A Cinderella Story
This Halloween I am definitely on a Disney train (more than I already am normally). Not only did I go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party this year, but I also prepared a “light” costume, which most of you voted for on my Instagram poll (thank you again for participating!), based on a Disney character.
A Disney princess costume was an obvious choice; the real challenge was picking one. Since I dyed my hair blonde this year, I wanted to take advantage of having this hair color and narrowed down my costume ideas to blonde princesses.
The next consideration was attire. As my post last year on how to put together a Halloween costume with ready-to-wear J-Fashion items suggests, I’d much prefer creating a costume with things I already own than buying one that I can only wear once a year. (That said, Secret Honey Disney dresses are an exception.) Then I had a light-bulb moment: I have a LIZ LISA dress from the 2017 winter collection that would be perfect for a Disney princess costume!
And my costume is…Cinderella!
Dress: LIZ LISA; shoes: LIZ LISA; tights: Uniqlo; headband: Anthropologie; choker: Redeye.
I paired the blue Sweet Cinderella dress with my white multi-way coat from 2016 and embroidered short boots from 2017, both also from LIZ LISA. The cape of the coat has always had a princess feel to me, which made it perfect for this costume. To complete the look, I put my hair up in a bun, added a blue headband, and finished up with a black choker. Since it was already cold here, I wore my gray sparkly knit tights, which complemented the soft colors of the outfit. The only thing I didn’t already own was the headband, which could easily be found in stores or on Amazon (I got mine from Anthropologie) and can be worn again later as an everyday accessory.
The cape and coat of this LIZ LISA outer can be worn together or separately.
Fall also happens to be the perfect season for a Cinderella costume because it’s time for pumpkin picking! We visited the pumpkin patch at the botanical garden and picked our very own pumpkin. I wonder if mine will turn into a pumpkin carriage.
Style with just the cape portion of the LIZ LISA coat.
Disney princesses have always had a special place in my heart not only because they are pretty and I grew up reading stories about them but also because what turned them into princesses are their virtues and purity of heart. Most Disney princesses are actually Cinderella stories—a normal girl turning into a princess after overcoming several challenges. Sure, some of them like Rapunzel and Snow White are born princesses, but even they had to go through trials and tribulations, whether directly or indirectly, to get to their happy ending in a castle.
Life isn’t easy for them just because they are princesses. What get them to their happy endings are their courage and kindness. Their courage pushes them to go on adventures to pursue their dreams, and their kindness helps them make friends along the way who will eventually help them realize those dreams. They stay true to themselves and carry on even when the going gets tough. Their successes convey a message of hope to all of us: If we continue to be good and persevere, everything will be OK.
I have doubted this message at times, but I find it to be true as I grow up and face new challenges in life. Just like in those Disney princess stories, bad things happen, and evil people crop up from time to time. But I also make great friends and things work out for the best even when they didn’t seem so at first.
Wearing this costume reminds me of that. Between cynicism and hope, I will always choose the latter.
Tomorrow marks the last part of this special Halloween series. Stay tuned on Instagram for my “dark” costume!