Halloween Glamour Mission: Dita Von Teese DIY Costume

         Going into this Halloween I had a million and six ideas, per usual. I knew I had to top Vampira and it had to be good. Then It hit me... what is bigger than a burlesque Dita Von Teese? I knew what I had to do and it would not be an easy or quick one.
       
         At first I was going to re-create an exact costume but I did not know if her costumes had any type of trademark and lets be real that would be a fortune! So I pulled inspiration from a few of her performances and looks to create mine.  I knew I wanted to wear as much Dita Von Teese lingerie and I had to wear a corset and I knew I wanted to have feather fans, and of course I had to have the right hair. So Ill try and make this as close to how I did this as possible.

        First off I decided I wanted to do an all black costume inspired by her Lip Teese act, a few photos I had found, her Lazy act she debuted at the Crazy Horse in Paris and lastly Dita had posted her New Years Eve poster. That was when I knew I had my idea down! First off I found the bra I wanted (well I had one already but I wanted to showgirl it up so I bought a second Dita Von Teese over wire bra from her 2013/2014 lingerie line called the Her Sexcellency bra. That was on its way so I ordered black rhinestones and I have never done this type of thing before so I thought 1,440 would be enough.... I was very wrong. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime! I used the best glue for the project which I found was the E6000 bead glue in clear. I just kind of did what I felt would look good. I would pour out a bunch of rhinestones, put a line of glue where I wanted the stones and pick them up with either my finger pad or a semi sticky toothpick. Luckily the glue I bought came with "adapters" that made it super easy to get the glue to come out in a thin line. But my two problems I had with the glue was the glue seeping out of the nozzle and I constantly had to keep cleaning it up and that was a waste. The second problem was the pouch like packaging that the glue was in kept ripping and the glue would seep out of there and I would have to patch it with a napkin etc. I got this glue at Walmart for about $3. It takes about a good 24 hours for the glue to completely dry.

         Next thing was the corset, for this I wanted a waspie style and knew just the place! Orchard Corset is my favorite place for quality steel boned corsets that will not break the bank. I had one before this one and I pretty much wear it everyday! Now for the costume I wanted a solid black preferably cotton one, I found the CS-411 that would be perfect because it wouldn't cover too much or take too much away from the rest of my costume. Now for sizing I got the smallest they offer which is an 18 inch. My natural measurements are 30.5-23-32 so knowing this (they also have a ton of information on their site since I am not an expert.) But you want to take you natural waist measurements and subtract 4 inches from that and there is your size. Now you cannot just start tightening the laces as hard as you can, you have to season it a bit. Wear it a little bit each day and gradually make it tighter. This process should be about two weeks long. If you decide to skip this process your steel could break and it will not form to your body correctly.I did not wear this laced all the way since I would be moving around so I was at 19.5 inches comfortably and I wanted it to look exaggerated.  I also took the modesty panel off the back (flap of fabric on the back to cover the skin from the laces.) After that was finished I began to rhinestone it.

        I had already gone through 2,000 rhinestones but I still needed more! I rhinestoned my What Katie Did black seamed stockings along the top of the thigh and up the seam for that added showgirl pizzazz! I also had the What Katie Did black opera length gloves that are satin. The garter belt I wore was a Dita Von Teese piece, its the Madame X in black. The bottoms I wore are vintage shape wear that went up to my lower rib cage. I rhinestoned it along the front of the design.  

        This may be the trickiest part but one of the most important... THE FEATHER FANS! These were a lot of work and ended up being really heavy. These, you would not be able to dance with, they are just props. The first thing I did was buy 2 hand fans (the small kind you would get at a faire or something) but I needed to make the bigger. So I went to Walmart and bought the jumbo popsicle sticks (the regular size were too small and did not give enough support.) I also bought a mini hot glue gun just because I did not want the bigger ones, too bulky. I just hot glued the popsicle sticks to the base of the fan and then glued them to the end of the other popsicle sticks. I repeated this about 4 times until I got the desired length. Next I spray painted them black (even the plastic base) which I used regular spray paint and it seeped right through! I actually did not even get to spray both before I ran out. The next time I got the paint with the primer and a gloss finish. I would spray about 3 "arms" at a time so I could pour the black craft glitter on them. These need about 24-48 hours to dry.  At first I was just going to feather one side of the fans and the other side would just have glitter on them, but that only happened with one fan. The other fan was not as well made as the first and I did a lot of doctoring it before I could even feather it. Now to feather it I found these not too bulky 48 inch black and gold feather boas at the dollar store. When cut in half they were the perfect length to fit over the popsicle sticks. To adhere them I just used hot glue.

         The wig I got from Anabelle's Wigs which is actually called "Dita" which I added some teasing to and rolled the bottom to create more of a pageboy style. ( I did not get any photos of  it besides it setting (pictured) .)Once I rolled the bottom of the wig under I used black bobby pins to pin it in place. I then used duckbill clips and hairspray to hold the style in place and create the shape. The nails were pretty hard just in the fact I had to freehand paint them. I always do my own nails so once I did the acrylic I painted them all white. I then took a pen and made a moon shape at the base of the nail. After I took the red polish and painted around the moon shape first then painted the rest of the nail, and did a nice shiny top coat.

        Over 7,000 rhinestones, 105 hot glue gun burns, a driveway destroyed by hairspray paint and a million and a half hours later and you have finished your glamour mission! Now just make sure you rhinestone everything! Your bottoms, your stockings, your shoes, and accessories! Add some vintage jewelry and there you are Dita Von Teese! Its pretty amazing that she liked the makeup post I made on Instagram and I hope she sees the whole costume and that I did her well! Feel free to tag her on my Instagram post!

 

1950's Poodle: A Vintage Hair Tutorial

 During the 1940's and 50's women wore their hair up more because they went to work, mostly in factories. One of the popular hairstyles at the time was called "the poodle." This style was made famous by Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. This was often a pile of curls placed at the top of the head. The more famous you were the more elaborate the hair style was. The style got its name because well, it looks like a poodle's hair! This is a great style for when you do not feel like doing a brush out or for a hot day.


        In this video (attached through YouTube) I did an everyday version of this style. Its sped up so it wasn't 20 minutes long. Here are the steps...

1. Start with damp hair and spray on a setting lotion (mine is homemade)
2. Section off your hair into parts no bigger than 1 inch
3. Use pink sponge rollers (you can find these at any beauty supply and are fairly cheap) and begin to roll the roller under you hair. Since you'll be brushing your curls forward there is no specific pattern used  
4. Make sure your rollers are clipped tight against your head and that they aren't loose. Be sure your sections are all about the same size
5. Wrap head in a nylon scarf and sleep or let dry 
6. Take out all rollers carefully, do not pull, unwrap them
7. Separate the curls with your fingers lightly DO NOT BRUSH OUT CURLS 
8. Starting at the back of your head brush hair forward toward your face
9. Once smoothed in the back start pinning the curls around the top of your head/face
10. Once you have the pack pinned at the front you can start placing the curls. I start with a chunk at at time, sort of place them and pin where they look good or start to fall into place. 
11. When you have all the curls pinned how you like use pomade (I love Suavecita brand because of the smell and the hold.) This adds shine and will tame flyaways... basically hair glue. 

Spray with hairspray and your finished

These were adaptations of the poodle that used this technique. In the first photo I used a 3 day old poodle/wetset that I put Victory Rolls and a Gibson Roll with. The second photo is the result of this video. The last photo is a half poodle, half up half brushed out. Hope you enjoyed!
Song is Fujiyama Mama by Wanda Jackson

Dita and the Copper Coupe

Me before the show and before meeting the real Dita

         If you have been following me for awhile I am sure you know how big of a Dita Von Teese fan I am... In May I had the pleasure of not only seeing her new show, but actually meeting her. I planned on writing this a long time ago but I never got around to it.
         For those of you who don't know Dita Von Teese is a New York Times Best Seller, a international burlesque queen, lingerie designer and model just to start. She advocates glamour everyday and never leaves the house without lipstick and does it all herself. Some of you may even know her as the ex-wife of shock rocker Marilyn Manson (together from 2001-2007). No matter how you know her, shes undoubtedly one of the most self made women in Hollywood. Styling, hair or makeup she does it all herself! Dita is originally from Michigan and I am happy to always say I am from the same state as her. Growing up I had always liked things that were different from everyone else and Dita embodied everything I wanted to be and more... still is. If I had the time and the words I'd tell you all she means but lets leave that for another time.

         This was the second time I saw Dita preform and honestly she does not disappoint. It was at the Fillmore Detroit which is a beautiful venue, this is where I saw her preform last time as well. It has such a great historical look while still keeping in touch with modern aspects. Its a pretty big venue with a balcony, seats and general admission. I always get general admission because I would rather stand and I like to be as close as possible. This case it was the best place in the house, I got to see it all up close and personal.
        I wore a black 1950's lace prom dress that had a lace and netting overlay. The lace almost had a copper tint to it so it went well with the theme. I scoured the internet for the perfect one in my size and price range... and it HAD to be black. I wore a vintage hat with a ton of netting that was of course black and a vintage black velvet purse that I rhinestoned a spiderweb on. My hair was in a center part, page boy style that looked so elegant with the dress. My jewelry was all vintage black and white diamonds. Shoes were classic black patent leather heels, after all I had to keep it classy to meet the queen!

The copper coupe troupe

        Now as for the show Johnny McGovern was the host and he killed it! He is the host of the show "Hey Qween." He brought laughter, and looks. He came out with his booming voice, black tux and laughs for days with his rhinestoned rose that Dita made for him. He announced each act and gave us all a good laugh. She had the most gorgeous Zelia Rose who did this exotic routine with all gold and red feather fans. She graced the stage with such hypnotizing moves. Playboy cover model Gia Genevieve who made her burlesque debut with one of Dita's famous bathtub act! She was beyond gorgeous and absolutely killed every move! Now something you don't see much is a male burlesque dancers but Jett Adore was something else! I saw from the Art of the Teese tour, where he did his Zorro act again, which I wasn't even ad about seeing twice! Ginger Valentine is such a tease and last time I had the pleasure of meeting her! She can really move and one day I am going to take one of her classes one of these days! She doesn't even need any props just her and the floor! Now Dirty Martini is such a showstopper! Her hair, her body, and her tassels! She is one of my favorites ever, shes funny, and sexy and just the most extravagant ever! I am hoping to catch her at the Michigan Burlesque festival next month! But y gawd her tassel twirling still has me in a daze!

         Now for the queen herself, Dita absolutely outdid herself! The Copper Coupe was just everything and more and I still get glamour flashbacks... She opened with the copper clam shell looking like a Grecian bedazzled goddess! This act was reminiscent of the Sally Rand bubble dance but dripping in Swarovski crystals. She had the balloons falling from the ceiling along with two giant balloons that resembled pearls. The look was perfect, the use of the sandals instead of heels really looked incredible with the use of the flowy fabric, diamonds and pearls. Dita revamped her "Lazy" act which she has preformed at the Crazy Horse in Paris France. Everything was red this time and her hat and suit were as red as the MAC lips she so often flaunts. The Vontourage did not disappoint either, this was my favorite act with them in it. Its got the best story line which I hope to live my life like one day. Dita even sings a the track she strips to in this act! The closing act was her Copper Coupe act and of course dripping in crystals... I wouldn't have had it any other way! This may have been the most sparkly act I've ever seen! It was so dazzling, and when she got into the glass everything else in the world slips away. Now for my most favorite act of all time that I do not think I'll ever forget and wish I could watch everyday.... LipTeese! This is a very John Willie, fetish inspired burlesque act with all vinyl, leather, riding crops and a giant mechanical lipstick! The entire case joined Dita onstage during this act! I don't know if it was the whole cast in their fetish costumes, Dita's costume, the Bird of Prey remix or the confetti that I am still finding all over my house. This act was so inspiring to me and watching Ginger Valentine dazing and controlling the giant lipstick left my jaw on the floor. I am not even kidding you my jaw hurt after this act.

Dita and I with one of my drawings 

An emotional moment

         After the show was the moment I had been waiting for... the meet and greet! Now Dita has been an idol and inspiration to me since I was 13 and I had been thinking of what I was going to say to her for years. My nerves were through the roof and I could feel myself shaking. Now Dita has liked some of my photos on instagram and even shared one of my photos on her instagram story. But when I walked up to her and she said she loved seeing my photos on instagram as an opening I lost everything I was going to say. Like I said I've been waiting for this moment for years. Dita was so kind and had so much to say and spoke so sweetly. She liked my drawings I did of her and we even got a photo of her holding one. We talked about it all as she signed all the goodies I bought and brought for her to sign. I honestly still think about how much of a fool I made of myself... I was smiling like a fool the entire time. She was everything and more and I will not be seeing her without a meet and greet again! I cannot wait for another magical night again!

My signed Dita goodies! 

The History Fetish and Fetish Heels

        It's been awhile but I am back with something a bit different than what I normally write. I recently became the owner of a pair of vintage fetish heels and noticed that a lot of people did not really understand what they are or my fascination around them. So, here it goes the history of the fetish heel and why it is so sexy. 

circa 1900

famous shoe collector Tana Louise

        Up until the 1900s the foot was practically hidden, the foot and shoes slowly began showing themselves more and more. As the foot became more noticeable so did the urge to make it not only functional but fashionable. As trade began to really flourish more with more lands, it was the eastern hemisphere that become more into the dressing of the foot. (This was a time where showing a bit of ankle was scandalous...) So the more covered up something was when you saw it undressed the more exciting it was to see. To no surprise it was about the mid 19th century that underground pornography began to make its way around. Which is a lot different from what you will see today. There were some of the first heels made just for the pure pleasure of foot fetishist. They had heels that were 6 inches tall or were thigh high boots that laced to the top. These are still key descriptions of modern fetish shoes as well.

Photo by Guyette

circa 1900

        Now some background... the man that came up with the term "masochism" was Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch who was famous for writing the highly erotic Venus in Furs, which was about female domination. The man who we can probably thank  the word "fetish" was Nicolas Edme Restif de la Bretonne who was a French novelist and the word for shoe fetish "retifism" was named after him. He wrote about women and the legalization of prostitution among other subjects but most focused around sex and other fetishes. Then you have photographer and artist Charles Guyette, who was the very first person to make and distribute fetish memorabilia in the United States. He dabbled in burlesque wear such as corsets, gloves, famously made G-strings and of course fetish shoes that were custom made. Although he came a bit later in the game he became the first, lets say martyr in the history of fetish. He was jailed in 1935 for distributing his art but was later working under different names to go undetected. A lot of his work to this day is unaccredited. He was a major inspiration to many of the modern day fetish idols. Irving Klaw, Bettie Page, John Willie, Eric Stanton and Dita Von Teese have all credited him as a major inspiration to their work.

By John Willie 

                                                 

By John Willie 

        Now for one of my favorite artists, John Willie. Willie grew up during the Edwardian era and that was a time when sex was so repressed that may just give you some reasoning into why he loved the things he did. He had everything going  for him until he married a night club hostess without the permission. They moved to Australia and divorced 5 years later. In 1926 he joined the high heel lover club where he met his second wife Holly Ana. She became his muse and often modeled for him. She had his ideal body type tall and slender, which transferred to his artwork. That is when he began to make his own artwork of illustrations and photography. In 1945 he began the most influential fetish magazine of all time called Bizarre where he used the name John Willie. Willie put photographs and illustrations in the

magazine of women in lingerie tied up or being whipped. Women being gagged or had facial harnesses on. They even had a shoe section that had actual photos of heels that did not even seem possible along with Willie's drawings of the foot and heels and how they interacted with each other. The magazine had 26 issues after having to call its end. But in 1997 another magazine which also had fetish themes came about, (and I believe it was in homage to Willie) but the last issue ran in 2015.

Bettie Page by Irving Klaw with shoe collection

Bettie Page by Irving Klaw

         In the 1950's a raven haired beauty was found lounging on the beach and was asked if a man could photograph her. She said yes and was so photogenic and was so natural at it he told her to model but gave her one piece of advice... to get bangs. If you don't already know who I am talking about that model is none other than the Bettie Page.            Bettie is one if not the most photographed women of all time although most of her work will never be seen, but we will get to Bettie Page is still the most famous fetish model credited with wearing the heels too. Bettie began modeling for Irving and Paula Klaw in 1952 at Movie Star News who sold photos and postcards of movie stars and later BDSM and fetish themed photos. They were even selling Charles Guyette's work. But Klaw's fetish/pin up/bondage work was considered pornography at the time and was illegal to send through the mail. But all good things must come to an end, in the late 1950's, the final years of the Klaw studios both Irving and Bettie were on trial for pornography and one night he made the decision to destroy most of his inventory to save himself and his starlets but his sister Paula managed to save some of the movies and shots. She never thought that anything she did was bad and often thought she was playing a character. She was even Playmate of the month in January 1955 for Playboy which then made her a small household name.

Louboutin's ballet stiletto 

Bettie Page's shoes belonging to Dita Von Teese

        Most of the clothing Bettie wore she made herself unless it was a specialty item or corset. But the shoes were often brought in just for the girls to wear to be photographed in. Klaw had a small collection he kept as well. But burlesque queen, modern day pin up and best selling author Dita Von Teese had always heard a rumor that there was still a trunk of Bettie Page's old fetish heels. The trunk soon came up for auction and Dita bought a pair which happened to be one of Bettie's favorite pairs which she was often photographed in.
        With the resurgence of vintage fashion, burlesque and even Dita's following the fetish heel has made a comeback. You can get yourself a pair for about $80-$1,000 today. There are all kinds but most tend to follow the 5-7 inch heel with no platform made of leather or patent leather, and are mostly black, red or  maybe white. They include the ballet heels which is just what they sound like, an en pointe slipper with a heel. You have the thigh high lace up boots. The tall heel with the classic ankle strap and the ones that are so tall you cannot stand. Louboutin, McQueen and even Pleaser have all come out with their own version of what could be considered a 'fetish heel.'
     
          But to me there is just something so beautiful about how the foot is perfectly up on its toe to make the foot look so exotic and unreal. There is something about the power you feel when you're wearing heels even if they are so tall you can barely stand in them. These are all shoes of my dreams and I cannot wait to grow my collection. Stay tuned to my instagram for more photos of mine!!

Me wearing my fetish heels
photo by Autumn Luciano for Decadence Dolls 

Man, we had a party! Wanda Jackson at The El Club

     As you may know I am a huge Wanda Jackson fan but until this last Sunday I have never seen her live. I finally did and she did not disappoint. This show was so hard to find something to wear to, I knew everyone was going to be dressed to the nines and I wanted to look my best. I searched high and low for something vintage or a repro vintage piece with fringe... no luck or way too expensive. I luckily came across a skirt at a local thrift store that would look perfect with some fringe added. It was perfect black and emerald green, my two favorite colors. This was perfect because I really wanted the opportunity to wear my Dita Von Teese Madame X wireless bra in emerald. found a sheer top from Forever 21 and it was a go! I had on a black and green purse with gold accents from Kohl's years ago and my green and black Bettie Page heels. It was a bit chilly so I added a faux leather jacket with Dita Von Teese, Vixen and Artetak enamel pins. I did not get any upclose photos of my makep but I kept it very classic with blush, liner, brows and a bold dark lip. For hair I did a half up half down 1940's half poodle, which is one of my favorite styles.

                    

some shots of my outfit, with friends from Jack and the Bear and (Brandon, Olivia, Libby and Adam) wearing @bettiepageshoes @ditavonteeselingerie @forever21 and @kohls 

      Now once I got to The El Club I was shocked I did not see more people in vintage or rockabilly clothing, there was maybe 3 or 4 at the most including me. Besides the 6 year old I befriended and a few of my friends  I seemed to be one of the youngest there. Most were in their late 40's-late 50's, and it certainly was a diverse group! You had the hipster, the rockabilly, the "dads", the gays and the very drunk obnoxious people who were beside me the whole show -_- Since Wanda's music is different than most (rock n' roll, country, some jazz and some blues) it really brought out everyone.She talked about Elvis and dating him and touring/writing with him. She is a true American icon. Wanda wore her iconic fringe and rhinestones and could not have looked better. She wore an all black pant suit that had matching black rhinestoned flats. Shes stayed true to herself and style in her 60+ years of her career.

     I could not have had a better night, I ended up with the set list and a signed ticket and I could not have been happier. She was not meeting fans that night but it was honestly just enough for me to be in her presence. She is so feisty and so funny, she was cracking so many jokes all night! If I wasn't dancing I was laughing. She took the time to tell us about each song before she played it and that just was so much better to me than just seeing her play. Lastly it was so good to meet Wanda's manager and granddaughter Jordan! She is so kind and you can just tell how much she loves Wanda. (I am a sucker for that because of how close I am with my grandparents) but we talked a bit about Wanda and her new album and Wanda's book. She is absolutely gorgeous and has a great sense of style! She wore black high waisted pants that criss-crossed on the side with a white cut off tank that said "Rock n' Roll made me do it" which I think is pretty fitting.  *photo found on Printrest all rights to the owner*


I honestly could not have had a better night, it was so incredible and it was a show I'll never forget. I mean we had a party and that party aint over! 

Photos by me of @wandajoffical and @jordanbsimpson