Middle-Aged Barbie
This costume won the Gawker.com 2010 Halloween costume contest.
THE IDEA
In 2009 Barbie turned 50 and in 2010 I made this costume. The idea started as a cautionary tale that went something like, "I was a bimbo and now I'm 50." But as I looked into Barbie's history, it turned out she has had every job known to doll, including doctor, paratrooper, and firefighter, so I gave up on that idea and just went with what would Middle-Aged Barbie look like and what accoutrements would come with this doll. The sides and back read, "Comes complete with reading glasses, sensible shoes, sunscreen, 401K, Martini, a sweater, and advice."
THE COSTUME
For this costume, I bought a box at a store that sells moving supplies. I visited brandsoftheworld.com and downloaded an eps file of the Mattel logo and of the Barbie logo. I enlarged the logos, and I typeset the Middle-Aged part. I printed those out on 11x17 paper. I cut away the part of the box where I would show through and left the circle at the top left for the Mattel logo. I spray-painted the outside of the box pink. I used wrapping paper to line the inside of the box where I also pasted in photos of the things Barbie came with. I also bought some tiny adhesive diamonds at a craft store and decorated the box with those. The good thing about this costume is that it's hands-free thanks to a belt that ran through the back of the box and fastened around my waist. I inserted the belt through two slits I made in the back of the box. I bought some cheap reading glasses, threw on a black dress, broke out my I Dream of Jeannie hair fall and that was that.
THE PARADE
I left the house that night thinking, "This is okay," but it turned out people loved this costume. I didn't march in our parade that year, but watched it from the street where it turned out that it was almost like the parade was coming to me because the marchers responded enthusiastically to Middle-Aged Barbie. I wasn't craving attention that evening, but I sure got a lot. It was lovely.
THE IDEA
In 2009 Barbie turned 50 and in 2010 I made this costume. The idea started as a cautionary tale that went something like, "I was a bimbo and now I'm 50." But as I looked into Barbie's history, it turned out she has had every job known to doll, including doctor, paratrooper, and firefighter, so I gave up on that idea and just went with what would Middle-Aged Barbie look like and what accoutrements would come with this doll. The sides and back read, "Comes complete with reading glasses, sensible shoes, sunscreen, 401K, Martini, a sweater, and advice."
THE COSTUME
For this costume, I bought a box at a store that sells moving supplies. I visited brandsoftheworld.com and downloaded an eps file of the Mattel logo and of the Barbie logo. I enlarged the logos, and I typeset the Middle-Aged part. I printed those out on 11x17 paper. I cut away the part of the box where I would show through and left the circle at the top left for the Mattel logo. I spray-painted the outside of the box pink. I used wrapping paper to line the inside of the box where I also pasted in photos of the things Barbie came with. I also bought some tiny adhesive diamonds at a craft store and decorated the box with those. The good thing about this costume is that it's hands-free thanks to a belt that ran through the back of the box and fastened around my waist. I inserted the belt through two slits I made in the back of the box. I bought some cheap reading glasses, threw on a black dress, broke out my I Dream of Jeannie hair fall and that was that.
THE PARADE
I left the house that night thinking, "This is okay," but it turned out people loved this costume. I didn't march in our parade that year, but watched it from the street where it turned out that it was almost like the parade was coming to me because the marchers responded enthusiastically to Middle-Aged Barbie. I wasn't craving attention that evening, but I sure got a lot. It was lovely.