Evolution

I did get to attend the viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Days before, when the idea was still a nebulous germ growing on the horizon, I planned my costume. The evolution of a costume can be a wondrous growth full of frustration and stagnancy. Such was my own.

I knew I wanted to dress like someone from the movie. My two favorite characters are Janet and Magenta. I tend to be more of Janet-clueless, not too bad to look at, and utterly thrilled by the discovery of sex! I also am very Magenta as a domestic. I even make an excellent meatloaf. (Sorry, horrible pun, but it goes with the show!) I knew black was the color of choice. If only I knew what I wanted to do with it!

I started with a pair of spangly black tights shot with silver, tiny shoes (I don’t do heels anymore!), and a black lace tank top. I thought I’d need a skirt and an apron. While shopping I also found a pair of short shorts in black for a $1. I picked them up, just in case. I didn’t find an apron, but managed to find an off white pillowcase. The skirt I wanted was a sequin mini, but I knew I’d never ever ever get a chance to wear it again and at $6, I opted for something else. I did find a super cute black mini I might wear again someday, so I got that. (OH LORD!) I wasn’t sure if I would wear a man’s white dress shirt over it all or a black sort of cardigan. I got a black long sleeve t, just in case.

Once at mum’s, I decided to put some of my choices together. The cute skirt was almost a disaster.  I have a rather bodacious booty and the darn thing would not slide over it! I chose to try to put the skirt on over my shoulders (the ideas of vain women who are a bit too large in certain areas!). It settled around my hips, badly. I realised it was not going to be a choice for at least a month or two and attempted to get it off. I was completely held by fabric and elastic and a sheer slip attached underneath. Remembering a scene from that great old TV show EMERGENCY!, I knew I could use a scissors. BUT, in that scene, the woman stuck inside the clothing Johnny extricated her from, was wearing a girdle. HA! I had one of those. Somewhere. I dug thru my luggage (Most of my clothing is still in a giant duffle bag.) and found it. I wiggled myself into it and was able to slide the skirt band down and further down. It worked!! Huzzah!!! Once the skirt was at my ankles, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was put away for a time when the booty on the bod is a bit less.

So, that meant I was going to use the shorts. (Good thing I purchased them!) I looked at the white men’s dress shirt and decided not to use it. Google found me a bazillion ideas and ways to cut up a t-shirt and so I made a cardigan. (I think I’ll add lace inserts later for a more conventional look) The lace top was a bit more see thru than I anticipated. I made sparkly black fabric pasties. (Google making those, FUN stuff!)

I made an apron from the pillowcase, added lace with a glue gun (my mum really does have a ton of stuff around this basement I’m living in!), and decided it wasn’t what I was looking for. I liked the Magenta make up, but decided on the look above as my base project. One of my bestest friends in the world texted me from NJ (I often forget where he is on the East Coast…it is all so far away, I’m really BAD with geography!) and helped me find something else to go underneath the lace.

He said the black was ok, but the red would stand out more. And it looked good with the crystal bat. (It is one of those stick on tats. I had purchased it so long ago, I don’t even recall when, I have no clue why I brought it to AK, I didn’t realise it was a bat til I affixed it to hover over the cleavage!)  I added a black ‘patch’ with the word ‘Lucky’ on it for my back pocket, a whole fistful of glow bracelets (some for my hair, too!) and was set. I wasn’t Janet or Magenta, I was just having fun!!!

The make up was done behind the Safeway store in the back parking lot, almost under a truck trailer. I used the car map lights for illumination. It took about 12 minutes, give or take a few. Thank goodness make up for the RHPS is best a mess! Thankfully, it was not raining, either. I got out of the car to hairspray and add glitter spray-I got super dizzy, but managed to get it done! The fake lashes were a chore. I’ve not worn those in decades and never used glue before. (What an absolute mess!!!!!!!) I balanced my glasses on my nose and made it to the theatre about 10 minutes before the show started (I’ll write that up next!). Once there, I took off the glasses (it was almost impossible to wear them with the lashes, anyway!) and settled in to enjoy myself thoroughly! (these photos were taken AFTER the show before I showered myself back into Kris)