Costumes

[Victorian]

Vets;

Did Mario or the Princess ever come to burning man???

[Ugly Dougly]

Now you gotta speak English here.

[jella]

People tend to shy away from established "namebrand" themed costumes and art and do their own thing.

[Victorian]

I think I'll have to invite princess peach to the playa for 2010....





Or maybe she'll come in disguise.... because you do have a point.. But I was just being playful and thinking of bringing this costume for the hell of it.. it's just rotting in my closet as is...

[jella]

by all means play it up..maybe a masked princess by the dark of the night hehe. Bring it all I brought trunks of stuff and shared

[Victorian]

I've had costumes for days. I wore them in the default and got strange looks. I'll definitely be glad to share.
For those of you who do go to the max when it comes to costume..

I've heard many ways... but how to you store and protect your masses of clean costumes from the dust?

Moving van this year. I contemplated taking an old dresser from thrift and painting it playa style for those wishing to rummage.

[Ugly Dougly]

Cosplay, of course!

[jella]

giant ziplock storage bags for everything spacebags are my fave all the way down to delicates favorite tip next to the vinegar to wash afterwards

[Victorian]

Im not a cosplayer, just a love for costumes. Rather kind of a comic geek yes.. but more so I've just done poison ivy, nurse or two, the peach,

Thanks for the bag tip.

And yes.. adding vinegar to my list

[LostinReno]

I think I'll have to invite princess peach to the playa for 2010....





Or maybe she'll come in disguise.... because you do have a point.. But I was just being playful and thinking of bringing this costume for the hell of it.. it's just rotting in my closet as is...

You really need to add some elwire and blinkies to that costume. What a great costume! Princess Peach is kinda retro. Just be prepared to maybe never wear it again in the default world, it WILL be covered in playa by the time you make it back home. Of course you could be "playa princess" in the default world??? Share the dust with everyone!
Don't worry I share the dust everytime someone gets in my truck and it's been 5 months!

[Victorian]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

That things got two petticoats with wire underneath. Easy to modify.

And I can take away the Peach aspect of it.. or make it my own peach version....

I'm prepared to make it a playa only costume or part of my souvenir I take home with me...

Ok, you got my creative juices flowing... off to the drawing boards and then for a nap!

[LostinReno]

Although the mushroom purses do kind of play the commercialism side of your costume. They are strangely appropriate!

[fbcota]

Had a friend go as Fire Mario last year. I liked it.

Damn, we need some "?" blocks out on the playa! Ohh, and some of those damned cactus things.

[Ugly Dougly]

Im not a cosplayer, just a love for costumes. Rather kind of a comic geek yes.. but more so I've just done poison ivy, nurse or two, the peach,

Thanks for the bag tip.

And yes.. adding vinegar to my list

I think you have defined cosplay.

Who needs el-wire? It is very cool, mind you - but it IS still a costume without electronics.

[C.f.M.]

Have any number of licensed characters been to the playa?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Who cares?

Radical self-expression. Wear whatever the hell you want.

You can't really keep anything free from playa dust. I seperate costumes and all their make-up and accessories into plastic bags - NOT those space saving bags, those were a waste of time and money.

I just got some super big ziploc bags from the dollar store.

Take it out when you're read to wear it, stick it all back in the bag when you're done.

I just washed everything as normal laundry, no vinegar, and it was just fine.

Except my poor hoop skirt which suffered major casualties before it even got there.

Your enthusiasm for the community (re, the dresser to share) is great, but don't over-extend yourself. This is your first year, and just being there to adjust can be a challenge.

[Elorrum]

but how to you store and protect your masses of clean costumes from the dust?

er, sorry to say the best answer would be don't bring them if that's critical. Once it's outside the bag, it's dusty. It's not a big deal to be dusty. Keeping things that have been outside separated from the things still bagged up is important. Putting sort of dusty stuff back in a bag keeps it from getting really really dusty. Anything left out gets really dusty, even in a tent or car. You're going to have a fun time I think. See something you like, tell the maker they did a good job. People will say the same to you. It's wonderful.

[Victorian]

Great advice from everyone...
Thank you! I'll see what I decide on... I'll probably end up bringing it for the hell of it.

[C.f.M.]

Great advice from everyone...
Thank you! I'll see what I decide on... I'll probably end up bringing it for the hell of it.

I didn't even wear half of what I brought (costuming's my "thing"), for various reasons (I just didn't feel up to all the hassle, the weather didn't suit, etc.).

Packing much, much lighter clothes-wise, and concentrating more on practical and fun clothes for night-time would be my priority for the next time.

I'm known for changing five times a day @ regionals (just during the daylight), but I found that didn't happen out there.

[Victorian]

Great tip!

I'm definitely still working on the night time aspect of BM for myself, my costumes, my camp,,.. etc.

Trying to decide what it worth working on and what will just be a hassle...

as far as all the electrics and batteries and glowy stuff goes...

[Fire_Moose]

"NOT those space saving bags, those were a waste of time and money. "

Why CFM? i was thinking about getting a couple for the burn this year....only down fall i can think of is i wont have a vacuum out on the playa....

[Victorian]

As far as getting them THERE, and trying to save space, I think it may be a good idea.. if you're compacted like in a car or smaller vehicle....

I would think MINUS the trash you are bringing out with you to take home, that you normally would be carrying LESS out of the playa then in (gifts, water you consume, food you eat, stuff you lose or ruin)...

Am I wrong in thinking this?

[C.f.M.]

"NOT those space saving bags, those were a waste of time and money. "

Why CFM? i was thinking about getting a couple for the burn this year....only down fall i can think of is i wont have a vacuum out on the playa....

Well, I thought about getting some
"I was eyeballing the bags at Tarjay. It’d be super great for the trip there, no doubt, but then you’re still stuck with the same stuff, not compressed to more than half its size, for the trip back.

But, I thought, I will have a little more space, since food boxes and coolers will be (presumably) empty. And, if I take throw-away bedding (one very large packing component) that I donate somewhere on the way out…it might be a good idea."

http://playabound.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/sigh/

And then I did

http://playabound.wordpress.com/2009/09 ... ving-bags/

Total waste of money. Sure, they save space. If they don't break before you get a chance to use them. Or start filling back up with air before they're unsealed. And explode your bedding all over the driveway before you've even left Atlanta.

And, of course, on the playa they're useless, since you can't re-suck 'em down to a space-saving size.

The ones I got from the dollar store worked just as well, as far as squishing air out - and have handles.

[C.f.M.]

Great tip!

I'm definitely still working on the night time aspect of BM for myself, my costumes, my camp,,.. etc.

Trying to decide what it worth working on and what will just be a hassle...

as far as all the electrics and batteries and glowy stuff goes...

Unless being lit up is going to be part of your schtick, just take something to make you visible on the front and back, in the dark.

This means, for many losers - er, people, glow-sticks.

There's a plethora of options, blinking LED bike lights you can pin on, solar-powered lighting, etc. A local party store might have options, as well.

REI sells a simple EL wire w/power box thing you can wrap around yourself as you please.

I'm not trying to promote myself or the blog, but I do talk about a loooot of this stuff on my blog (what kind of lighting to get, where to get it from, cost, etc.).

[Victorian]

CFM, thanks! I'll check it out when I'm not busy and scan your blogs...

I'm like a lost sponge stranded on the eplaya-- I'll soak up whatever comes around when it comes to information...

Eeerrrrr... yeah... something like that...

[jella]

I actually bought a dollar store brand too and yes it did perform about the same. The biggest advantage was the size regarless of brand. I packed several layers "un squished" in a suitcase and it was easy to stay organized and dustfree.
just sayin

[C.f.M.]

I actually bought a dollar store brand too and yes it did perform about the same. The biggest advantage was the size regarless of brand. I packed several layers "un squished" in a suitcase and it was easy to stay organized and dustfree.
just sayin

Cool!

Like I said earlier, I pack each costume and everything that goes with it in its own bag.

Then, the larger ones, I filled with like items.

So, warm stuff = one bag (scarves, hats, mittens, long johns); day clothes (I pretty much wore the same slip and wife beater every day around camp, so that bag would be muuuuuuuuch smaller if I ever go again); - oh, and remember to pack clothes all by themselves to wear on the trip home.

Trust me. You will be very, very tired of "playa dust" and very, very happy to have some clothes free of it by the end.

[Edana]

And, of course, on the playa they're useless, since you can't re-suck 'em down to a space-saving size.

Hmmm, just thinking aloud here - would you be able to do some kind of sucking them down with an air mattress pump? I know we used to have one that had both an "inflate" and "deflate" option.

We will not be using space savers, but every outfit will be in its own zip top sealed bag. Right down to underwear and socks etc. That way at least you can start out with clean clothes, and it prevents the need to go digging through the bag too much.

[C.f.M.]

And, of course, on the playa they're useless, since you can't re-suck 'em down to a space-saving size.

Hmmm, just thinking aloud here - would you be able to do some kind of sucking them down with an air mattress pump? I know we used to have one that had both an "inflate" and "deflate" option.

We will not be using space savers, but every outfit will be in its own zip top sealed bag. Right down to underwear and socks etc. That way at least you can start out with clean clothes, and it prevents the need to go digging through the bag too much.

You'd have to conflaggle how to block the open air descrepancy between the size of the little mattress pump, and the hole in the bag made for a much larger vacuum nozzle.

Just as easy to sit on them.

Yes, I made those words/uses up.

[Fire_Moose]

So you CAN sit on a space saver bag to get some of the air out?

[C.f.M.]

So you CAN sit on a space saver bag to get some of the air out?

Yeah. But they cost a lot more. And, if the plastic bits break, as the majority of mine did, before I'd even left the house with them, they're useless.