‘fit.)

Regina George sits at a lunch table with long blonde hair wearing a collared shirt with black sweater, hoop earrings and rhinestone R necklace.

Part of me cringed at the idea of cutting holes into one of my shirts, but I ultimately decided to go with this look for the following rationalizations:

This shirt is see-through already, so I never really wear it alone out in public.
I’m sure my partner won’t have a problem if I pull this altered version out of the drawer to wear around the house. 😉
If I don’t wear it with the holes, I can upcycle it into something else or sew something over the holes to make it better.

Also, if you make this outfit and don’t want to deal with repurposing the top, please try to sell or donate your holey shirt to someone else for this costume rather than throwing it in the trash when you’re done! #ReduceREUSERecycle 😘

A white tank top with holes cut at the nipples to show a bright purple bra through it with a black mini skirt on a dress form. Pointy black pumps with a low heel are on the floor in front.

Outfit: Amethyst Plum The Brigitte Full Coverage Wirefree 5042 Leading Lady Molded Padded Bra

Unbranded, Tagless White Ribbed Tank Top

Black with Lime Green Fila Sports Skort Tennis Skirt (I absolutely love this skirt and forgot I had it! #MiniskirtsForever)

Shoes: Black Vince Camuto Leather Kitten Heel Pumps (I scored these at a clothing swap, and they are so comfortable. Shoutout to whoever broke these in for me.)

A person dressed up as Regina George facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the long wavy blond hair.

Hair: Ombre Blonde Long Curly Wig

Previously seen as Allison from Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Jay Height from It Follows, and Heather Chandler from Heathers

A selfie of a person dressed as Regina George with long blonde hair, silver hoop earrings, and a sparkly open teardrop necklace. They are wearing sparkly white eyeshadow, black eyeliner, black mascara, blush, and pink lip gloss.

Makeup:

Face: Tone Adjusting e.l.f. Face Primer

Porcelain e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation

Floral Majority Wet n Wild Megaglo Blush Makeup Stick

Follow Your Bisque Wet n Wild Megaglo Conceal and Contour Makeup Stick

When the Nude Strikes Wet n Wild Megaglo Highlight Makeup Stick

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Carbon Black NYX Super Fat Eye Marker

Sparkly White from Fairy 6 Hot Topic Eye Shadow Collection

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Share a Smile Wet n Wild Care Bears Shimmer Lip Gloss

Accessories: Silver Hoops because Regina is the only one who can wear hoop earrings. (Suck it, Gretchen! 😜)

Open Silvertone Teardrop Avon Silver Necklace (The real joke here is that I actually have a rhinestone L necklace like Regina’s R necklace, but the one time I need it, I can’t locate it. I’ll probably find it in November. lol)

A closeup of a stojo reusable collapsible coffee cup.

Prop 1: Reusable Stojo Coffee Cup (Seafoam green is my secret favorite color.)

A qwerty keyboard motorola cell phone with a rhinestone case that looks like a black and white cat.

Prop 2: My old Motorola QWERTY keyboard cell phone with a rhinestone cat case that looks like my old cat Puck. #RIP (I wish they still made slide-out qwerty keyboard cell phones because I would still rock one.)

A closeup of a pink photo album decorated to look as the Burn Book from Mean Girls.

Prop 3: Burn Book made from a pink photo album I have had for 15+ years and the Burn Book Font and Lips enlarged, printed on basic white paper, cut out, and taped to the front.

Previously seen with Cady Heron from Mean Girls

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed as Regina George with long blonde hair, silver hoop earrings, and a sparkly open teardrop necklace. They are wearing sparkly white eyeshadow, black eyeliner, black mascara, blush, and pink lip gloss. Their photo is next to Rachel McAdams dressed as Regina George from Mean Girls. Words say Mean Girls and Regina George.

A person dressed as Regina George with long blonde hair, silver hoop earrings, and a sparkly open teardrop necklace. They are wearing sparkly white eyeshadow, black eyeliner, black mascara, blush, and pink lip gloss. They are wearing a white tank top with holes cut out near their nipples to show a bright purple bra and a black mini skirt. They are edited into a scene from Mean Girls at the lunch table. — At school one day, I saw a new girl walking by at lunch. Out of the goodness of my heart, I tell her to sit down to talk. She tells me she’s never been to a real school before, and I’m like “Shut up!”

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Mean Girls Vibes board on Pinterest.

Cruella: Estella Miller

When I was young, I dreamed of being a fashion designer. In my ideal career, I thought a beret was a mandatory part of the uniform. I even dressed up as a fashion designer one year for our Girl Scout Halloween Party. (pictured below) Oh shit! I just realized that I’m wearing a turtleneck in this costume. LMAO

A young child in the 1990s dressed up as a fashion designer for Halloween. — Circa the early 1990s

Like so many others, my dream of being a fashion designer was lost among the way. I’m not usually one of those adults who still cling to their youth via Disney movies, but when the latest Cruella rendition had part of her backstory be that she was an aspiring fashion designer, something inside me was overjoyed.

While this movie isn’t a horror movie or really a Halloween movie, it is definitely a fashion movie, and the outfits are all so amazing! (As an aside, if I ever meet an Artie to collaborate with we will be an unstoppable force!) Some part of me would love to recreate ALL the outfits in this movie, but realistically, I’m still just working with what I’ve got on a limited budget. On that note, here is my take on Estella Miller from Cruella.

A maid costume on a dress form with a pair of black fishnets and a pair of black docs on the floor in front.

Outfit #1: A tagless maid’s costume I probably swiped from my mother many years ago.

Previously seen as Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Black Fishnet Stocking Tights (you can’t see them in the pics but they are filled with holes and rips above the knees.)

Shoes:

1460 Smooth Leather 8 Eye Lace Up Dr. Martens Boots that were a present from my partner.

Previously seen as Jesse Reeves from Queen of the Damned, Stokely Mitchell from The Faculty, and Little Rock from Zombieland: Double Tap

A pair of a glasses, a black peplum top, and black pants on a dress form with a pair of knee-high black boots in front on the floor.

Outfit #2: Black Faux Leather Jennifer Lopez Peplum Sleeveless Top

Black Express Side Zipper Ponte Pants

Shoes: MIA Black Lace-up Buckle Strappy Knee-High Wedge Boots

A charcoal gray pea coat on a dress form with a pair of knee-high black boots in front on the floor.

Outfit #3: Charcoal Gray Mossimo Military Button Fit & Flare Pea Coat (I’ve worn this so many times and had to resew the buttons a bunch. The cons of being a busty person.)

A person dressed as Estella Miller in a maid outfits facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the long wine red wig.

Hair: Wine Red Long Layered Wig with Bangs

Previously seen as Heather Duke from Heathers

A selfie of a pale person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella. They are wearing spotted glasses, a wine red wig, a little lipstick, and a black top.

Makeup:

Eyes: The remnants of my black eyeliner and mascara cleaned off the night before.

Lips: Kate Moss Collection 104 Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick

A selfie of a pale person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella. They are wearing spotted glasses, a wine red wig, a little lipstick, and a black top. They are holding their hand across their chest to show off the black nails.

Nails: Artificial Nails trimmed to Square Tips painted in Willa by Zoya

Accessories: “Leopard” blue light-blocking glasses

A closeup of a costume jewelry rhinestone necklace.

Accessories: Vintage Rhinestone Necklace inherited from my grandmother many years ago.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella in a black beret and pea coat facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the black mini backpack.

Accessories: Black Genuine Leather with Stitching Detail Mini Backpack (This is my every-day purse currently.)

A closeup of a vintage black velvet beret.

Accessories: Vintage Black Velvet Betmar Beret with Faux Pearl Detail

My mom scored a bunch of vintage hats for a steal at a secondhand sale. She had them in the playthings for the grandkids, but I was like, “wtf? I want to actually wear these!” So, she gave a bunch of them to me. Thanks mom! 😘

Prop 1: Black sketchbook

A closeup of a metal clipboard with a white sketchpad and a pen.

Prop 2: Metal clipboard

Previously seen with Heather Duke from Heathers and Dr. Miranda Grey from Gothika

A side-by-side comparison of a pale person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella. They are wearing spotted glasses, a wine red wig, a little lipstick, a black top, black pants, and black boots. They are next to Emma Stone dressed as Estella from Cruella. Words say Cruella and Estella Miller.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella in a maid outfit edited into a scene with Jasper and Horace. — After a traumatic childhood, I found a chosen family with my mates, Jasper and Horace.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella in a maid outfit edited into a scene with Jasper and Horace. They have a sparkly necklace on and their hand is drawing attention to it. — We participated in some morally questionable behavior, but we’re resilient survivors.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella in a pea coat and beret outside of the Liberty store. — Jasper finagled a way for me to work at my favorite department store.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella wearing a black peplum top and spotted glasses edited into a scene with the Baroness. — I worked my way up to land my dream gig with the esteemed fashion designer Baroness Von Hellman.

A person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella wearing a black peplum top, black pants, and spotted glasses edited into a scene with the Baroness. They are holding a metal clipboard and a pen. — She turned me into her gofer. I thought I was here to design clothes not get thinly sliced cucumbers for her eyes during her power naps!

A side-by-side comparison of a pale person dressed as Estella Miller from Cruella. They are wearing a black beret, a wine red wig, a little lipstick, a black top, black pants, and gray pea coat. They are next to Emma Stone dressed as Estella from Cruella. They both wear a mini backpack and hold a black sketchbook. Words say Cruella and Estella Miller.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Cruella Vibes board on Pinterest.

Practical Magic: Gillian Owens

I previously professed my love for Practical Magic in the post for Sally Owens. What I didn’t touch on in that post is the fashion in this movie. I’ve either always been more of a Gillian or I’ve subconsciously stocked my wardrobe with her style in the past 20+ years. I thought about doing this character for the finale this year because I have so many of her outfits already, but we’ll see what ends up being last this time around. Another thing I noticed when putting this together is that Gillian is basically barefoot for this entire movie. Also, this is the second Nicole Kidman character I’ve done along with Grace Stewart from The Others.

A green velvet skater dress on a dress form.

Outfit: Hunter Green Velvet Torch Crushed Velour Skater Dress with Keyhole Back

Shoes: N/A

A black tank top and a scarf tied up as a skirt on a dress form.

Outfit: Black Eddie Bauer Outdoor Tank Top

Black Floral Scarf used as a Beach Wrap Skirt

Previously seen as Chris MacNeil from The Exorcist.

Shoes: N/A

A black tank with flowers on it and a brown leather skirt on a dress form.

Outfit: Black with Flowers Strappy Lux Tank Top

Brown Genuine Sonoma Leather Skirt

Shoes: N/A

A cropped sage green velour tee and a black maxi skirt on a dress form.

Outfit: This top was part of a Forever21 set with pants and a mask, but I altered the shirt to take off the mock turtleneck to better suit my style.

Previously seen as Wendy Torrance from The Shining.

Black Cherokee Maxi Skirt with Side Slit

Shoes: N/A

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens in the pool scene outfit facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the long copper red wavy wig.

Hair: Long Wavy Copper Red Wig

Previously seen as Ginger Fitzgerald from Ginger Snaps, Jesse Reeves from Queen of the Damned, and Cady Heron from Mean Girls

A selfie of a pale person wearing a copper red wig dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic. They are wearing orange oval sunglasses, black eyeliner & mascara, some lipstick. and tiger's eye jewelry.

Makeup:

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: 702 Blase Apricot Revlon Moon Drops Creme Lipstick over Faithful Heart Avon Ultra Color Rich Renewable Lipstick

A closeup of a pair of tiger's eye earrings clipped to a tiger's eye necklace.

Accessories: Sure, you could buy a “screen accurate” Tiger’s Eye and Crystal Quartz Wand Necklace for $85 or you can take some tiger’s eye beads you already have on hand and make yourself a necklace & earrings set like I did.

A closeup of a faux tortoiseshell claw hair clip.

Accessories: Faux Tortoiseshell Claw Hair Clip

A closeup of two pair of retro oval sunglasses. The pair on the left are black lenses on black metal frames. The pair on the right are light orange lenses on silver frames.

Accessories: Retro Oval Sunglasses that aren’t blocking shit for your eyes and are mainly for fashion.

A closeup of a letter closed with a gold wax stamp of a bee.

Prop 1: Wax-Stamped Letter

Previously seen as Sally Owens from Practical Magic

A closeup of a bottle of silver patron tequila next to a bottle of Strong Water Perfect Margarita Cocktail Syrup.

Prop 2: Tequila and Perfect Margarita Cocktail Syrup to make Midnight Margaritas!

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic next to Nicole Kidman dressed up as that character from the movie. They are both wearing small black sunglasses. Words say Practical Magic and Gillian Owens.

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene with the two aunts. — After my dad died from our family’s curse, my mom died from a broken heart, so my sister and I moved in with our Aunts.

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene in front of the house. — I love my family, but I couldn’t handle the small-town mentality. I dipped as soon as I could, but I still write my sister letters.

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene near the pool. — “I’m lying in the sun. I’m hanging by the pool. I’ve got a million friends. You might say that life is perfect. But I don’t care about any of it. In fact, I only have 2 words to say to you: Jimmy Angelov.”

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene next to Jimmy Angelov. — “He’s from somewhere near Transylvania. He has this whole Dracula-cowboy thing about him. He’s just so intense. I mean, he talks about our relationship in terms of centuries. Sometimes we just stay up all night worshipping each other like bats. Thank God for Jet’s belladonna or I’d never get any sleep.”

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene next to Sally and her daughters. — I make it home to see the fam and even stop by a PTA meeting. I tell the townswomen: “Hang onto your husbands, girls!’

A person dressed up as Gillian Owens from Practical Magic edited into a scene with Sally and the Aunts while they're having midnight margaritas. — Even though it is not all roses, we find time to sneak in a Girls’ Night™️ with some Midnight Margaritas!

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up as Gillian Owens from the pool scene in Practical Magic next to Nicole Kidman dressed up as that character from the movie. They are both wearing small orange sunglasses, a black tank, a wrap as a skirt, and a tiger's eye necklace. Words say Practical Magic and Gillian Owens.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Practical Magic Vibes board on Pinterest.

It Follows: Jamie “Jay” Height

I am a big fan of It Follows. It made an impression on me the first time I saw it, and I still enjoy it when I rewatch it. If you’re into horror movies, you should definitely check it out. The cinematography is stunning. It is bleak af, but I appreciate that about it. Oh, also, while there is a lot of nudity and the main character, Jaime “Jay” Height spends a good portion of the movie in her bra & panties, this is not a movie I would recommend if you’re trying to get some from your fellow movie-watcher.

When I started reading up on it, I liked it even more. My favorite pieces about this do include spoilers, so don’t read them unless you’ve seen it already.

How it isn’t just an allegory for STDs

Discussion of the Vintage Vibe

A very thorough review of the motifs

The literary allusions

A pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie over it on a dress form.

Outfit: Pink Betty West Beachwear Halter Bikini Top

Medium Wash Celebrity Pink Jeans Denim Shorts

Black with White Detail Bella + Canvas Hoodie with Handsewn 1312 Patch covering a logo

Shoes: N/A

A person dressed as Jay Height from It Follows facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the long blonde curly wig.

Hair: Ombre Blonde Long Curly Wig

Previously seen as Allison from Tucker and Dale vs Evil and Heather Chandler from Heathers

A selfie of a person dressed as Jay Height from It Follows. They are wearing a blonde wig, a little mascara, and pinkish purple lipstick.

Makeup:

Eyes: Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Fantasy Mark Pout Velvet Lip Paint on top of Cozy Mark Pout Vinyl Lip Paint

A closeup of a pale hand with long bright red fingernails. The middle finger has a black X drawn on it with a ballpoint pen.

Nails: Artificial Nails trimmed to Square Tips painted in Gia by Zoya

Bright Red Nails are seen on Jay throughout the movie and her X tattoo on her middle finger on her right hand is also shown prominently. I just drew it on with a black ballpoint pen.

Prop 1: One of my lawn chairs that has clearly been stored in the attic for long enough to obtain wrinkles inside the carrying case.

I contemplated fashioning a non-functioning clamshell e-reader, but that’s really more for Yara’s character.

A person dressed as Jay Height from It Follows sitting in a lawn chair as a bald man in pajama pants and a hoodie holds part of the hair up with fishing line and a hand.

Prop 2: Fishing line and a helpful assistant. (Special thanks to my spouse for all the help with these photo shoots. 😘)

If I had access to any pristine vintage cars, I would have totally done some pics in and around them too!

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie next to Jay Height from It Follows. Words say It Follows and Jay Height.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene with her family and friends in her house. — I’m just an average 19-year-old college student trying to survive a less-than-ideal existence, in Detroit, with a little help from my friends.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene with Hugh/Jeff outside the movie theater. — I start dating this cute guy. Yeah, he acts a little weird at the movies, but I assume his ex was in the crowd or something.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene outside the car at night. — We are having a good time drinking beer in his car when something unexpected and unsettling happens. The cops get involved after I get back to my house.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene where her neighbor Greg washes his car. — Me acting like it is no big deal that my neighbor/high school ex wants to bang me again while I’m clearly going through some shit.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene next to Paul. — Trying to keep it together as my first kiss and friend since childhood also tries to get me in bed.

A person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and denim shorts with a black hoodie as Jay Height from It Follows edited into a scene in the hallway with an old woman. — Some supernatural existential shit happens too. It isn’t *just* about sex.

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up in a pink halter bikini top and a black hoodie next to Jay Height from It Follows. Both of them are reaching up behind their head as their hair is pulled up by an unseen force. Words say It Follows and Jay Height.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the It Follows: Jay Height Vibes board on Pinterest.

Coraline: The Other Mother

While dressing up as The Other Mother from Coraline, I had this wild thought that while I picked the earliest rendition of the character from the movie because it is the easiest one to recreate with items you might already own and/or items that could be reused, there are people who just live their normal lives with this exact aesthetic. #CouldntBeMe I have an aversion to turtlenecks, but as I continue dressing up like characters, my collection grows. I picked this specific one up secondhand for this very purpose.

A chunky oatmeal colored turtleneck sweater and dark wash cropped jeans on a dress form with bright red sneakers on the floor in front of it.

Outfit: Oatmeal Michael Kors Waffle Weave Turtleneck Sweater

Black with White Polka Dots Scoop Neck Merona T-Shirt

Dark Wash Simply Vera Wang Capri Cropped Jeans

Red Seeker Socks

Shoes: Red Quilted Leather G by Guess Sneakers

A person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the black bob wig.

Hair: Short Black Bob Wig

A selfie of a person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline. They wear a thick turtleneck sweater, bright red lipstick, and black buttons on their eyes.

Makeup:

Face: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon on my face mole to create a beauty mark.

Eyes: Large Black Buttons

Lips: Kitten Heels Bright Red NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick

Nails: Artificial Nails trimmed to Square Tips painted in Gia by Zoya

A closeup of two large black buttons front and back. On the back, there is tape doubled up to stick them onto eyelids.

Prop 1: Black Buttons taped to eyelids

In the spirit of using items that can be reused again, I just grabbed some buttons I had in my sewing stuff. They make Button Glasses, but the reviews say you don’t see well through them. Instead of wasting my time trying to fashion my own glasses with fishing line or something, I just used tape to hold them in place during photos. In full disclosure, my partner had to help me a lot during this photo shoot as it is very difficult to take photos (especially selfies!) with your eyes closed and buttons taped over them.

A white jewelry box. On the cotton pad side, two small black button eyes have been taped.

Prop 2: I used an empty jewelry box with a cotton pad inside where I could tape smaller black buttons. If I was going all out, I would’ve included black thread & needle inside and decorated the outside of the box to match the one in the film.

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline in a chunky oatmeal colored turtleneck sweater, dark wash cropped jeans, black buttons for eyes, bright red lipstick, and bright red sneakers next to the character The Other Mother from Coraline.

A person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline in a chunky oatmeal colored turtleneck sweater, dark wash cropped jeans, black buttons for eyes, bright red lipstick, and bright red sneakers edited into the kitchen from Coraline. — Oh, Coraline, I’m so glad you’re here! Don’t worry about these button eyes. I’m your Other Mother. Would you like some gravy on your food? How about a Mango Smoothie?

A person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline in black tee with white polka dots and dark wash cropped jeans edited into the kitchen from Coraline next to the character Coraline. — I wish you knew how to be a loving daughter, Coraline. Would you like to play a game?

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline. They wear a thick turtleneck sweater, bright red lipstick, and black buttons on their eyes next to the character The Other Mother from Coraline.

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed as The Other Mother from Coraline next to the character The Other Mother from Coraline. They both hold a large kitchen bowl with a wooden spoon in it.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Coraline Vibes board on Pinterest.

Mean Girls: Karen Smith

When I was going through ideas for what movies to do this year, I came back to the idea of Mean Girls. Mean Girls is absolutely a Halloween movie, and I will die on this hill. When I was debating which character to be from this movie, I started with the various Halloween costumes the characters in the movie wear. I have a stand with a variety of headbands including (but not limited to) bunny ears, cat ears, and mouse ears. Since I have previously worn some of them with a sexy dress as a Halloween costume, it only made sense to use the mouse ears and some lingerie to be Karen Smith. Plus, I find Amanda Seyfried’s portrayal of her to be hilarious.

A pale person wearing makeup, long dangly earrings. and a headband with leopard print Minnie Mouse ears. They are also wearing a black bra and high-waisted black swimsuit bottoms.

Outfit (Base Layer): Black Vince Camuto Bra

Black High-Waisted Swimsuit Bottom

I don’t usually list out my undergarments on these things unless they are visible, but since this outfit is basically see-through lingerie, I thought I’d name them specifically.

A black and silver lace nightie and leopard print Minnie Mouse ears headband on a dress form with black thong kitten heel sandals on the floor in front.

Outfit: Black and Silver Lace Avon Nightie

Shoes: Black Beaded Thong Maurices Kitten Heel Sandals

A pale person wearing leopard print Minnie Mouse ears headband, long dangly black leather earrings, and a lot of makeup.

Hair: Just my regular faded-out light blue bleached bottom straight hair with a Leopard Print Minnie Mouse Ears Headband that was a gift.

Makeup:

Face: Tone Adjusting e.l.f. Face Primer

Porcelain e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation

Floral Majority Wet n Wild Megaglo Blush Makeup Stick

Follow Your Bisque Wet n Wild Megaglo Conceal and Contour Makeup Stick

When the Nude Strikes Wet n Wild Megaglo Highlight Makeup Stick

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Carbon Black NYX Super Fat Eye Marker

Black Perfect Wings Eyeliner Stamp

White Eyeshadow from the NYX Professional Makeup The Smokey Fume Shadow Palette

Shell Eyeshadow from the AVON For the Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Rose Quartz Avon True Color Lip Glow Lip Gloss

Accessories: I made these leather earrings years ago. They are the longest version I made (when I created various colors and sizes in this design) and the longest earrings I currently own.

Prop: Blue Disposable Cup

Yes, a red one would have been ideal, but I wasn’t going out to buy any. I had three of these blue ones left in my Party Supplies tub in the attic.

A side-by-side comparison of a pale person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls wearing a leopard print Minnie Mouse ears headband, dangly earrings, and a lot of makeup next to Amanda Seyfried as Karen Smith from Mean Girls. Words say MEAN Girls and Karen Smith.

A person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls edited into a scene with the other plastics and Aaron Samuels. — At school, I hang out with my friends Regina and Gretchen. On Wednesdays, we wear pink.

A person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls edited into a scene with the other plastics and Cady Heron. — One day, this new girl, Cady, shows up at school. She starts telling us about her life, but I ask the question we’re all thinking: If you’re from Africa, why are you white?

A person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls edited into a scene with Gretchen and Cady at the Halloween party. — For Halloween, we all go to a party. Everyone keeps asking what I’m supposed to be, but I’m a mouse, duh!

A person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls edited into a scene with Gretchen at the Halloween party. — What do you mean cousins and first cousins are the same?!

A person dressed as Karen Smith from Mean Girls edited into a scene with Gretchen, Regina, and Cady in Regina's bedroom. — It doesn’t really matter if Regina thinks I’m a whore. I can always fall back on my fifth sense of using my breasts to determine whether or not it is raining.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Mean Girls Vibes board on Pinterest.

Heathers: Heather McNamara

Even though in middle school my friend group all picked a Looney Tunes character to be our nickname and mine was Tweety, I find Heather McNamara to be the least relatable Heather. Perhaps it is because her character wasn’t fleshed out much beyond being a popular cheerleader with guy problems or perhaps it is because yellow is my least favorite color. (The irony is not lost on me that I currently live in a bright yellow house.) Also, Heather McNamara has the least memorable lines without any really snappy quotes. The only major one being: “Suicide is a private thing.”

Once you’ve done two Heathers from the movie Heathers, you’re basically obligated to do the third Heather. I wasn’t going to go buy some yellow clothing (like a blazer) for this character that I would probably rarely wear again, so instead, I just utilized the few yellow clothing items I already had. It helps that the Heathers’ fashion sense goes beyond completely monotone outfits in all one color, so even though I am using a white suit jacket, the rest of the yellow pieces still pull it together.

A white blazer with a heart brooch over a yellow shirt with a yellow, black, and white abstract print skirt on a dress form with yellow tight and black ballet flats on the floor in front of it.

Outfit: Mustard Yellow Mossimo V-Neck T-Shirt

White Old Navy Blazer

Yellow, Black, and White Unbranded Abstract Skirt

Mustard Yellow Opaque Tights which I’ve had for many years, but I accidentally destroyed them during this photo shoot. 😬 #RIP

Shoes: Black Patent Leather Rampage Ballet Flats with Jewel Detail

A person dressed as Heather McNamara from Heathers facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the blonde, wavy wig.

Hair: Medium Wavy Blonde Wig with Bangs

Previously seen as Grace Stewart from The Others

A selfie of a pale person dressed as Heather McNamara with a buttered rum lipstick, yellow hoop earrings, and a heart brooch on the white blazer.

Makeup:

Eyes: Cosmic Brown Avon Glimmerstick

Black Brown Lash Blast Clean Volume Vegan Mascara

Lips: Buttered Rum Avon True Color Lipstick

Accessories: Yellow Metal Hoop Earrings

Accessories: Pearl and Rhinestone Heart Brooch I inherited.

A person dressed as Heather McNamara from Heathers wearing a white blazer over a yellow shirt with a yellow, black, and white abstract print skirt with yellow tights and black patent leather ballet flats. They are holding a croquet mallet.

Prop 1: Yellow Croquet Mallet

I don’t know if I mentioned this yet, but croquet sets are expensive! To acquire mine, I participated in multiple online auctions to try to get a secondhand set in my budget. I lost many times before I successfully obtained one.

Prop 2: Yellow & Orange Cheerleading Pom Pom This was a free giveaway item at a roller derby bout I went to years ago and stored in my costumes tub until now.

A person dressed as Heather McNamara from Heathers wearing a white blazer over a yellow shirt. They are in a side-by-side comparison to Heather McNamara from Heathers. Words say Heathers and Heather McNamara on the image as well.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Heathers Vibes board on Pinterest.

The Faculty: Stokely Mitchell

I read my father’s copy of The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein when I was in elementary school which, objectively speaking, might have been too young. I can see the impact it had on me as when I was researching this post, I realized the idea of having term limits on marriage (that I thought I came up with myself) was written about in this book. lol I wish I owned a copy so I could revisit it now.

Anyway, I bring this up because the 1998 movie The Faculty not only directly references that book and The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney but utilizes a similar premise where aliens have taken over the bodies of humans at a high school in a small town in Ohio. This aliens-taking-over-humans plot is now well-known and used frequently, but word nerds like me and Clea Duvall’s character Stokely Mitchell from The Faculty see the allusions to Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters in the subsequent works since.

A screenshot from The Faculty where Delilah says to Stokely: You're that geeky Stephen King kid - there's one of you in every school.

I’d also like to point out the star-filled cast of this movie. I won’t name them all, but it feels like everyone who had a role in this was or became well-known. Also, my guy Josh Hartnett, who was born in my hometown, has the absolute worst haircut in this flick as the 5th year Senior who is not only a drug dealer who peddles his wares via Blue Bic Pens, but also is so smart that he manufactures the drugs he sells in his home lab. The 1990s were a wild ride.

A black tank top with a black cardigan and wide leg black pants on a dress form with a thick chain necklace and black docs on the floor in front.

Outfit: Black Scoop Neck Carole Hochman Tank

Apt. 9 Short Black Cardigan with Black Buttons

Black Linen Wide Leg Pants with Button Fly and Drawstring I went with the baggiest black pants I have because trust me when I say that no one was wearing skinny jeans in 1998.

Shoes: 1460 Smooth Leather 8 Eye Lace Up Dr. Martens Boots that were a present from my partner.

Previously seen as Jesse Reeves from Queen of the Damned and Little Rock from Zombieland: Double Tap

A person dressed as Stokely from The Faculty facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the short red wig.

Hair: This unbranded Short Red Wig with a Few Blonde Highlights came from my brother. He has no idea where he got it, and I have no idea where to get one either.

A selfie of a pale person wearing a short red wig dressed as Stokely from The Faculty. They have heavy black eyeliner on with a little peachy shimmery lipstick.

Makeup:

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Carbon Black NYX Super Fat Eye Marker

Coal Eyeshadow from the AVON For The Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Ink Eyeshadow from the AVON For the Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Orgasm NARS Lipstick

A closeup of a thick, silver chain turned into a necklace with a carabiner-type clasp.

Accessories: I took a chain I had and added a carabiner-type clasp for closure. I can disassemble this easily for other purposes.

A close-up of a thick silver ring with zodiac constellations on it.

Accessories: A silver zodiac ring I used to wear in high school.

A High Sierra Black Plaid Backpack on a dress form.

Prop 1: Black Plaid High Sierra Backpack which is the closest black backpack I have that gives off a school vibe as opposed to a purse vibe.

A close-up of the book We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

Prop 2: If I had a copy of The Puppet Masters, I would have used that. Instead I used one of my favorite OG science fiction novels: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

A closeup of a blue Bic pen filled with baking powder.

Prop 3: Blue BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Medium Point Pen filled with baking powder to represent the “powdery ecstasy-like drug” Scat that is made from “caffeine pills and some other household shit” that Zeke claims is a diuretic, but the IMDB Goofs section claims it is a “desiccant” not a diuretic. #PedantsUnite

*PRO TIP: If you’re filling a pen like this with powder, make sure you put some tape over the hole in the lid so it won’t come out all over your all-black outfit. 😂

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty next to Clea DuVall as Stokely from The Faculty.

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with Laura and Delilah. — At Herrington High, there’s the usual clique breakdown of nerds, jocks, and popular kids. I prefer to be by myself reading sci-fi novels. This new girl, Laura, tries to talk to me, but Delilah (the head cheerleader and editor of the school newspaper) interrupts and falsely tells her that I am a violent lesbian.

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with two members from the faculty. — The Faculty start acting strange. They seem to be obsessed with staying hydrated.

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with students in the hallway. — After the student body gets an ear exam from the school nurse, they all start acting strange too.

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with the main protagonists in the movie. — A random group of students across all sub-sections have to band together to try to get to the bottom of things. Once we establish that we are dealing with extraterrestrial beings invading people, my peers turn to me for advice since I am the resident sci-fi bookworm.

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with some of the main protagonists and the infamous blue pens filled with scat. — We figure out that the local supply of Scat (a powdery ecstasy-like drug sold in Blue Bic Pens) has a negative impact on the beings, so to prove that none of us have been infected, we must each snort some. I proclaim loudly that “I’m not putting that hack drug up my nose – it’s so eighties!”

A person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty edited into a scene with some of the main protagonists and they are about to snort scat from a blue pen. — I am told that this is a life-or-death situation. Like I needed the reminder! I know that humans don’t always win out in a battle against aliens.

A side-by-side comparison of a person dressed up as Stokely from The Faculty next to Clea DuVall as Stokely from The Faculty. They are both holding their backpack strap and looking scornfully.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out The Faculty: Stokely Mitchell Vibes board on Pinterest.

Resident Evil: Alice

Alice is a character from the Resident Evil universe who has many different variations between the video games and movies. I decided to stay old school and go with the first Resident Evil movie from 2002. This is the second Milla Jovovich character I’ve done after last year’s Dr. Abbey Tyler from The Fourth Kind.

A ruffle red dress and black biker shorts on a dress form with knee-high brown boots on the floor in front of it. — Resident Evil: Alice Outfit

Outfit: Red Moleskin Asymmetrical Hem Ruffled Arden B Dress

Black Akira Biker Shorts

Shoes: Dark Brown Ralph Lauren Chaps Riding Boots

All my black knee-high boots have chains or buckles or other colors or are slouchy. These dark brown boots are closer than any of the other ones I own.

A ruffle red dress, black leather jacket, and black biker shorts on a dress form with knee-high brown boots on the floor in front of it.

Outfit: Black Forever 21 Faux Leather Jacket I bought when my brother worked there many moons ago.

A person dressed as Alice from Resident Evil facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the blonde bob wig.

Hair: Blonde Bob with Bangs Wig

A selfie of a pale person wearing a blonde bob wig dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They have a little mascara and pinkish red lipstick on for makeup.

Makeup:

Eyes: Black Brown Lash Blast Clean Volume Vegan Mascara

Lips: Faithful Heart Avon Ultra Color Rich Renewable Lipstick

Accessories: My mother’s first wedding ring which I absolutely did not anticipate wearing this often when she gave it to me. lol

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They have a little mascara and pinkish red lipstick on for makeup. They are holding a large airsoft bb gun in one hand and a bb pellet pistol in the other.

Prop 1: Black Auto Airsoft BB Pellet Rifle Gun

I bought these guns secondhand for cosplay purposes.

Prop 2: Colt MK IV Series 80 Airsoft Guns

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are in a side-by-side comparison to Milla Jovovich as Alice from Resident Evil.

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are edited in a scene from the Looking Glass House. — One day I woke up in this huge house (some would call it a mansion), but I had no idea where I was. I started looking around for context clues to not only figure out where I am but also *who* I am.

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are edited into a scene from the movie as the SWAT team walks behind a handcuffed Matt. — A SWAT team busts in as I realize I’m wearing a wedding ring. Is this guy that was in the house with me my husband? He claims he’s a cop.

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are edited into a scene near the train. — Underneath the house is a train. The SWAT team takes me and this guy, Matt, on the train to an underground facility called The Hive. On the way, they tell me I work there as security, and I need to help them kill the Red Queen because of the virus that just broke out and killed everyone.

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are edited into the scene with all the lasers. — Even though almost everybody has guns, a bunch of people still die. #FreakingLasers

A pale person wearing a blonde bob wig, red dress, black shorts, and tall boots dressed as Alice from Resident Evil. They are edited into a scene with the red queen hologram. — I meet this little red holographic girl, and she’s like: “You’re all going to die down here.”

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Resident Evil: Alice Vibes board on Pinterest.

Repo! The Genetic Opera: GraveRobber

While I’m a big fan of music and a big fan of movies, I don’t usually get down on Musicals. I’m unsure exactly why that is, but if more of them were like Repo! The Genetic Opera, I might be more into them. It is a Horror Rock Opera set in a dystopian future that (like any good sci-fi story) doesn’t feel too farfetched from reality.

I could have dressed up as Shilo Wallace, Amber Sweet, or Blind Mags, but when you already have a sweet long brown coat, the choice is made for you. For a hot minute, I got caught up in the details because I couldn’t create my own Zydrate gun from things I already owned, but I compromised by making a vial of Zydrate and calling it a day.

A long sleeve scoop neck white shirt and olive green leggings on a dress form. There are a pair of knee-high black boots with buckles standing on the ground in front of it. — Repo! The Genetic Opera: Graverobber

Outfit: White Scoop Neck Long Sleeve Shirt While Graverobber’s shirt is more yellow or antiqued white, this is as close as my wardrobe gets. A dingy basic white long-sleeve that I usually wear under things.

Olive Green High-Waisted Jersey Lattice-Hem Old Navy Leggings

Shoes: DAMNED-318 Demonia Black Vegan Leather Knee-High Buckle Boots

*PRO TIP: Keep your boots in shape with a pool noodle cut to size inside of them.

A long sleeve scoop neck white shirt and olive green leggings on a dress form. There are multiple belts around the waist and chest and one dangling down from around the neck. There are a pair of knee-high black boots with buckles standing on the ground in front of it.

Accessories: Belts on Belts

Blue Fabric Belt leftover from a long sweater I no longer own.

Dark Brown Tooled Leather Belt with Silver Western Style Buckle

Brown Big Buckle Medallion Disc Boho Belt

Relic by Fossil belt

Previously seen on Erin Hardesty from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Ash Williams from The Evil Dead

Outfit: Brown Suede and Faux Fur Lined Long Express Coat This was a present from two of my friends in college who chipped in to buy this for my Christmas/Birthday present when it went on sale because they had seen me try it on and pine for it at the mall when we were previously shopping together. One of the best gifts I’ve received to this day!

I put a little red boa on the collar with safety pins and bobby pins.

A person dressed like GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera facing away from the camera. The emphasis is on the back of their black and white wig with red and blue extensions intermingled.

Hair: While the GraveRobber’s hair is actually brown with white, blue, and red streaks in it, I felt that this wig I have was the closest I could get with some extensions put in to give the same vibe. I contemplated using my own hair, but currently, the bottom half is faded out and bleached very light blue.

Long Wavy Black and White Wig

Colorful Clip-in Hair Extensions in Blue and Red

Makeup:

Face: Goth White™️ Manic Panic Cream/Powder Foundation over a layer of the Dreamtone Manic Panic Flawless Foundation and Color Corrector ( I very much prefer the cream/powder foundation for coverage, but I seem to always forget before I start applying the other one. 🤦‍♀️) Also, it was very hot wearing my long fur coat inside while taking photos, and my face started sweating in all this makeup too.)

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Carbon Black NYX Super Fat Eye Marker

Coal Eyeshadow from the AVON For The Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Ink Eyeshadow from the AVON For the Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Vamp Avon True Color Lipstick

A close-up of black fingerless arm warmers with metal detail.

Accessories: Black Fingerless Glove Arm Warmer Sleeves I think these are meant to have ribbons or chains between the buckles, but this is how I inherited them when someone left them at my house many years ago. I’ve had them tucked away with my gloves and used them for this character to stand in for the black buckled gloves GraveRobber wears.

A tabletop iron candle holder with five taper candles in it.

Prop 1: This is a tabletop candle holder that previously had a bunch of fake mistletoe wrapped around it that I removed for this photoshoot. This is standing in for the handheld candelabra. It is a little too large, but I’m working with what I’ve got!

Prop 2: An old copy of the now-defunct City Pages I had in my scrapbooking stuff because my ex’s band is probably written about inside. 🤷 This is standing in for the black-and-white print publication Metro Gazette that GraveRobber reads. (If I were better at editing photos, I would have altered the image to have the headline and title changed to something relevant to the movie.)

A close up of a vial filled with Blue Curacao to look like a Zydrate vial.

Prop 3: I took an empty vial that used to have my cat’s medicine in it (thoroughly washed a couple times) and put some Blue Curacao inside to be a vial of Zydrate.

A side-by-side comparison of GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera and someone dressed up like him with full face makeup.

A person dressed up as GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera edited into a graphic from the intro to the movie. — “In the year 2056 – the not-so-distant future – an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. Out of the tragedy, a savior emerges: GeneCo, a biotech company that offers organ transplants, for a price. Those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by villainous Repo Men. In a world where surgery addicts are hooked on painkilling drugs [called Zydrate] and murder is sanctioned by law,” I steal Zydrate from dead bodies and sell it to my clients.

A person dressed up as GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera edited into a scene with people in one of the alley music scenes. — Some of my clientele are in the back alleys…

A person dressed up as GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera edited into a scene with Amber Sweet. — and some are in the board rooms, including Amber Sweet one of the future heirs to GeneCo.

A person dressed up as GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera edited into a scene with Shilo Wallace. — But the main story revolves around a 17-year-old girl named Shilo that I meet in the graveyard one night…

A person dressed up as GraveRobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera in a side-by-side comparison with Terrance Zdunich as GraveRobber from the movie.

Catch me back here tomorrow for another post.

In the meantime, check out the Repo! The Genetic Opera: GraveRobber Vibes board on Pinterest.

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