Trick or Treat But in 1933

October is at its end and I have to say my Halloween was a blast! The eve of Halloween, I binge watched "The Twilight Zone" with popcorn and Goobers. Halloween day, I danced the night away to disco jams and Michael Jackson's "Thriller"--definitely THE highlight song of the night!

As promised, I am sharing my Halloween costume with you all! Imagine Josephine Baker in 1933, lounging in her luxurious home in Paris, sipping a glass of wine. This is a loose interpretation of an icon whom is one of the biggest inspirations to me. If you missed my "Star of the Month" post about Queen Jo Baker, you can read it here.

DISCLAIMER: My kitty took over some of the photographs because we all know, she is the REAL star of the show.

My "dress" is a fragile 1930s slip gifted to me by my lovely friend and mentor Heidi Korkosz who has the most amazing vintage collection. This simple sheer slip is made from a lightweight cotton with exquisite blush pink lace at the hem. The back of the dress cuts into a low V. This is probably because during the 1930s, there were many long, silky dresses with low backs. I figured that this slip would be perfect for a Jo Baker look because it is in the right period and is slightly risqué. Josephine Baker was the QUEEN of risqué!

I stumbled across this vintage fur collar in a random bin at a vintage shop for $20 the day of Halloween--talk about good luck! I held the collar together with my 1950s rhinestone brooch to add a glamorous touch!

I bought this wig from Wigs and Plus near Union Square in New York City. It is a short 1920s/1930s style synthetic finger wave wig. Not gonna lie, this wig kind of made me long for short hair!

These 1970s wedge shoes were bought at Flower Child back in my hometown, Cleveland, OH (mentioned in other blog posts). This is one of my favorite shoe finds as these are my only authentic vintage shoes that I own! The wooden wedges have the most exquisite design carved into them. I know that these aren't necessarily the most appropriate shoes for the time period that I am trying to convey, but I think the grommet flower detailing and pop of red paired well with my outfit.

Also, there is NO way I was going to be out on the town in NYC in painful shoes! Sometimes comfort is key darlings.

I decided to wear vintage rhinestone drop earrings that are perfect for an "extra" look. For makeup, I blocked out my eyebrows with Elmer's Glue to draw on thinner ones, went really heavy on the blush, and mimicked an eyeshadow style that I saw in a colored photograph of Josephine Baker. She had gold shadow on the lids and a deep pinkish / brown in the crease with black shadow smudged to create a winged cat eye. My wine red lipstick color is "Diva" by MAC.

I know this is quite cheeky but I couldn't help but edit some of these photographs in black and white to get a REAL vintage feel. Dressing up in Josephine Baker esque attire makes me want to hunt down more fabulous authentic 1930s pieces and outerwear. The clothing from that time period was very flattering on women's silhouettes and showcased the utmost glamour and decadence! This was definitely a fun costume to strut around town in.

Thank you for tuning in, see you next Friday!
All photos taken by: Nia Thomas.