I could not wait to wear the outfits that I had assembled with the help of my costume-sewing girlfriend Teri. Both of us had discussed what we were packing for six months and had met up to stitch together all the bits and pieces. We packed warm weather clothes for daytime and cool weather clothes for nighttime. We bought our boots and socks; scarves and wraps; goggles and glasses; hats and headwear; jewelry and accessories. Guess what? WE DID NOT GET TO WEAR ONE COSTUME WE MADE! There will be no photos of us in costumes because it was too damn hot at night to wear them!
One warm night I slid into my butterfly costume, created with wings attached to the bodice of an old dress. My friend Stephanie created the most amazing milkweed pod and paper mâché monarch butterfly necklace. I had a headdress of blue butterflies lit with tiny LED lights. I had lost 12 lbs. since it was created for me. I could not get it on. Teri and I finally realized we had been hydrated with so much Gatorade and energy cubes with sodium that we were bloated! Screw that. I was like a teenager. I went for the sea creature outfit with shiny lurex fish-scale leggings and a long-sleeved blouse with fins, complete with seashells and blue glass beads wired together for my headdress. I just about fainted from the sweat just getting my ass into those slinky pants. Off they came. I finally ended up in a sleeveless top and mesh pants that breathed, so I could breathe.
My steam-punk outfit will be there for Halloween. A black skirt held up in folds with brass hoops, a black velvet jacket with loops of red ribbon crisscrossing my back and black and white striped long socks with my black buckle boots would be topped off with a punky assemblage of jewelry. (Black and red leather bird on a chain and a handmade safety pin necklace.) I also had a perky little black netted fascinator hat and a black brace on my left arm from my broken wrist which was to be decorated with steampunk charms. Packed away.
Our fur coats were in a huge bin, but only two of them were used. I had the floor-length coat from Haight-Ashbury that never got used. Teri wore her pink fur and I wore my fuzzy cape, but others lay sadly in their bin safely away from Playa dust. Girlfriend and I would have loved loved loved cooler weather, as we are always hot even when others are not, but it was not to be.
We headed out on the art car one night for the burning of the man and were happy to be comfortable on a cool night with our coat and cape, but saw younger people wrapped in fur with very little underneath. They were not in the throes of personal summers due to their age, but I am quite sure some were hot and stripped down once the man was set on fire. (Had I had mascara on, the heat would have melted it.) The fashionistas of both sexes brought their faux furs and probably decided they would rather suffer with their coats and vests on rather than having an incomplete look. You go, girls and guys, while I fan myself.