Submitted by Michele Amy
Well, Hallowe鈥檈n has come and gone, so now is a great time to repurpose those costuming skills as we approach Carlyle Dickens Festival!
Just think how fancy the town looks that weekend, with so many folks in costume and main street all dressed up in its finest, with the tree lit on the 麻豆视频 end of Main Street.聽 And the people make such a huge addition to the 鈥渟etting of the stage!鈥�
So let鈥檚 all put on our finery and add to the scenery!
If you鈥檝e lived in Carlyle awhile, the Dickens outfit is 鈥渙ld hat!鈥�
But if you have not yet created one, or are new to the community, here are the three聽 essentials!
1. Hats:聽 Whether you represent a character from Victorian England OR Saskatchewan, you are going need some kind of a hat.
Hat Options:
聽a. Make a mop hat:聽 There are some tutorials on line, but this is a simple matter of cutting out a large circle of fabric, and sewing in a piece聽 of elastic about 6 cm from the edge.
b. Lady鈥檚 hat:聽 Take a straw hat and glue or sew on stuff like feathers, lace, tulle, or simply tie a scarf over the hat and under your chin! And Voila! OR, if you鈥檙e into the Pinterest style creations, do a search for 鈥渂eginners guide to making a Victorian hat鈥� and you鈥檒l find all sorts of fun crafty things using cereal boxes, bits of Bargain shop lace and great reasons to visit Tanya at Sew n Sews.
c. Gentleman鈥檚 hats: pretty much anything from a 鈥淪herlock Holmes style鈥� to a Newspaper boy slouch hat to a fancy top hat will do.
The Outfit:
- Lady鈥檚 garments:
SIMPLE skirt or dress. It鈥檚 easy to go simple with these! Skirts are long, often covered in an apron and a shawl.聽 For a shawl, a re-purposed Christmas tree skirt is an easy plan! Or simply an old bedspread folded in a triangle and pinned at the front.
FANCY: well- get out your sewing machine! Or drop a line to Shelley Slykhuis, who has been making Dickens clothing for years!聽 OR you can simply up-scale your fabric choices!聽 Pair a nice, high necked blouse with a long skirt, and add a fancy hat and shawl, and you will present quite well!
- Men鈥檚 garments:
Go SIMPLE: Workingmen wore homespun pants 鈥� brown or black and usually baggy, with a button down shirt , a pair of suspenders and vest. Often these were belted, if at all, with rope, instead of belts.聽
Go FANCY: dress in nice black pants with a collared white shirt, and add a string tie and a vest, and a top hat.Suspenders are a nice touch.聽 If you can find a lovely set of tails, this is fun to sport, along with a pair of spats, you鈥檒l be a regular man about town!
Children: What a fun time to be a kid! For little girls, just about any fancy dress will do, if they wear a hat or a scarf on their heads! Cute mop hats top just about any kind of dress or skirt combo!聽 For little boys, a pair of suspenders.
OUTER-WEAR:
Shawls, long coats, greatcoats, Fur coats鈥� these are all great options for staying warm! Pair with a seasonal scarf or a muff for keeping hands warm and you鈥檒l be the talk of the town!
Whatever you wear, come on down to Fezzywig鈥檚 pub to warm up, and enjoy the diverse fashion show as locals and visitors alike show off their Victorian regalia and Christmas spirit.
