I have a love-hate relationship with costumes. Mostly love – there’s something so incredibly creative and special about seeing an interpretation of a person or character come to life, and finding those perfect, unique pieces that fit together.
The hate part comes in when I don’t have a vision, or when I spend hours with fabric and a sewing machine and despite my best efforts, the final product just is limp, badly fitting, and sad.
When I set out to costume Hadassah of Susa, I experienced all of this (Don’t miss Costuming Esther: Part 2 where I show you three separate looks I created for myself). My search in thrift stores for a base dress was fruitless (a floorlength white dress is hard to find!) and the basic-Bible-character dress I made out of thrifted fabric was a flop.
So let’s cut out some of the fruitless searching for YOUR production, and go straight to the fun part!
Here’s how you can use Amazon purchases, thrift store finds, and even your own closet to put together a costume fit for Queen Esther. It all starts with the base costume: a dress, a belt, and shoes.
Base dress
My search for a basic, easy-fit white dress turned up fruitless. Makes sense – a lot of casual floor-length white dresses are going to be trendy summery maxis, and I was shopping in January. So I turned to Amazon and eventually found the Koh Koh line of jersey dresses.
They’re elegant, they’re stretchy, and all of these selections (at the time of this writing) are available in this tan color and also a bright white – a perfect backdrop for the costume variations I had in mind. (There are also darker jewel tones available.)
I purchased #3 in white and found the fit to be true to size. I was nervous that the skirt would be really full but it’s narrower than it appears in the photos. The elastic waistband is a bit tight and makes me stand up straight! The top half is lined with white jersey; I purchased a full-length half slip at a thrift shop to line the skirt.
Tip: shop thrift stores
All the accessories you could want or need for your Esther costume (besides perhaps a crown) can likely be found at a thrift shop or by re-imagining pieces from your own closet. I’ve included Amazon links for every photo in this blog post just so you have a backup option or a place to start your own online search.
Belts
I happened to find a brown woven belt with a gold clip buckle (similar to #3) at a thrift shop, but here are other options:
Shoes
Since you’re wearing a floor-length dress, the shoes aren’t super important. I’d be willing to bet you have something already in your closet that might work! But if not, here’s some inspiration:
Crowns
Now that you have a basic outfit, it’s time for the fun part. How PRETTY are these?!
Before you decide on the crown for your Esther costume, consider how you’ll be wearing your hair, if you’ll likely have a headset mic when you perform, and how many of the scenes you’ll be wearing it.
I purchased #1 with the anticipation of wearing it for just one or two of the seven scenes. It comes with four thick pins to anchor it on my head – unfortunately I have smooth straight hair. If I do a high updo the headset mic can wrap around my head below it, and the top is tight enough that I can use at least one clip at the back to hold it partially.
Necklace
Between crowns and headset mics, I would avoid earrings in general and instead go for a statement necklace. BUT if you’re going to be wearing a lavalier mic that clips to the neckline of your dress, these will interfere badly with the sound and should be avoided.
I had a bold gold necklace already in my collection but these were some I absolutely loved. If you’re following a specific color theme, several of them have variations in metal or gem tones.
Finishing Touches
Here’s where you can have so much fun! Would a strong ring complete the look? A Grecian-inspired hair accessory instead of a crown, or an upper arm cuff to finish off your sleeveless dress? A woven shawl draped around your shoulders or loosely framing your face?
Story Through Costume
Depending on how costume-crazy you are, there are ways to add some variety to the look from scene to scene. I developed 7 separate looks (yes, I’m officially costume crazy!) and the colors I chose reflect Hadassah’s developing identity.
Every version of my Esther costume starts with the base layer: white dress, belt, shoes. Everything else is an overlay or accessory and is simple to change out while the congregation sings the interlude music.
In the first two scenes, I have green and blue accessories (and a woven overskirt I scored at a thrift shop). Later we see Esther the Queen, decked out in red and dripping with gold jewelry. As she reflects on her story in the epilogue, it’s pared back, with a brown shawl and minimal jewelry. The use of color and amount of accessories parallel her growth from innocent Hebrew maiden to Queen and politician, to a wise woman who is both Hadassah of Susa and Esther of Persia.
Final thoughts
Costumes add visual interest and complement the world you’re showing to the audience. In our visual society, they’re incredibly helpful for augmenting the auditory experience. But ultimately it’s the story itself that matters – so whether you’re like me and want to go all-out, or you choose one look that stays the same through the whole program, or you decide to go minimalist with a modern all-black outfit – the story and your performance of it is what will shine.
Next up….Costuming Esther (Part 2), where I show you three looks I’ve put together for my own Hadassah of Susa rendition!
