Ever wanted to dress like your favorite Disney characters but feel too old or awkward about wearing character costumes? Disneybounding might be the middle ground you’ve been looking for. Put simply, Disneybounding means coming up with a Disney-inspired outfit by using everyday clothing and accessories.
Interested in trying this fun activity out for yourself? Let your inner child take the spotlight with these eight tips and tricks for coming up with great Disneybound ensembles:
Check Your Closet First
Most of the time, you’ll only need general articles of clothing to pull off your desired character’s look. All you have to do is learn how to mix and match each piece of clothing properly.
For example, you can use a thick pair of footless tights, a long-sleeved t-shirt or a dress shirt, and a fashionable belt in green and earthy colors to Disneybound as Peter Pan. If you’re going as Mulan, loose pants and a tucked-in shirt in reds and blues will do the trick.
So, before you go out and shop for new clothes, see if you’ve already got the combination you’re looking for right in your closet. You never know what pieces you may already own.
Shop for Items at Thrift Stores
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on garments or trinkets that match your favorite Disney character’s attire. In fact, it can be more fun to go thrifting, as it’s a great way to test your creativity and resourcefulness. Remember: there’s no need to go with specific, difficult-to-find clothes to give off your chosen character’s overall look and feel. After all, you’ll still look like them whether your shirt costs a few bucks or an arm and a leg.
Choose Your Palette Wisely
When planning your outfits, pay attention to your character’s color palette. For instance, you’ll notice that Pocahontas’ visual design features a lot of warm, brown tones. Meanwhile, Alice’s palette is predominantly made up of blue and white, with a splash of yellow and a tiny hint of black.
Getting clothing that matches your character’s color palette right is the trick to cluing people in on who you’re Disneybounding as. You don’t have to get pieces that are a one-to-one match, either. Often, you can get away with clothes in a slightly different hue or shade as long as you get the overall color combinations right.
If you’re having trouble breaking down your desired character’s color palette, you can easily Google certain keywords, like “Disney Belle color palette.” A few relevant results are bound to crop up to help you better visualize the color ratio you should go for.
Search for Ideas Online
As original as you want your look to be, you aren’t the first—and certainly won’t be the last—to think of Disneybounding a specific character. In fact, looking for pegs to have an idea of what an outfit should look like is perfectly okay and even encouraged.
Think of it this way: you never know when an ensemble you like on someone else might just work for you, too. If you’re having trouble thinking of how to represent certain visual elements of your chosen character, don’t be afraid to reference other people’s takes on the same outfit. Scroll through platforms like Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration, and you may just come up with your best Disneybound outfit ideas yet.
Always Choose Comfort Over Style
Wearing a character-inspired outfit won’t be any fun if it causes you pain or restricts your movement. To prevent this, always pick practical and comfortable clothing over stylish but awkwardly-fitting ones, especially if you’re planning to wear it all day long.
If your chosen character sports red stilettos, you can always change things up a bit by going with red platform heels or wedge sandals for added stability. If you’re Disneybounding Snow White, you don’t necessarily have to put on a cumbersome long dress or cape to pull off the look. You’ll do just fine with a blue shirt, a red hair ribbon, and either a pair of yellow pants or a short yellow skirt.
Pay Attention to the Details
Examine your chosen character’s design carefully. Try to pick apart specific elements about their appearance, such as shapes, patterns, colors, or themes. Then, focus on the ones that would immediately call said character to mind. You can then highlight this design aspect with one or more parts of your outfit. If you’re planning to Disneybound as Donald Duck, you can go with a blue and white striped top to allude to the nautical theme of his get-up as well as his predominantly blue and white color palette.
Pick the Right Accessories
Plenty of Disney characters are known not just for their color schemes, but also for their accessories. Minnie Mouse has her red and white-spotted bow, Vanellope von Schweetz wears candy-themed hair clips, and Jessie from Toy Story sports a big red cowboy hat.
To tie your whole outfit together, try adding an item or two that takes visual cues from your chosen character’s most memorable accessory. You don’t have to find an exact match of that accessory, necessarily. Instead, you can try looking for something as subtle as an earring or a clip that gets the same idea across. If you plan to Disneybound as Ariel, for example, you can bring around a purple shell-shaped purse as a nod to her iconic purple shell bra.
Don’t Go Overboard
While your outfit should capture the essence of your chosen character, remember that you aren’t wearing a costume or literally recreating their attire. You want to be recognized without standing out in a bad or embarrassing way. When in doubt, opt for subtle touches rather than in-your-face adornments. As we’ve discussed so far, your character’s color palette, a couple of their smaller accessories, and a few identifying details are all you really need to Disneybound.
If you plan to base your attire on Mickey Mouse, adding a dash of red, black, and white to your ensemble is enough to hint at his visual design without being too on the nose. On the flip side, putting on a black bodysuit, big yellow shoes, white gloves, mouse ears, and a big black ball for a nose is overdoing it.
Disneybounding is for everyone, young and old. What’s great about it is that it doesn’t take a lot to get started, and you can create amazing ensembles with even the simplest of items. While keeping all the above tips in mind can you take your outfits up a notch, remember not to take things too seriously. Let loose and have fun! After all, isn’t that what being a Disney fan is all about? What matters most is that you feel happy sporting the outfit you’ve worked so hard to put together!
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