Mary's Alice in Wonderland Inspired Sets for Both Men and Women!
{Click on any of them for larger view and product details!}
"So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"...the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on..."
Let's face it. The White Rabbit is definitely a prep. He is obsessed with punctuality and every last detail of his clothing is pressed, primped and laundered. For these looks I focused on a preppier take and pastel colors (because he is, after all, a rabbit) paired with your classic black and white.
Keys to this look: a vest or waistcoat, structured pieces, a timepiece of some kind (guys, you can get a bona fide pocket watch at Wal-Mart for $9. No joke.).
"The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar."
I had wanted to make a few sets exclusively for guys (because you always get the shaft when it comes to fashion), and the Caterpillar was definitely one of them. For inspiration, I looked to a lot of vintage stuff, namely old photos of the band Cream. Stores like Fossil and Lucky Brand
deal a lot with this look, too. Vintage prints (paisley omg) and sunglasses, a hat (just for the hell of it), and some kind of well-worn looking blazer contribute to the toked-up intellectual look. I picture the Caterpillar as the sort of hippie-esque philosophical best friend you have who lives in a loft or basement someplace with a conversation pit.
Keys to this look: Vintage details, bonus points for scarves or ties tied as an ascot
"They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round the other's neck, and Alice knew which was which in a moment, because one of them had `DUM' embroidered on his collar, and the other `DEE.' `I suppose they've each got "TWEEDLE" round at the back of the collar,' she said to herself."
I had absolutely no intention of doing Tweedledee and Tweedledum when I started this project, but in the haze of boredom caused by studying, I churned this out during a 15 minute study break. As you can see, they're identical sets, one for she and one for him.
Keys to this look: Stripes, suspenders, flashes of red, playful details
"Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin; but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!"
I always pictured the Cheshire Cat being equal parts mischevious and helpful. Beneath his grinning exterior, I think he's one of the few people in Wonderland who is willing to help Alice. He also has a vast knowledge of the whimsies of Wonderland, making him a closet intellectual. For these looks, I focused on eccentric details (the crazy headphones, Doc Martens, etc.). The Cat is, after all, mad.
Keys to this look: Bonus points for stripes, eccentric details and accessories, a smile.
Okay, so I did two Alice sets. One is casual, and one has dresses. Also, I'm sorry, Gentlemen, but the Alice and Red Queen sets are just for the ladies. I didn't think any of you would prefer to run about in robin's egg blue or crimson dresses.
"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"
This is the more casual Alice set, for you ladies who detest wearing skirts and heels (notice that I was so kind as to give you flat-heeled options...I despise heels too!). The left and middle outfits are directly influenced by Burton's portrayal of Alice, with the drapier, flowier fabrics. The gray jacket in the middle is so epic I couldn't leave it out, and it lends a whimsical feel to just about anything you put it with. I also LOVE the "Drink Me" necklace. :)
These are your more canon Alice looks with light blue dresses (white tights optional). For a more Burtony feel, I chose the middle dress with the differing shades of blue, and adding stripes to just about anything makes it feel more like Tim! I also love the idea of pairing something really simple and feminine with something more edgy like striped tights, so go for it if you feel so inclined!
Keys to this look: pairing feminine details with more gothic/edgy ones, anything in shades of blue, Wonderland-esque accessorising, imagination
"Who's been painting my roses red? WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED? Who dares to taint with vulgar paint the royal flower bed? For painting my roses red someone will lose his head!"
I had two really distinct visions for the Red Queen in my head. One was definitely the more edgy, gothic, horrifying "OFF WITH HER HEAD" queen. And the other was a more feminine, regal, heartsy queen. Instead of trying to blend them into one look, I decided to keep them separate. Obviously there's lots of red, and the recurring theme of hearts in both looks. I guess it just depends on what kind of girl you are, or how you're feeling on this particular day. ;)
Keys to this look: Red, heart and playing card accessories, confidence
"`Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
`You should learn not to make personal remarks,' Alice said with some severity; `it's very rude.'
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, `Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
Ahh, my favorite (except, perhaps, the Caterpillar). My most sincere apologies to the gentlemen for the sheer and utter lack of creativity. There is a disturbing shortage of clothing for you which has any sort of print, pattern, color or excitement to it. I did the best I could. The Mad Hatter's look is great, because it's completely dependent upon whoever wears it. This is the time to experiment with mixing prints, odd silhouettes, different proportions, anything crazy and unorthodox! I think a blazer is almost necessary to this look, and that's the place you want to go mad. For the ladies I chose a floral print and a polka dot jacket with a BOW. Gentlemen, again, the utter lack of creativity on behalf of the mass marketers when it comes to blazers is deplorable. But you do have some stellar accessories, which is why I chose a couple of interesting scarves (my favorite is the floral print! I do not think this is a girls-only thing, but not every guy wants to wear florals, so I included stripes. Again.). And the one necessity to the Mad Hatter's look is a HAT. There are some great options out there right now for ladies and gents, and don't think that there are certain people who can't wear hats. I think you can wear anything if you have the confidence to pull it off.
Keys to this look: A HAT, interesting or mixed prints, bow details, scarves, anything zany
I hope you all enjoyed this! It was intense putting it all together, but I'm glad I pulled it off. And I had a blast. I've always loved Alice in Wonderland, and now it's coming into the lime-light, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Even though I am a little sad about commercialization and all that, but I trust it all because it's Tim Burton. Anyone else and I'd probably be put out.
Hopefully my work above has put you in a brillig state of mind to create something beamish and outgrabe!
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