Hey everyone!
So for those who don’t know, I graduated! I am now a Bachelor of Arts and I couldn’t be happier with the result! Graduation was such an amazing experience, and I’m gonna make a future post about graduation and what’s next for me very soon, but I wanted to put this post up first; I still need to find the words to properly talk about how incredible graduation was.
Alright, moving on: I’ve made it no secret that I’m a massive fan of Shakespeare and his works. There are so many amazing characters in his plays, from comedy to tragedy, that I absolutely adore. From reading Much Ado About Nothing in Year Ten to performing Love’s Labour’s Lost earlier this year, my love of the Bard has gone from strength to strength.
Another thing I am a massive fan of is cosplay and dressing up; it’s given me confidence and allowed me to keep my childhood passion alive. And because post-graduation life has allowed me to take time out to have a bit of fun here and there, I had a brainwave.
What if I combined my love of Shakespeare with my love of dress-up?
I thought it was a brilliant idea – it would let my creative juices flow and allow me to think about some of my favourite characters in a bit more detail. I did try to stick to a theme of putting these women in a more contemporary context with my outfit choices.
Over the course of a week, I created seven outfits inspired by seven Shakespearean ladies who have captivated me through reading or watching past performances. I’m going to go into more detail as we go, so without much ado, let’s go!
DAY ONE: VIOLA (TWELFTH NIGHT)
The outfit that started it all – I put this outfit on one morning and for some reason, I had Viola-vibes! She is the heroine in Twelfth Night, and she is practical, resourceful and charming. In the story, she is a shipwrecked orphan separated from her twin, Sebastian. So, she disguises herself as a man named Cesario for her own safety, finds work with Duke Orsino, and A lady named Olivia falls in for her disguise and falls in love with her. It’s all fun and games!
For outfit, I paired my everyday Primark jeans with my beige Primark brogues, this cute Dodie top that I got from her webstore that gives off a slightly more gender-neutral vibe (well in my eyes, anyway), and my Warehouse faux-leather jacket to add a bit more masculinity.
Accessories wise, I chose this Primark hat that I found in a charity shop and added a silver bow for a bit more fun. Of course, I added a ring in honour of her ‘I left no ring with her, what means this lady?’ speech from Act 2 Scene 2.
In terms of hair and makeup, I kept it simple – a low ponytail (reminiscent of those seen on principal boys in pantomimes) accommodated the hat perfectly. I did a simple base, a little eyeliner to accentuate my eyes, and a nude liquid lipstick – this one is a Supreme Matte Lip Pigment from Revolution Pro in the shade ‘Premonition’, which has a slightly deeper undertone.
DAY TWO – OPHELIA (HAMLET)
Oh, my tragic Ophelia. After seeing the RSC’s tour of Hamlet back in February, my heart broke for her. Here’s the deal: she’s in love with Hamlet, yet her brother Laertes and father Polonius both warn her that he’s dangerous and she should steer clear. She’s naïve, innocent and stifled by patriarchal standards. When Polonius is killed by Hamlet’s hand, she is sent into guilt and madness. Her fate is the same as many characters in the play: death. She drowns in the water, and many have presumed she took her own life.
I was inspired by the scene where madness has taken over and she is singing and scattering flowers, which is truly heart-breaking. I wanted to retain her naivety in my outfit choice. I was also inspired by Mimi Ndiweni’s portrayal from the 2018 RSC tour.
I picked out this dress from Cache Cache that I found in a charity shop, with a simple striped top with a little bow and a flowing flowered skirt, and paired it with a pair of Primark nude ballet flats to give it a slightly child-like vibe. I added a flower crown that I think I got from Claire’s, as well as adding a flower headband from Primark around my wrist.
For makeup, I decided to add blue tones to reflect Ophelia’s melancholy. A blue-and-teal eye with little star sequins to make my eyes look bigger and pleading. A rosy lip helped to compliment the eyes without overpowering. For hair, I of course had the flower crown, but I took two random sections and made them into messy braids, one for Hamlet and one for her family.
DAY THREE: KATHERINE (TAMING OF THE SHREW)
Out of the outfits I did, this was definitely a firm favourite – this was a little bit out of my comfort zone, and I rocked it! Katherine is ‘the shrew’, with an aggressive nature, short fuse and a sharp tongue. She fights anyone who is suited to marry her, but this disguises a jealousy towards Bianca, her sister. I was actually in an excerpt of this play as Baptista (her dad), and Kate seems to put up a valiant struggle against a suitor named Petruchio and ends up being forced into marriage. In the end, she is ‘tamed’ by Petruchio, as her intellectual equal, with wits and retorts similar to hers.
I was more interested in demonstrating Katherine’s wilder side, and wanted to show a certain level of aggression and toughness in her look.
For outfit, I went with this Primark checked pinafore dress that reminded me of Clara Oswald, and it has a slight feminine edge, but with a tomboy nature. It even has POCKETS. I paired it with a Primark black Game of Thrones shirt with metallic gold lettering and artwork. Personally, I think Katherine would love Game of Thrones; all the strong women standing up to society’s patriarchal bullshit and literally fighting. I finished the look with red tights I got on eBay and New Look lace-up black heeled boots for an almost punkish look.
I accessorised with a spiked gold bracelet that I got from New Look for a tough vibe, as well as black-and-gold triangle clip on earrings from Claire’s (I don’t have pierced ears!) as well as a black velvet-style choker from Primark’s adorable Harry Potter collection.
With hair and makeup, I kept the hair simple – I messed it up a little with back-combing and salt spray. For makeup I went for a bold black eyeliner look, a little contouring and a red lip that packs a punch against any suitor.
DAY FOUR: THE PRINCESS OF FRANCE (LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST)
I knew I wanted to bring a Love’s Labour’s Lost lady into the mix because they are some of my favourite Shakespearean women. I played Katherine in the adaptation I was in, so I decided to switch it up and become a Princess for a day – I actually read as her in the first read-through we ever did as a company! She travels to Navarre to meet the King and discuss terms, but he and his lords have taken a vow of abstinence for three years, focussing on study and staying away from temptation: including women. She is forced to sleep in the garden, and believes the men are all in love with their own lady, and plans to out them. Before she leaves after her elderly father dies, she gives the King a year to clean up his act before coming back to him. She’s sassy, strong willed and not afraid to speak her mind.
I wanted the Princess’ look to be classy with a casual edge. I went with a theme of ‘Garden Party’, and picked this pretty cherry-print Fifties style dress I got from eBay when I did a show a few years ago. With a pair of white gloves from a fancy dress store to give a classy vibe and my white Converse to add a casual spin, I got the exact feel I wanted. I added a silver heart locket that my friend Amy got me for my 13th birthday to add a little love.
I was inspired by Parisian makeup, and chose a dark-blue eyeliner to add a French twist, with a brighter red lip and pretty peach blush to add a little colour to my face. For hair, I went for a bun, but decided against a traditional ballet bun and decided to mess it up a little, but not too much. I followed Dodie’s two-minute ballet bun tutorial, which I shall link below:
DAY FIVE: MIRANDA (THE TEMPEST)
Ah, Miranda. The young daughter of Prospero, she is gentle, compassionate and meek. However, there are moments in the play where she is not afraid to stand up for herself. It emerges that Caliban tried to rape her, and he agrees rudely, but Miranda won’t disguise that she’s appalled by his attitude and even though she attempts to educate him, he’s ungrateful – and she’s not scared to scold him. She also falls in love with a man named Ferdinand after being arranged by her father, but in earlier scenes she was told not to talk to him, the ‘third man ‘ere I saw’.
I wanted to demonstrate naivety and innocence in her outfit, and so chose a simple pink pineapple print playsuit from Primark, paired with a thin tan belt. Because she’s on an island, this gives it an almost holiday-esque feel as well as a child-like spirit. A pair of cork wedge with a nautical strap ties back into the story, which much of it revolving around the sea.
I added a simple beaded necklace that I made when I was about eight with a starfish decoration as well as a green beaded bracelet I picked up off the beach when I was a kid to tie in further to the nature of the ocean.
For hair and makeup, I took two front sections of hair, braided them up and pinned them round, making a braided crown. With makeup, I used golds and blues from the Revolution Pro Mermaid’s Heart eyeshadow palette to create a whimsical look, with gold being the sand and blue being the sea. A coral lip balances out the look and gives a tropical vibe.
DAY SIX – JULIET (ROMEO AND JULIET)
Juliet was the first Shakespearean lady I came across, having done Romeo and Juliet in school THREE TIMES. In Years Eight and Nine for ‘fun’, then in Year Ten as a set text. Juliet, as we all know, is a Capulet. She’s thirteen, naïve and innocent. She dreams of falling in love, and talks of Paris, the man chosen to court of her. But then she meets Romeo, a Montague, the enemies of her family, and ends up falling in love with him so quickly. They marry in secret, talk in whimsical metaphors for love, and their families are sent into turmoil when they find out. Juliet fakes her death so that Romeo will come, but having not got the ‘fake’ memo, believes she’s dead. He takes poison as Juliet wakes, and he dies. Distraught, Juliet takes Romeo’s dagger and kills herself to be with him.
So, cheery stuff.
I wanted a soft, romantic look for Juliet, and I was inspired by Tumblr for this look, if I’m honest. I paired a sheer salmon-pink Primark blouse with a long pink skirt from a charity shop, the same nude Primark brogues I wore for Viola’s look instead of ballet flats; I didn’t want to go overboard on the romantic front, but these shoes still hold a romantic edge.
For accessories, I picked a rose-gold bracelet I was given for a birthday one year, with a gold Primark ring with a peach stone that I bought to match my drama-wife Emma’s (which had a black stone), as well as this awesome Dorothy Perkins thumb and finger ring set with a chain, which is gold and has stars with rhinestones (cos, y’know star-crossed lovers and all that…)
For hair and makeup, I wanted to retain a juvenile sense in Juliet’s look. I put my hair into two low bunches, which reminded me of childhood in a way. For makeup, a soft pink lip with a neutral eye and a ‘maiden blush bepaint my cheek’ only became a plus to the innocence I wanted to add.
DAY SEVEN: BEATRICE (MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING)
Now, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was saving the best till last. Beatrice is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite Shakespearean lady. She’s strong, independent, sassy and is certainly not afraid to unleash her sharp tongue and her inventory of insults on Benedick. But she’s not afraid to show a softer side – like when she hears Hero and Ursula talking about how Benedick loves her, she can’t believe it. She ends up fulfilling the whole set-up of their friends, and the pair of them profess their love for each other and eventually marry. She’s also fiercely loyal to her family and follows her heart, and she holds one of my favourite Shakespearean lines ever – ‘A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.’
So for Beatrice’s look, a little bit of inspiration came from Catherine Tate’s portrayal in 2011 (with David Tennant as Benedick – I seriously love it when those two act together, they compliment each other so well!). However, their show was set in the Eighties, but I wanted to modernise the look and bring it into the Noughties. I picked out a Topshop blouse (the same one Clara wears in the Doctor Who episode ‘The Caretaker’!), alongside the same Primark jeans I wore for Viola, this brown jacket I got from a charity shop and black ankle boots from New Look to give it a slightly tougher look than flats.
For accessories, I went with a red and white spotted wire headband from eBay, a necklace with a charm that looked like a book (in this case, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins), also from eBay, and a rose-gold bracelet that was gifted to me for Christmas last year. I also added a simple gold ring with a pretty diamond stone that was a gift from my grandma for a hint of romance in the overall look.
For hair and makeup, I went for a bronze smokey eye and a red lip for her strength and her witty mouth. In terms of hair, I curled the ends for a slight softness and messed it up a little so it didn’t look completely regimented.
(on the day I shot the Beatrice look, I ended up finding myself in a Starbucks getting an Americano, and when the barista asked for my name, without hesitation, I gave him ‘Beatrice’. Plus, the book I’m reading in the shots is in fact a copy of Much Ado About Nothing – THE 2011 PRODUCTION EDITION!)
FINAL THOUGHTS
This week was so much fun to do – waking up and becoming someone else for a day in a new way was such a fun experiment. Taking Shakespearean ladies and giving them a more casual spin proved to be a little tricky at first, but I didn’t need to look too hard to find inspiration for each lady. I did notice a pattern, where I was more inclined to pick comedic women over tragic women, which was rather interesting. I am more inclined to pick comedies over tragedies in general, because I love to have a laugh and a bit of fun in the theatre! All the outfits were inspired by my reading of these women and I picked these women because they all have inspired parts of my life.
There we have it! My first time making a fashion-themed post! I’m not a massive fashionista, but this has been a nice change! I hope you all enjoyed it!
Until next time, Stay Strong and Hold On, my friends.
Laura Jayne 🙂 xxx
Laura Jayne's Life! 