What do I dress as in Wonderland?

March 8, 2006 8:49 PM

I need to dress up as something from Alice In Wonderland or Alice Through the Looking Glass. Something from the movie is fine, but I get bonus points if it's from the books.

It's for a 21st birthday party. It needs to be something simple enough to be made from materials that are reasonably cheap and available. Help me out, please!

Also, I've never read the books and it's been years since I've seen the movie, so answers like 'go as the Swedish Turnip in the park scene!' aren't going to be very useful.

posted by twirlypen to clothing, beauty, & fashion (22 comments total)

The easiest thing I can think of is to take two large pieces of poster board, and go as one of the Queen's playing card guards.
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:56 PM on March 8, 2006

Laughingsquid recently had a Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Look through the photos for ideas (1 2 3 4 5 6)

Borrow a vintage coat, rent a top hat, add a large cardboard playing card, and buy an ostentatious shirt from the nearest Goodwill/Salvation Army store and you're set as a Mad Hatter.
posted by junesix at 8:59 PM on March 8, 2006

Since you haven't read this books, these images might help.
posted by grumblebee at 8:59 PM on March 8, 2006

Dressing up as the White Rabbit would be easy enough -- find a checkered suit jacket and a vest, add a pair of bunny ears and preferably a pocketwatch, and voila.

A similar outfit would work for the Mad Hatter -- find an oversized novelty top hat and some garish pants.

See this site (keep clicking "next section" for more) for the illustrations from the books for more ideas.
posted by Gator at 9:05 PM on March 8, 2006

Dress as a pig in baby clothes.
posted by Felicity Rilke at 9:36 PM on March 8, 2006

Sorry, from Chapter VI: Pig and Pepper.
posted by Felicity Rilke at 9:39 PM on March 8, 2006

Carpenter. Overalls and a hammer. Oh, and read the books already, wouldja?
posted by klangklangston at 9:44 PM on March 8, 2006

If you do go as the Carpenter, buy a little plush stuffed Walrus and pin it on your shoulder.

And yeah, read the books! Great fun, very punny, nothing like the movie.
posted by Gator at 9:47 PM on March 8, 2006

It might contravene the "easy" part, but tweedle-dee & tweedule dum; make a papier mache bust of yourself and sew it on as a second head?

Easiest would be the mad hatter. Get a big ol' (oversized) top hat and a tailed suit.

You'll be drinking enough (I was going to say something about 21st bday as legal drinking age but you're in Aus) to pull the mannerism off perfectly.

Alternatively, thrift-shops for a mostly blue gingham (? - I'm probably thinking of a different ) dress and a cheap blonde wig might do the trick.

If you've got some cash to blow, maybe rent a rabbit costume?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 9:51 PM on March 8, 2006

What about going as the looking glass? Mirror tiles sewed onto a tunic, or just a frame around your head/torso could work.
posted by occhiblu at 11:10 PM on March 8, 2006

Cheshire Cat. Just wear a smile.

If you don't want to go naked, it'd be pretty easy to make yourself into a playing card with a couple of pieces of posterboard.
posted by zanni at 11:30 PM on March 8, 2006

There will probably be lots of White Rabbits, Cheshire Cats, and Mad Hatters there. Go obscure. Be Bill the Lizard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_the_Lizard (I'd wear grubby clothes and a lizard mask.)
posted by Rubber Soul at 11:47 PM on March 8, 2006

the mock turtle! that's what i was for mardi gras last week, as part of a group of friends who were all characters from the Alice books... flickr gallery here.

the mock turtle isn't in the disney movie, and is a fairly simple costume to make (all you really need are a cow head mask and a turtle shell.)
posted by ab3 at 11:55 PM on March 8, 2006

An oyster. Or a carpenter.
posted by loquacious at 1:04 AM on March 9, 2006

I can't believe nobody's mentioned the Caterpillar. All you'd need is a hooka.
posted by Brittanie at 1:12 AM on March 9, 2006

Kaloo, kalay! I was going to say a pig in baby clothes myself.
posted by Iamtherealme at 1:54 AM on March 9, 2006

Since this is a young'uns party, which will no doubt feature much drinking and other funny business, I have another idea: Get some dark brown or black posterboard, cut it into a couple of big circles, paint some "icing" on them, and add the words "EAT ME." Hang front to back, and go as one of the magical cakes that Alice eats to change her size. NOBODY else will think of doing that, the person giving out bonus points for book-related costumes will declare you the winner, and you'll be very popular.
posted by Gator at 3:57 AM on March 9, 2006

I went to an Alice In Wonderland party dressed as the rabbit hole (long, sheer black dress, black glasses, black shoes and black tights). Seemed to go over pretty well and provided a contrast against the armies of people in top hats and maid dresses.
posted by pollystark at 4:33 AM on March 9, 2006

BTW the book...its not very long and it is intended for children so it would take you no time to read! (it would not take you much more time than watching the movie again)

That way you may be able to dress up as something that feels particularly important to you.
posted by TheLibrarian at 6:15 AM on March 9, 2006

Seconded plus that the party will be full of: Alice, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, Playing Cards, Red Queen.

Google around a bit to find the original illustrations. They're off copyright, so they should be all over the place. Your keywords are ALICE and TENNIEL (Tenniel was the original illustrator).

Get some dark brown or black posterboard, cut it into a couple of big circles, paint some "icing" on them, and add the words "EAT ME." Hang front to back, and go as one of the magical cakes that Alice eats to change her size.

This is a great idea. You could also go as the bottle seen in this picture - a brown, bottle shaped board (front and back) with a a big "Drink Me" tag hanging from your neck.

If going as characters from Through the Looking Glass would be acceptable (and I can't imagine why it would not), you might want to look into:
+ The White Knight
+ Humpty Dumpty (if you choose this, you'd do well to read the Humpty Dumpty chapter of the book, with all his talk of "Un-Birthday Presents")
+ The Man in the Newspaper Suit (sometimes called "The Man Dressed In White Paper") can be done easily if you can find a white "suit" (jacket, pants, shirt, shoes) and make a newspaper hat)

Lenny's Alice in Wonderland Site

E-text of the complete Alice, including the original pictures -- the text is fairly short and easy, I'd encourage you to read it.

Have fun!
posted by anastasiav at 6:42 AM on March 9, 2006

A warning about posterboard-- It means that you're not very manueverable. Keep that in mind. I still say carpenter.
posted by klangklangston at 4:54 PM on March 9, 2006

I hope you'll share a pic or two once you decide. :)
posted by Gator at 2:20 PM on March 10, 2006