This is it! It’s the week of the Her Universe Fashion Show 2024 and I’m sneaking in the last part of my series on constructing my Totally Minnie look which won Judge’s Choice at the 2023 Her Universe Fashion Show. This part is about my accessories. The icing on the cake. If you want to start from the beginning of the construction journey, start with this post. After this year’s show, I’ll be posting about the look I’m making to wear as a judge, but they’re having me keep it under wraps for now.
For the Her Universe Fashion Show, they expect a complete look from head to toe. Some people made custom purses or fashioned custom shoes for their looks, so accessories are definitely part of the consideration for both the application and when judging. You’re also allowed to commission pieces if needed, but I chose to make all of my accessories and number of other competitors did as well.
Going from head to toe, here are my accessories and the thoughts that went into their selection and/or creation.
Hair Bow (Yes, Literally My Hair)
As you saw in the Mistakes Were Made post, my original plan for my hair (fortunately) didn’t work out. Instead I ended up doing a hair bow made out of my actual hair. It’s not technically an accessory, but kinda falls in the same category since I didn’t sew it and it wasn’t part of the dress.
I found some internet videos that gave a basic idea but then there was a lot of practice. And a lot of hairspray. That’s the biggest secret. So much hairspray. But I love how it looked. Very runway but also very Minnie.
Totally Minnie Vinyl Record Earrings
This was my favorite accessory, but I actually didn’t think of it until a week or two before the competition. I was originally going to do some laser cut inset circles in black, red and white for the earrings because I wanted the earrings to reflect the dots.
Well, I was searching on the internet to get a feel for what 80’s style earrings look like and I saw some come up that were records and I realized, OMG, records are basically just dots. And if I made the center white, then they’re basically white dots with black outlines which ties in with my look AND the fact that my look is based on a vinyl record, bringing it full circle. It was almost too perfect.
I thought about laser cutting my own records, but I wasn’t sure I’d have time so I ordered a pair from Amazon. I realized these were totally good enough and there wasn’t a good reason to laser cut my own.
I used my Silhouette to print and cut Totally Minnie labels based on the original artwork from the album. I placed these labels in the center of the records to make them tiny Totally Minnie records. I did make the “Minnie” word a gradient of red to white to tie into the dress although the shape of the word is pulled from the record.
And the I painted the ear hooks with red nail polish. If I had laser cut them, I would have cut them out of red, but this worked fine and actually gave them kinda a jelly look. I did have to paint them with white nail polish first and then red over that for it to look really red.
80’s Beaded Necklaces, But Make It Couture
I wanted to tie my jewelry into the dress but also really bring out the 80’s aspect of the whole look. Layered beaded necklaces are classic 80’s. I made mine myself out of glass beads, but to tie it into the sparkling dress, I did faceted beads since they really catch the light. I did two sizes for additional interest and I put them on a double clasp so that they wouldn’t slide around and have the clasp move down the bottom which would have looked super tacky. I will likely use these for other looks since it’s just a great necklace.
The beads, steel cord, and clasp were from Fire Mountain Gems.
80’s Jelly Bracelets, But Glam
The other aspect of 80’s jewelry I wanted to feature were jelly bracelets. I loved these back in the 80’s and I definitely needed some arm adornment for the look. However, actual jelly bracelets didn’t really fit the vibe of the look. I found these “new” jelly bracelets that are actually tubes filled with glitter. The black and red ones were just what I needed. Basically a glamorous version of jelly bracelets. I believe they might technically be knock-offs of something called a Buddha Bracelet, but they worked for my look.
The Color of Minnie Nail Polish
The color I wore was called “The Color of Minnie” by OPI from a Minnie Mouse set they had put out a couple years ago. It’s still the best red I’ve ever found so I’ve kept it around. Sure glad I did because it was obviously perfect.
Fishnet Tights
Photo by HC Photography
Since I had a slit in the skirt, I knew my legs could be visible. And what would be more iconically 80’s than fishnet stockings a la classic Madonna or Cyndi Lauper?
I went for Capezio dancer tights because they have smooth bottoms which is way more comfortable than walking on fishnet. I also layered them over shimmery nude tights. I’ve always done this when I wear fishnets because it just makes them fit nicer, they’re easier to pull on/off (you know, if you have to use the ladies room), and you don’t look so washed out under them. But in my searching for Capezio tights I found that apparently that’s how Taylor Swift wears her fishnets, too, so I’m in good company.
Minnie’s Iconic Gold Shoes
I don’t have anything particularly special about these except that the ones I found were surprisingly comfortable for stiletto heels! I knew that I wanted to tie into Minnie’s iconic gold shoes, but in a way that tied into both the look and the 80’s. These shoes were perfect.
Since I was doing gold for the shoes, I carried the gold through the rest of the outfit. The zipper and zipper pull are gold. You’d have to look real close to find it, but I made the findings on the earrings and necklace gold. The bracelets are gold at their connections. And my eye makeup was gold as well. I was all about making this look entirely cohesive literally from my head to my toes.
Photo by HC Photography
Well, that’s it. That’s all I’ve got on making my 2023 Her Universe Fashion Show Judges’ Winner look, Totally Minnie. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about everything that went into it and maybe picked up some tips and tricks you’ll use for your next look!
