Fairytales, Fables & Folklore Fancy Dress Ideas | Woodland Animals, Mythical Creatures & Festival Fashion
Last weekend saw the end of summer and the festival season, but the Shindig Feast of Fables festival provided a fabulous way to say goodbye to the sun with a celebration of food, fun and (very) fancy dress.
The theme was loosely based on Aesop's fables, so there was a huge range of foxy foxes, fabulous feathers and purrrfect pussy cats in attendance. I also spotted some beautifully crafted homemade headdresses, horns and hats and I picked up lots of useful tips on how to make my own. I left feeling exhausted but with lots of ideas for future fancy dress costumes.
The great thing about the fables theme was the variety of interpretations of the theme and how the addition of an inexpensive mask, some well done make up or a pair of ears can turn the mundane into the magnificent! As you may know I am a fancy dress fiend and I am constantly looking for inspiration for making new, weird and wonderful fancy dress costumes. Below are some of my favourite costumes with tips on how you can create your own versions.
Pagan Priestess Headdress
This was really effective and dramatic but very low cost and actually quite simple to make. Using a basic cardboard and duct tape base with wooden antlers, fake ivy, feathers flowers and costume jewellery (see my blog post on creating your own Voodoo Priestess headdress).
Foxy Foxes
Gentleman foxes were all the rage at the festival and very easy to create with a shirt, waistcoat and braces with a top hat or flat cap, fox ears and a fox tail. Incorporating tweed (trousers, hats, waistcoats, jackets etc) also added to the effect. Orange and white face paint (top half of the face orange and bottom white with a black nose) is an optional extra but also looked really effective...until it sweats off in the early hours.
Raving Raven (me)
I wanted an outfit that would be simple to put together and not require too much DIY as I was short on time. I already had the black feathered cape - very cheap to buy online. So I just added a feathered mask - only £1.80 - and cut off the bottom around the eyes (see original below), so it was more of a headdress. I didn't want too much face paint on or anything covering my face, so I just drew on elongated shapes around my eyes with a black eyeliner pen. To be honest this would have been enough as I had loads of compliments on the feathered mask/headdress. I already had a black corset top, thick black tights and shorts and I also added some gorgeous feathered wings which looked fab.
