Costume College 2019: A First Timer’s Recap

About a year ago I learned about Costume College, an annual costuming arts conference in Southern California, via social media (thanks to the incredibly skilled people that I follow). You mean to tell me there’s a conference for people who like to sew costumes and want to be better? Of course there is…sign me up! Here we are a year later and I’m so glad I attended. I gotta tell you, I was overwhelmed, but in a good way! Here’s my recap and takeaways from my first year at Costume College.

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Preparing for Costume College

My friend Tina and I were both first timers, both pretty shy, and both okayish with a sewing machine. We spent the year leading up to the conference planning our costumes, but otherwise we had no expectations and almost no plan really, until several days before flying to California. We knew the overall theme for this year was What’s That Fabric, and we knew that some events would also be themed (the gala would be Opulent Streets of Venice, afternoon tea would be Tea at the Haunted Mansion, etc.), but everything else was an intimidating and overwhelming. We joined a couple Facebook groups and lurked on social media throughout the year while we worked on our costumes. We had a tentative timeline mapped out and planned to just relax and wing it this year.

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The Classes

Thankfully the event schedule was digital, so we were able to make plans on the fly, especially when we attempted to sit in a couple classes that were packed well before we arrived. We attended classes (see My Schedule above) that were of most interest to us this year, knowing in the next year or so we were planning more 18th century costumes and would eventually dive into Regency and Victorian eras. I enjoyed all of the classes we attended, and I learned so much! I don’t regret only attending unlimited classes, but now that I understand the structure, I’ll be registering for limited classes next year as well.

The Exhibit

I love looking at costumes up close, so I really enjoyed the costume exhibit. We went in several times to marvel at the craftsmanship. I enjoyed seeing costumes made by Marion Boyce, costume designer for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, a lovely Regency dress made with a sari made by Diane Yoshitomi, a stunning 18th century men’s frock made by Christina Forst, a costume from Alien: Alone made by Chantal Filson, and an ethereal petal dress made by Lana Lily for last year’s Costume College gala. I’m both humbled an inspired by these creations. Marion Boyce’s Miss Fisher costumes have inspired me to make some 1920’s outfits of my own, Diane Yoshitomi’s sari turned Regency gown inspires repurposing of some Indian outfits hanging in the back of my closet, and Christina Forst’s frock coat and breeches showed me the right way to construct what I’m pretty sure I had messed up in the past. We’re attending the Fetes Galantes ball at Versailles next year and I’m inspired to make my husband’s outfit better.

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The Gala

The gala was a great excuse for both Tina and I to go big, and go big we did! We both took 18th century fop costumes that we had made or started last year and gave them Venice Carnival makeovers. The fun thing about Venice Carnival costumes is the nod to historical clothing but historical accuracy isn’t required to make a costume grand. So we started with 18th century and added a lot of fantasy. Tina’s inspiration was Mozart’s unicorn head from the 1984 film Amadeus, and she built the rest of her outfit around it. From the waist up, she wore men’s clothing (waistcoat and frock coat), and from the waist down several petticoats over a crinoline hoop skirt with a train. My inspiration was Disney’s Captain Hook. Like Tina, from the waist up I wore men’s clothing and from the waist down petticoats and a hoop skirt. My look was also inspired by the fully covered costumes worn in Venice that create total anonymity. We had so much fun walking the red carpet before dinner, and enjoyed the gala as well. Next year I need a nap before the gala because we left after dinner and missed all the dancing. The time change kicked my butt!

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Afternoon Tea

Originally Tina and I planned Penny Dreadful costumes for this event, but couldn’t pull off that many Victorian layers in time, so at the last minute we made posh tea party versions of Darth Vader and Han Solo…and it was one of the best decisions. We had so much fun sourcing materials, accessories, and making them Star Wars inspired. We were comfortable during the event and can’t wait to wear them again at DragonCon this year. The tea was so much fun! [Related: Costuming Afternoon Tea Darth Vader]

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Other Costumes Worn

Also worn throughout the weekend were new costumes we were both dying to wear (or wear again). I wore my McGonagall costume from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that I painstakingly sewed 12 yards of pintucks and finished earlier this year, Tina and I both wore our Ravenclaw house robes made this year, Tina’s chiton inspired by John William Godward’s Memories (1891), my maenad inspired by Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s Autumn Vintage Festival (1877), and my recreation of Brianna’s tunic from Outlander (season 4) that I patchworked, embroidered, and darned over the course of two months and intended to wear as a modern “casual cosplay,” though I may add more 18th century pieces to the ensemble later.

Tina and I both had a great time our first year at Costume College. We met some wonderful and ridiculously talented people that continue to amaze me, made new friends, and learned a ton in the classes and from talking to other attendees about their creations. I felt welcomed and felt like I had found “my people.” I came home inspired, invigorated, and excited for next year! Yes, we’ll both be back next year, and we’re going to try to drag a couple more of our sewing enthusiast friends to join as well (looking at you Sarah and Janelle). Will we see any familiar faces?