204790 Resource 100513 101704 101704 1211565136595 1227211043618 Controlled Costuming on the Cheap ’n’ Low: How an Old Turtleneck Can Save Your Neck

Your costumes can be original, colorful, outlandish and theatrical, and it doesn’t have to break the bank.

You have to put on a play. The budget is so small it would make an embittered Viking cry for his mommy.  Do not despair.  The axiom for the day: the more imagination you use, the less money you’ll need. Forget Disney, forget Hollywood movies. Your princess doesn’t have to look like theirs. Your costumes can be original, colorful, outlandish and theatrical, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. As long as the entire cast is costumed in the same style, your design will work.            Let’s start with the simple cotton turtleneck, which can be deconstructed for a multitude of costumes. Go to thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets, or ask students to rummage in their closets—it doesn’t matter how old the turtlenecks are, but getting a large or extra large will be helpful. You can either work with the colors you get or dye them.Cut off the collar. You now have a headband. Paste on ribbons, jewels, tinsel, plastic or paper flowers, and you have the beginning of an interesting headpiece. Sew on a piece of black cloth three quarters of the way around, and you have a nun’s wimple.  Sew on a big white circle of cloth, and you have a mop cap. Attach a scarf to it, and you have a snood. (<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/art/dict/snood.htm">http://www.merriam-webster.com/art/dict/snood.htm</a>) Attach a wig or wig pieces, and you make a Goth look, or a vampire, or a mad scientist. Do whatever you can think of—weave a garland around it, add a fringe to the front, attach animal ears on top—to achieve the costume you need.            Now move to the sleeves:  Cut them off, along with the cuffs. Hem the large end of the sleeve, which goes around the actor’s head, and tie the narrow end into a knot. Voilà! You have a medieval looking cap, or a nightcap, or just an interesting piece of headwear for period plays. Dwarves, serfs, servants and elves all could wear this.            Now take the cuffs and tie knotted scarves or any flowing material on, and you’ve created the opportunity for some beautiful stage movement as a flamboyant princess waves her arms about. Take the ruffle of an old pair of curtains or blouse from the thrift store and sew it onto the cuff. Worn beneath the costume, this gives the illusion of wealth and beauty. Worn on a bare arm, it’s funny; which may be what you want.            Now you have a turtleneck without neck or sleeves. Add some buttons, some rivets, some braid, a bowtie, and you have a tunic. You can design it to be simple or fancy. You can cut it up the middle and have a vest. Tear it a bit, and you’ve got a Dickens orphan of the street or the blouse of a witch. Tear it and tie ribbons, necklaces, or string or attach paper clips around the tears—you’ve costumed Ariel, Trinculo the jester, and Caliban from The Tempest.             We have now, like our forefathers did, used every available piece of goods the lowly turtleneck has to offer. Once you start, you’ll see many more possibilities for original, interesting costumes.  10 application/xml false attire budget clothes costumes costuming dress economic inexpensive less outfit simple Forget Disney, forget Hollywood movies. Your princess doesn't have to look like theirs. Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727) 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 mglassman 64.62.58.1 false true false false true 100513 blog blogsite/PioneerDrama/newsletter