Dorothy Gale stars in The Marvelous Wizard of Oz, a twentieth-century children's novel, and in The Wizard of Oz, a 1939 film classic. From the blue and white dress to the ruby red shoes, her look is iconic. If you'd like to capture the essence of Dorothy for a cosplay or create a costume for Carnival or Halloween, this article presents some ideas and tips that come to your rescue.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Creating Dorothy's Costume
Step 1. Get the famous checkered dress Dorothy wore in the movie
Make sure you buy a blue and white gingham dress. The most suitable pattern is made up of small chess pieces, so avoid the big ones.
- Many specialty stores sell Dorothy costumes with varying degrees of authenticity, from practically the same as the dress in the film to modern, updated versions, with shorter hems and deeper necklines. If you don't know how to sew, or don't want to waste time creating the costume, buying one is your best bet.
- Search online for a Dorothy costume. There are talented people who sell homemade versions of the dress of the protagonist of the Wizard of Oz. You can search for clothes of various styles at craft markets such as Etsy's.
- Sew Dorothy's dress. If you know how to sew or want a more authentic look, try making it yourself. There are multiple patterns to do this on Simplicity, McCall's and other sites (in some cases available for a fee), which can help you recreate the costume.
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If you are trying to reproduce the outfit from the movie, be sure to pay attention to the length of the skirt. Dorothy's skirt comes slightly below her knees, so make sure yours also falls about the same height.
Dress Up As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz Step 1Bullet4 - Dorothy's dress is a pinafore, which was usually worn by young girls in combination with a blouse. Sewing a simple pinafore with blue and white gingham fabric will make for a great costume.
Step 2. Wear a white blouse under your dress
Dorothy's blouse was high-necked, buttonless and with puffed sleeves. If you can't find a perfectly identical one, try any short-sleeved blouse.
Step 3. Add ruby red shoes
Many large-scale shoe stores sell ballet flats or high-heeled shoes covered in red glitter. Dorothy's had bows, so if you want an authentic look, try to find a red sequined bow to add to the top.
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You can make your own shoes with red glitter. Get a pair of shoes with a wide heel that is about 5 cm high. Clean them, then, proceeding in small sections, start covering them with fabric glue. Apply a generous amount of red glitter to the glue-coated part. Wait for it to dry completely before applying glitter to other areas or filling in the gaps. Touching the glitter before the glue is dry can leave you with unadorned spots. Continue applying the red glitter until the shoes are fully coated.
Dress Up As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz Step 3Bullet1 - Sequins can also be used in the making of ruby red shoes. Get a pair of shoes with a heel of about 5cm wide. Buy a spool of red sequins. Using fabric glue, glue strips of sequin in vertical lines all over the shoe, making sure you don't see the original surface of the shoe. Glue each strip of sequin to the edge of the shoe and then cut it out. Remember to cover the heel with sequins as well, and finally add them along the opening of the shoe.
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If you want the look to be more book-like than movie-like, wear silver slippers instead of the iconic red ones.
Dress Up As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz Step 3Bullet3
Step 4. Put your socks on with your shoes
Dorothy wore short socks at the ankles, blue in color, matched with the blue of the dress. Fold the edges. White socks might work too, if you can't find blue ones; just make sure they reach the ankle.
Part 2 of 2: Having Dorothy's Style
Step 1. Copy Dorothy's braids
In part, Dorothy's iconic look consists of 2 braids, but you don't just have to part your hair and start braiding - there's more.
- Make the middle part starting from the forehead and ending at the nape of the neck. Starting on the right or left side of the parting, start twisting strands of hair on themselves in the direction of the parting, gradually incorporating them as you work your way up to the back of the head. Make sure you hold your hair firmly, prevent the twisted locks from unraveling.
- Once you have reached the ear area, hold the twisted hair in place with one hand and secure it with a hairpin; then, start creating a 3-part braid by gathering the loose hair. You have to braid them in a simple way up to shoulder height, then secure the braid with an elastic. Repeat the process on the other side to get the same result.
- Use a curling iron to curl the ends of your hair and get curls. Part your hair to make 2 or 3 large ringlets.
Step 2. Wrap a blue bow around the braids
The bow should be tied around the elastic, where the braid ends and the ringlets begin. The ribbon is tied to create a small bow. If the ends of the bow are too long, cut them off. They should extend slightly beyond the bow. Make sure it's light blue, a shade similar to the dress and socks.
Step 3. Buy a wig
If you don't have long or dark brown hair, buy or rent a simple dark wig. You can get yourself a braided one, otherwise you do the braids yourself.
If you have the costume, the slippers and the braids, it is not necessary to have brown hair. Finishing the look with the right color depends on how much you want to mimic the cinematic Dorothy image
Step 4. Get Toto to accompany you
If you've decided to dress up as Dorothy, don't forget Toto! Don't have a real dog or is your four-legged friend not particularly cooperative? Buy or borrow a stuffed dog.
Toto was a dark-haired Cairn Terrier. There are shops that sell it in a plush version, so you can also use it to complete the costume. There are also points of sale that offer baskets equipped with removable Toto (do a search on the internet)
Step 5. Complete the look with a basket
Carry a small basket, like a picnic one. Toto often sat inside, so make sure he has enough space for your dog, whether real or stuffed!
