Man Clothes

[illy dilly]

My feeling on day time costumes is "Yeah right! Its F-ing hot out here!"
For that reason I try to stick to a wide brimmed hat and cotton clothes. Sadly, as a ginger kid, going with out a shirt will most likely mean I'll be dressed as a lobster by the end of the day.

As for night time guy clothes, my theory is "More Pockets! And More LIGHTS!"

The most important thing is to be comfortable! If you're not comfortable then you wont have as much fun.

And guys, don't put on a skirt just cause "At Burning Man, all the 'cool' guys wear skirts" I've always found it interesting that in BRC being "out side the norm" is so cool that "being out side the norm" becomes the normal. And once again, you're back in the normal. If you want to wear a dress or skirt cause it sounds fun have at it, but don't do it just because its not normal.

[Savannah]

*bump*

[mulch]

A topic dear to my heart as we costume a lot in New Orleans and among my crew it's hard to keep up. I'm just not naturally artistic in that way, and that spills over into my angst at at costume selection. And by selection I mean creation because you just wouldn't buy a costume in my circles.

Anyway, I feel for the original poster and share his difficulty with costumes. I end up with some pretty sweet rigs but its a struggle and I feel like I'm trying too hard. I don't know if I'll costume at all on the playa but its not for lack of a whole collection of crazy wearable and tools to make stuff. I get plenty of that at home.

[forty_eight]

still not inclined to spend much time figuring out how to dress up ... my wife is getting deep into the planning, tho. i just hope she gets the comfort thing right for her own sake. relaying things about the climate (hot/cold) and activities - bike riding, for instance - is coming off a little overbearing and opinionated.

back away from playa fashion advice is what i tell myself, haha

instead of planning outfits, i'm planning out different ways to tell fashion police detractors exactly how to go fuck themselves.

lol

[down4glamis]

For someone with out creative and out of the box thinking ideas, it almost sounds like getting a little buffer and having no shirt, a tie and some dress pants, a cool hat and some goggles will suffice. I am thinking of hitting some goodwills and trying to rummage through the isle to find things I feel are things that are fun and smoething i would be comfortable in, not only for the heat, but in general. The night thing i'm not too worried about, thick socks and a nice jacket will probably do. hmmm... Still searching for ideas on here and on the web looking at previous burns and trying to get ideas. I think id rather worry about getting a costume and being comfortable than a ticket. I would rather drive up with out a ticket, than go with a ticket and feel like some of the people that were described "man i should have brought" or "next year im going to bring"

[FIGJAM]

When some one disses your attire, drop to your knees and wail loudly about how you just never seem to fit in while throwing dust in the air.

Be as dramatic as possible.

The last line, louder then ever "I might as well go home!!!"

Then very calmly get up and move along.

Other than that, there are plenty of places on playa that would love to dress you up!

[forty_eight]

^ adds dramatic dust tantrum to list, lol

[Savannah]

For someone with out creative and out of the box thinking ideas, it almost sounds like getting a little buffer and having no shirt, a tie and some dress pants, a cool hat and some goggles will suffice. I am thinking of hitting some goodwills and trying to rummage through the isle to find things I feel are things that are fun and smoething i would be comfortable in, not only for the heat, but in general. The night thing i'm not too worried about, thick socks and a nice jacket will probably do. hmmm... Still searching for ideas on here and on the web looking at previous burns and trying to get ideas. I think id rather worry about getting a costume and being comfortable than a ticket. I would rather drive up with out a ticket, than go with a ticket and feel like some of the people that were described "man i should have brought" or "next year im going to bring"

Driving up without a ticket doesn't usually work out so well . . . but you can start to start to get your tent/shade/furniture/supplies/costumes together. You shouldn't postpone all of that until August.

[Sic Pup]

You can never go wrong with basic black.

[FIGJAM]

First year, first words somebody said to me was "Levis, really, what the fuck!"

I had just got there and was running an arrand on my trike so I had'nt changed out of my travel clothes yet.

[Savannah]

First year, first words somebody said to me was "Levis, really, what the fuck!"

I had just got there and was running an arrand on my trike so I had'nt changed out of my travel clothes yet.

The nerve.

I hope you said "Poor manners, really, what the fuck!"

[FIGJAM]

They were quite a ways away and yelling at me.

It was'nt the "vibe" I expected, but they did'nt know me or what the fuck was going on, so it did,nt really effect me.

[Savannah]

Your attitude is better than mine.

Although I wouldn't have been mad for very long. Caring what a rude stranger thinks of your clothes . . . well, it's pretty low on the list of priorities.

[FIGJAM]

I don't know why it would even make it to the "List".

[moonwookie]

I started off thinking I would follow a theme, then things just grew organically from what I bought from the thrift shops. That wraparound black skirt that didn't go all the way around? A piece of that white taffeta off that wedding dress bottom I liberated from a trash pile in my neighborhood, folded several times so that it flows, then add that tie I never use as an accent. Maybe I'll make a cute animal mascot sporran...

That loony nightdress/robe thingy that was way too small but had that great striped pattern? Cut it into sections and use it to decorate that basic black suit jacket, along with pieces of stray t-shirts that actually come close to matching the Czech national colors, which is where most of my blood comes from....interesting how these things work out. On the back, cut the crocheted lace off the fringe of that shirt, which just happens to be in the shape of wings, and use it and the last pieces of the t-shirts to make a dragon design on the back.

Use that fringe from those shirts to make a mane for the unicorn headgear, which has its base in a tiny purple sweater. Wrap that bit of tulle in purple and grey cloth strips and insert a light string into it.

This won't be a constant thing with me - plenty of kicking around clothes built into the collection, that's for sure.

As a man who has spent his life in blue and grey, it's amazing fun to be able to play like this. I keep thinking of the line from Steely Dan's song "Deacon Blues":

"This is the day, of the expanding man."

[theCryptofishist]

That's all so Ratty!

[Ratty]

Moonwookie, that sounds like great fun to make as well as to wear. You're a natural.

Let me share a little link where you can look at pretty pictures and get ideas. Nothing for sale. Just an online scrapbook of examples.

[moonwookie]

I love those Pinterest pages...

Pardon me while I Erte....







From scrunched up little mole to tall, majestic flowmonster....it can be done.

[moonwookie]

I wonder if it's possible to do Cirque Du Soleil on a budget...

[moonwookie]

And as regards the original post..... this kind of thing is WAY too much fun to worry about definitions.

[Eric]

I wonder if it's possible to do Cirque Du Soleil on a budget...

It's possible to do anything on a budget - as long as the lighting conditions it's viewed in are right. Trust me, BRC at night has that perfect lighting for clothes that look fabulous but weren't expensive. Don't worry about perfection, all you need to worry about is the MOOP-factor. Don't use anything sequined - they will shed!

Use plastic sparklies instead of crystal, cheap poly fabrics instead of fancy satins, thrift-store hats modified instead of custom pieces... it can be done. Hell, I needed a fancy backdrop for a "prom" photoshoot, and found 2.99 a yard shiny jacket lining in off white & silver/grey. In the pictures it looks like fancy satin. Cost less than $20 to cover a huge area, and it looked good.

[moonwookie]

No glitter for me, and due attention paid to MOOP security. I'm doing my best to make sure that anything that's going to fall off is going to fall off HERE, not THERE...

Another thing that's been really cool about this so far is how much stuff I bought that has had me doing a Brain (ponder, ponder, ponder), then the light bulb goes on and suddenly what I'm going to do with it is obvious. That jersey dress is going to make a great cape.

[moonwookie]

Think that Erte picture above, done about waist high.

This is making me wish I still had my fedora...

[moonwookie]

Yup, it's time for me to just get pinning...

[moonwookie]

Just had to share it - if I could, I'd make this...

[Ratty]

Looks like spray paint and emergency blankets to me.

[moonwookie]

And perhaps the tops off squeeze water bottles for the lenses. I'm already attempting so much that goes beyond my "sewonabutton" level of skill, I just don't think I'd have the time.

[dragonpilot]

My first year about the only thing I had was a hula skirt with coconut bra...

Nine years later with just a few purchases at Goodwill/Value Village, I've collected a medium bin full of odds and ends. A good part of my wardrobe comes from things I've resurrected from the back of the closet or packed away in trunks. Lots of items have been gifted or found at regional event clothing exchanges.

Daytime playa excursions demand I wear something to minimize sun exposure. One of my biggest scores was a long-sleeved white shirt from Black Rock Boutique...perfect for daytime!

Night time I go for the glam...more coverup due to chilliness...lots of light!

[Roberto Dobbisano]

form follows function.


DIESELPUNK!





because steampunk is not dirty enough.

[Canoe]

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