Don't Dali with the Devil, a vintage Halloween.

Well last night saw Torquil and I traipse off to  Fleur de Guerre's shindig at the Fox. Torquil went as a surreal momento mori with a clock on his hat and various other symbols of fleeting existence upon his person. I went as a Catrina, a Mexican Day of the Dead (which is tomorrow!) lady with a Sugar Skull painted face.  I realised once I started painting that I didn't have proper brushes so the result was sloppier than I hoped but it was ok. It actually took less time than my usual warpaint, which in my case is actually camouflage. The colours were greasepaint from Charles Fox in Covent Garden and felt surprisingly light, although I had problems remembering not to touch my face for the whole evening and air kissing was essential.

My dress was Vivien of Holloways Day of the Dead circle halterneck which I have been wearing to .. ahem.. death. The Lace necklace was believe it or not from a stand near the salad aisle at Sainsbury's and the flowers etc are things I had hanging around the place. It was a lazy choice really but I jump at any chance to wear my big frou frou petticoat.

Fleur came as Frida Kahlo, which was my first choice (great minds think alike) however I think that Fleur gives great monobrow, even facial hair suits the lady!

Here is Torquil, note the small fly adorning his characteristic monocle and the blood spattered camelia: every gent should have one.  Katie Chutzpah has already blogged on the difficulties of Halloween dress and avoided the pitfalls with an expertly applied make-up mask, Galliano dress and a beautiful eye ring from Butler and Wilson.

The delectable Ree Ree Rockette was manning the door showing off her new pink hair and her steely ability to say 'non' to scruffbags. Entertainment was provided by a live band, the sultrily michievous Emerald Fontaine performed, the Vintage Poetess recited and Fruity did whatever it is he does on the decks.  He still didn't play Britney but at least put on my favourite Elvis track: Devil in Disguise on. Other vintage blogerettes in attendance included Retro Chick and Smuterella. Below I have put a selection of photos of various revellers, if one of them is of you feel welcome to nab it!  Minn x

Halloween costuming...

I’ve been thinking about this Halloween costume business. If you just want to go for the plastic rubber cheap satin shiny plastic approach it is easy enough if rather over-priced. The sensible approach, which my own mother has just taken is to invest in a moderately high quality outfit and wear it every year. I’d get bored. There are easy options, the witch simply requires a pointy hat, horns and cat ears are easy enough. I’d suggest that if any vintage ladies out there are on the Halloween pull the feline approach is a good one. Men do like cat outfits, touch of Sado masochism, very feminine and safely naughty. I once had some..ahem..success with a Korean emperor whilst dressed as a tiger. Problem is of course that it can be difficult to work out what a man actually looks like if he is disguised as a zombie who has incidentally been run over by a truck…

Naturally the Elviras always look good although I prefer Wednesday Addams as an outfit. One of the best outfits I ever saw was Salome, carrying the head of John the Baptist on a plate…

These are a few of the ideas I came up with whilst considering what to do for Don’t Dali with the Devil, this year’s chosen Halloween event. My considerations are that it should still leave me looking fairly pleasant, should not involve bulky impossible costumes, should be inexpensive and should not be a zombie.

a)     An anti vampire protester. Cribbed from True Blood I would wear pastel fifties clothes, hair up and glasses and march around with a placard stating ‘God Hates Fangs’.

b)    Wilma from the Flintstones. Handy for red heads. Merely involves a stylish leopard print dress, a nicely rolled and pinned hair do, fifties-sixties make up and some chunky jewellery.

c)     Carmen Miranda. A nylon turban, some plastic toy fruit and superglue. Then whatever fabulous forties themed outfit I could dig out.

d)      Aviatrix. Goggles, jodhpurs, and a white scarf with wire sewn into it so it looks like it is flying behind you.

e)        Horns and a blue vintage dress: Devil in a blue dress.

f)      Fortuna, decorate hair and clothing with gambling accoutrements, playing cards, casino chips. Have a hat made from a roulette wheel.

g)       A pierrot, the ruff is easy to make out of an old curtain (I’ve seen it done with doilies), hair slicked back and a velvet dress. Very thirties in a Beatonesque way.

This year however I will probably go for a Mexican Day of the Dead outfit to celebrate my affection for tequila.  But what I would really like to do one year is rope in 3 friends and do a four horse women of the apocalypse, I’d even be prepared to be pestilence.  

Halloween

Red legs displays her continuing weakness for lurid nylon wigs, on another halloween, on another continent.

The Chap in the middle is donning the kind of outfit I would personally like to see on Saturday!

It seems that year by year Londons options for Halloween have improved, for years only the Goth subculture provided partys with style and panache. Indeed they still do, the London Vampyre Groups Christmas party at the Penderel Oak in Holborn will be a paradigmatic Goth Halloween party. The guests will be dressed to the nines, easy if you do it on a daily basis and with some elements of steam punk which seems to have replaced cyber fetish as the Goth splinter group du jour. Anything that encourages the donning of brass goggles can't be a bad thing. The music will also be superb. Sadly I cannot make it but details of the 'Silent Night-Rest in Pieces Party can be found at:http://www.londonvampyregroup.co.uk/

Returning to Halloween, Red Legs will be attending 'The Enchanted Wood Party' co-hosted by the redoubtable Fleur de Guerre, tickets are I suspect, as rare as a Vampire at a Beach party but details can be found here:http://www.thefoxpresents.com/ This is rather more appropriate for the vintage crew although yours truely will be going for the trashy approach, £8.99 nylon wig from Sainsburys, classy. We also have guest list places for Bungalow 8's do although I suspect the effort of getting from Shoreditch to St Martin's Lane will defeat us.

For those who have not lost the will to live after a night of apple-bobbing and chocolate bats, on Sunday the Glitter room will be happening at the Black Sheep pub in Croydon, details here:http://vonbourbon.com/blog/?p=3836. The champion of Chap Hop, Mr B the Gentleman Rymer will be playing so well worth a trip into deepest South London.

I am well aware that the likelihood is that no one will be reading this, but then again there is something about typing into nowhere, words dissapearing like ectoplasm....