Sunday, October 31, 2010

So, what's your costume?

This Halloween I went dressed as my favorite character from Mad Men, Peggy Olson.  I love the show, and I love that the characters are caught in a cultural clash between the staid "perfection" of the 1950's and the rebellious power of the 1960's.  So I thought it was pretty appropriate for me, considering that I'm a bit caught in the middle too.  The middle of my old life, and my new life.
I practiced for the makeup and hair, and here's the self-picture of it (just because I love how the lips turned out, even if my bouffant had completely fallen:  


The best part of Halloween is getting to be someone different--to try another persona on for the day.  It made me so grateful that I never lived in this era because I would not be able to work outside the home because the makeup, the hair, and the outfit would all be full-time jobs.  It also made me realize that that era was as focused on the external as we are today.  I can't imagine how the very overweight woman must have lived in this day of girdles and being married before turning 25.  I would have totally been S.O.L.  While I love the "glamour" of the past, I'm not sure that I really would want to live there.

When I was looking for a costume (before realizing that the new dress I got--see picture in the margin--would work out fine), I visited thrift stores and Halloween shops.  Right now this is a total nightmare for me because nothing fits.  I'm still "plus sized", but I'm not curvy, so nothing fits right.  I did a little measuring and found that my bust and hips are both a size 20, and my waist is still a size 26.  Yup, I look pregnant--without all the bother of having actual sex or having an actual child to care for.  Yippee!

But it's all getting there.  Slowly.  I've lost a couple more pounds and am really hoping that I'll get under 200 by the end of the year (and also hoping I won't be upset if my body doesn't cooperate).  I realized that I'm still wearing my own "fat girl" costume, and that I have no idea what a "normal girl" costume would feel or look like.  I'm hoping that by next Halloween I can report back to you and let you know.

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