Carny Style Updates

[Lenore Lovelace]

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for a sight that is as horrible as it is frightening.  As sad as the tale is, the end result is one that may cause you tears.  When you look upon this creature, please remember that there is a part of it that is as human as you or I.  She has the body of a giant spider and the head of a lovely young lady - may I present to you, Spidora!

A special style guide in that spotlights one of my favorite sideshow illusions and uses it as inspiration in three looks that range from sophisticated to avant garde.  Each outfit features a full range of clothes, shoes and accessories from brands such as Vivien of Holloway, What Katie Did, Lux de Ville, T.U.K. and A is For Arsenic.  They are complimented by tips on how to style hair and makeup with products from Illamasqua, NARS and Urban Decay.

Women are constantly being told what to shave, what to do it with and how ‘smooth’ we need to be in order to feel confident and beautiful.  Those that choose a natural look are subjected to juvenile name calling and body shaming.  It was not so long ago that society had a fascination with hairy women, or to be more particular those who bore it on their faces, the part of a woman’s body many felt was the definition of her femininity.  Their curiosity of being able to see something which seemed to only exist in myths lead toBearded Ladies being a very popular sideshow exhibit, though the validity of their gender was questioned as often as their physiscal appearance, and unfortunately frauds existed which only further perptuated ignorance.  However, there was no denying the fact that they faced it with all the grace and elegance of a queen, utilized inquiring minds for profit and tackled gender boundaries with the greatest poise, which is something I feel we can all learn from.