Help my girlfriend dress as a cigarette girl!

September 28, 2010 5:41 PM

My girlfriend and possibly some of her friends would like to go as 40's cigarette girls for Halloween. Where can we possibly get off the shelf parts to create this outfit, yet not buy a pre-packaged, cheap-o costume?

We've found Screaming Queens which looks good but since they're pros I imagine it might be out of our budget. We'd like it to be hot but not slutty, authentic looking but doesn't have to be vintage.

Some looks we like. The young ladies on this page. This one is okay but kind of drab. The one on this page is pretty good.

And, this is the most important: we don't have a ton of spare time to, say, build our own tray. Not to say we can't do any craftsmanship on it but the less the better. We're both working full time and there's college and freelance involved as well.

Our budget isn't that high, but we might be able to cough up a bit more than the average. $100 a costume sounds like a good place to start, but keeping it below that would be amazing.

Any help would be amazing. Thanks.

posted by Brainy to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Best answer: You know those boxes that copier paper come in? If you get the top from one of those and spray paint it, you have the base of a tray; the strap should be easy enough - the belt from an old bathrobe, for instance, or a long strip of fleece. Not sure what to do for the cigarettes themselves, though.
posted by dilettante at 5:47 PM on September 28, 2010

Candy cigarettes!
posted by lee at 5:49 PM on September 28, 2010

Best answer: If the copier-paper-box thing doesn't pan out, you can get trays like the ones being used by the girls in your first link at any local HomeGoods/TJ Maxx discount housewares store.
posted by Bardolph at 6:13 PM on September 28, 2010

Response by poster: Oh the contents of the trays won't be a problem. We'll customize it based on the parties we're going to. Good suggestions on the sources for the trays! I hadn't thought of either of those.

Now if I could just find a bellhop uniform store...
posted by Brainy at 6:17 PM on September 28, 2010

Best answer: The very easiest thing, short of buying a costume for the purpose, would probably be to get a lingerie tap pants/camisole or boyshort set (like this kind of thing in as heavy a satin as they can find, and then add a teeny satin or velvet jacket. Something like this would be adorable, if you can work it into the budget.

Pretty simple instructions for a cute pillbox hat here. You really wouldn't need a machine to do it and could probably even skip the "detail seam" step if it looks decent without it because it's a temporary item of clothing. Glue or sew on metallic braid or a bit of netting or whatever looks good.

Fishnets or french/cuban heels, which can be ordered inexpensively from lots of places online, and of course cute heels. Gloves would be a nice touch.
posted by grar at 6:29 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: grar. That's...wow. perfect? Would you have any suggestions on sources for other cheaper teeny jackets? I mean, we can certainly look around on our own but since you seemed to know everything, figured I'd ask.
posted by Brainy at 7:51 PM on September 28, 2010

Best answer: Sure! It may be worth a trip to a good secondhand store, because they might find what they want in boys' blazers or small tuxedo jackets. But this could be good for the military/bellhop look, and it's plain enough that they could really dress up the other pieces. Similar here and here. This or this could also work, in which case a satin bow tie or cravat might not be excessive.

(also if they don't feel like doing the lingerie, something like these would be a bit sturdier.) Hope everyone has fun!
posted by grar at 10:07 PM on September 28, 2010