LILY MUNSTER: The Actual Costume Post

So I wanted just to pop in earlier to say Happy Halloween and get the link out there for Ally's Halloween Party, which contains some very awesome bloggers and nifty costumes. Our party wasn't until Friday, November 1st (Dia de Los Muertos, so still slightly appropriate...ish), so I didn't have full/detailed photos of the costume to share. Now, after another hour-plus of make-up time, and an awesome night of fun, including Cemetary Scavenger Hunts and wimpy pinatas that break on the first strike, I have some 'Official' photos to share, and some details/process to bore you with, as well. Unless, of course, you like to sew and craft... but why would you be in this neck of the internet if you didn't?!

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THE DRESS

 I got lazy and instead of drafting completely from scratch, I decided to use Butterick 4571, which is a Renaissance/Medieval style dress, with a square neckline and decently full skirt. This I used for the satin under-dress only. There are no visible seams on the front of Lily Munster's dress, so for the overlay out of chiffon, I laid out the pieced skirt front and bodice front out on the fabric and cut out the shape with about four inches extra on either side, since the front of the dress is gathered. I went a little too gung-ho, however, since my gathers are far deeper/larger than on the original. I did the same for the back, only without excess fabric.

 Let's talk about COLOR. The Munsters (if you aren't aware, they are similar to The Addams Family, in that they are a quirky Gothic 60s family sitcom, except Lily Munster -in my opinion- is more stylish and interesting than Morticia) was filmed in Black and White, but the actors were not clothed and make-up-ed in Black & White, for various color hues read differently on the montone film and give a greater depth to the cinematography. With a little research, one discovers that Lily's dress was in fact pale pink (varying from purple-ish grey to pink in different color-enhanced/tinted photographs).  I used a pink satin for the underdress and a very pale pink silk chiffon for the overdress. But unfortunately I guestimated when I ordered the fabric ahead of time, and didn't realize that the sleeves would in reality take about 6 yards of fabric, and only ordered that much in total. And of course, I did not realize that I had inadequate amounts until I was making the dress the weekend before I needed it. PANIC! Because, of course, the source I ordered the silk chiffon from was closed on the weekend, and when I called monday, they informed me that they could not rush this fabric, because they didn't keep it in stock themselves. LAME. But guess what? Instead of ordering a lot of very expensive fabric from their (unnecessarily snippy -over the phone, anyway) selves, I found a perfect match poly sheer in Jo-Ann Fabrics that cost me in total what a single yard of the silk would've. (And Jo-Ann's have now atoned for their miserable handling of my velvet order... but then again, the physical stores have always been good, and the online never.) So yay! for appropriate batwing sleeves! I should've went a little more dramatic/deeper with the curves, but after having not enough fabric for sleeves, I was scared to cut it down too far.

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THE CLOAK

 Lily Munster has this great, ruched cloak that she wears out in several episodes. I made this up as I went. The fabric doesn't drape quite as spectacularly as hers. Maybe I should've cut the pieces a bit wider. But I think that it also needs to be made out of a softer satin to drape like hers does.

 Again, her cloak was not actually grey/silver/black. The few photos I could find online (of the original prop in a museum display setting) seemed to be of a gold-bronze-copper satin. So this is what I found online. If you're interested, I did take pictures of my process, so I'm considering whipping up a tutorial. :-) Considering how many free patterns and tutorials I have taken advantage over the years, I probably should contribute once in a while!

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THE MAKE-UP & WIG

 The make-up work on the Munsters was very dramatic and read extremely well in Black & White. But the base color they used on their faces was green. I found this great tutorial by Leading Lady Make Up, but I of course am no make-up artist and do not do this talented girl's tutorial justice. My resources also were limited by budget to the Ben Nye Frankenstein foundation and a couple blue eyeshadows, lipstick, eyeliner, fake eye lashes... I now have a more complete make-up kit for playing dress up. (Note: Don't be afraid of the adding the contours... I thought they looked too stark/hard and over-blended them down. I wish I had gone darker, especially in the cheekbone area. The contour is especially lost in these grainy indoor photos.)

The wig is a cheap costume wig, 36 in, black. I pulled the white strips off an even cheaper (too thin and crappy) costume wig that was acquired for about ten cents after halloween a couple of years ago. I cheated and sew-glued them in. Also, I took the front center part of the cheap wig off and sewed it to the Witch's wig for a little ghetto-ish widow's peak. Not the best Lily Munster hair, but better than a straight part all black Witch Wig.

The necklace I acquired online.

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I think I look more like Yvonne DeCarlo in profile...

Hope that perhaps I have offered some useful hints (especially where I went wrong/failed) for future Lily Munster aspirants.