Well, the calendar now officially says it's September, so it's time to start talking Halloween.
I am partial to homemade put-together costumes myself, and to this one in particular. It's so much fun to "create" a costume- so much more so than just buying one. Well last Halloween, we decided our little redhead of a babydoll would make the perfect Raggedy Ann, and what better companion costume than Raggedy Andy. So it happened that this costume was born into life. And although the youngsters didn't really know who we were (sad, sad), their parents sure did. What a fun and easy costume. Let me tell you all about it.
I have always said that when you are looking to create a costume, the first place you need to shop is your own closet. You can likely find many of the basic pieces there and then start dressing your look up with some key accessories. In this case, I used my own wide leg "sailor" jeans (rolling them into a cuff to show off my Raggedy-style striped stockings.) I added my own button down red gingham top and black booties. That gave me the basic attire that I was looking for. See? Here's the real Raggedy Andy- you can barely tell us apart, right?
Now, if you will notice, good ol' Andy has several key accessories that add to his signature style. First off is his sailor hat. That was a piece I didn't already own, but was easy enough (and cheap enough) to score. You can certainly look to your local costume stores for these types of accessories, but I ended up purchasing my sailor hat for a deal on Amazon.
Next up are his white collar and bow tie. As it happened, I had the red gingham shirt but it did not have the right collar. That's when I remembered a box of vintage handmade collars that I first shared with you all back in 2013. I started digging around and deemed this one was perfect. Again, I added my own black scarf and tied it into a long bow.
Those red stripey socks are a must when recreating this costume, so again I turned to Amazon to find what I needed.
And lastly, the red ragdoll wig was also a foregone conclusion. They are actually easy enough to create on your own if you have the time and desire. Check out this YouTube video for all the details, including some tips on makeup too.
Speaking of makeup, it is the finishing touch. Give yourself a few extra minutes in the mirror to complete your look with exaggerated eyes, big blushy cheeks, and freckles. Don't forget to draw in Raggedy Andy's perpetual smile. And voila! You've got it! Such a fun and easy look to create!
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