How to Push Your Alice in Wonderland Costume

By Clara Madisson On August 18, 2011 · Add Comment · In All Costume Ideas

Alice in Wonderland costumes are not a rare sight at costume parties. All you need are a blue dress, knee-high socks and a blond wig, and your costume is pretty much complete. That would be quite alright, but aren't costume parties all about having the best, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing costume? There are many Alices out there, but how do you end up being the most awesome Alice? Let's try to up the ante a bit. Read on and be inspired.

Be Inspired by Top Fashion Designers

Fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen, Christpher Kane, and Manish Arora have all impressed us with their own take on Alice in Wonderland-inspired dresses. These designers are a great source for inspiration. So let's see how we can learn from them.

Think Out of the Box

Alexander McQueen’s Alice flaunts a pink dress and a lot of lace. Neither is she dressed in blue, nor does she wear knee-high socks. Still, the association to Alice in Wonderland is created immediately when you look at his costume. Why? It's the so-called vibe. Instead of focusing on a color palette, McQueen was inspired by the vibe and the spirit that the story of Alice in Wonderland eludes. McQueen demonstrates that you don’t have to stick to a certain color combination in order to portray a character. Surprise others with a great Alice in Wonderland costume that may not necessarily be reminiscent of the Disney movie or the John Tenniel illustrations, but nevertheless create a distinct association to Alice and Wonderland. Just remember: it's the vibe that makes a costume what it is.

Think Detail and More Detail

Take a look at Christopher Kane’s Alice-shoes. He simply added flowers, a pocket watch, butterflies, and tiny teapots to his shoes, pushing the costume beyond what was expected from an Alice shoes. Reinvent a costume by dissecting it. Push every single component of your costume: the shoes, the apron and the socks; by adding details that are true to the theme of your overall costume. Manish Arora followed suit by sticking poker cards to his Alice in Wonderland dress. The Arora-Alice isn’t simply wearing a blue dress, his Alice is covered in poker cards. The mere adding of poker cards made his dress simply outstanding. Finding great costume ideas for women is one thing, pushing your costume ideas further, is another.

Remember that when it comes to creative endeavors such as dressing up in crazy costumes, there are always ways to up the ante. Just refer to movies (Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland offers great inspiration should you plan to wear a Mad Hatter costume), Gwen Stefani's music videos, and of course, fashion designers. Find the right inspiration and your costume should be a hit.