Carmen Miranda Costume

This is my first submission to any online contest. Thanks for reading!

My costume inspiration came many years ago when I saw Carmen Miranda in the very old movie "Down Argentine Way". I thought she was so fun and over-the-top and would make for a great costume. Also, as a man who NEVER does drag, I thought it would be a great way to mix up my costume choices. Usually I'm something scary.

Also, who doesn't love someone with a whole basket of fruit on their head?!?

Once I decided that another costume I had been working on wasn't going in the right direction, I decided to put it to the side and really go for the Carmen look. I started by taking the top, which is a man's Tropical Dancer costume top, and rebuilding it into a female shape. (The secret to making "the girls" is 1 Lb. of uncooked rice in a cut off stocking. They looked great!) Then, 48 and a half yards of satin later...I made the skirt. Every ruffle is hand applied and edge-stitched to prevent fraying. All of the necklaces are just strings of Christmas tree beads looped MANY times around my neck. The head-piece started as a store bought one with only 3 fruits and a feather. After a mad dash through the craft store, I had 9 fruits (3 bananas, 2 oranges, a lemon, apple, a bunch of grapes, and a pineapple!) as well as 3 kinds of feathers and curly-stems from the floral department glued to the head wrap. I even found online a bracelet made of mini-fruits. All in all, I spent about $125.00 on the whole look (including shoes, make up, stockings, and undergarments).

Best of all, I was stopped constantly for a photograph at the very large event I attended. Even folks on the street were shouting out "Hey, Carmen!" all night long. It was fantastic. The whole night I got to play a fun character that brought a smile to so many people's faces. I could twirl in my skirt and show off how beautifully it moved. It's really why I love Halloween so much!