Ideas On How to Create a Burlesque Inspired Evening Ensemble

Burlesque is back and bigger than ever. With the new musical starring Cher and Christina Aguilera opening this month, its a safe bet that ladies from all walks of life will want to incorporate this glamorous, old fashioned sexiness into their wardrobes. Here is a guide on how to create a Burlesque inspired evening ensemble.

Getting the Look

The look of Burlesque is basically the old fashioned pin-up girl style, with lots of lace, satin, sequins, and sauciness. Black is the standard color, and is often mixed with pink, red, white, or gold in a fun and playful style. Flirty and feminine accessories such as ostrich feather boas, lace fans, ribbons, and hair fascinators are ideal in creating a Burlesque inspired look. Retro inspired hair and make-up are also ideal, and don't forget that Burlesque is all about sex, glamour, and fun!

Lace, Satin and Frills!

Lace dresses are very hot this year, and they are my personal choice for creating a Burlesque inspired evening look. A beautiful black lace mini dress is perfect, and I personally prefer ones that have a full skirt with a built in petticoat underneath. Petticoats and crinolines add a retro edge magnificently, and be on the look out for black dresses that have a contrasting colored petticoat, such as red or pink, as these are very fun and keeping in the spirit of Burlesque. Short satin or sequin party dresses in vibrant colors such as red, pink, purple, and green will work for this look as well. Most major department stores carry a plethora of party dresses in all sorts of colors and styles around this time of year, so finding one that falls into any of the above categories should be very easy.

'Dolling it Up'

OK, now that you have your basic dress piece, its time to REALLY have some fun by dolling yourself up in full-on Burlesque style! To spice up a solid black lace dress, add some pretty accessories like a satin ribbon tied around the waist, a feather boa, and long satin gloves in red or pink. Black and pink are my personal favorite color combination of all time, and its always the first thing I think of when it comes to Burlesque (the movie poster features these two colors). I would definitely go with this color scheme when creating this look as it is very sexy and retro!

Since Burlesque is all about the striptease, stockings play a crucial part when creating this look. Fishnets, garters, lace tights, and black stockings with seams up the backs are perfect for this look. Frederick's of Hollywood carries a great line of stockings that are black with contrasting colored seams up the backs such as red and blue. These are a fantastic way to match whatever color dress you are wearing. As for shoes, sexy high heels or ankle booties that lace up are an absolute must. For finishing touches, add some sparkly chandelier earrings, bracelets, strands of pearls and a fancy feather fascinator in your hair.

If you really want to be daring, wear a solid colored corset over your dress. This really works great with a vibrant colored dress, as a solid black corset will give your dress that old tyme Burlesque edge. Black lace gloves, stockings and boas add a fun touch, and don't forget your lace pumps and matching clutch bag!

Hair and Make-Up

For a Burlesque inspired evening look, you will defiantly want to go with 1940s and 1950s inspired hair and make-up styles. Tight curls and fancy up dos customized with feather fascinators, sparkly hairpins, or ribbons add a fun, whimsical touch. Be sure to glam up with bright red movie star lips and thick eye make-up, and make sure those nails are painted red. This website has some great Burlesque hair and make-up tips, and don't forget that Smashbox Cosmetics is releasing a line of 'Burlesque' make-up inspired by the movie!

Further Reading:

http://www.burlesquethemovie.com/

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/burlesque.php

http://www.burlesquestyle.com/