Surprise! A blog on a weekday? For Beauty and the Beast, mais bien sûr!
I was feeling particularly inspired for my favorite Disney movie’s anniversary month, that I decided to do an additional last-minute Style to Bound to Cosplay (SBC) blog featuring one of the most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen on film – Belle’s Celebration Dress from the live action movie.
If you’re reading this wondering what the Beast I’m talking about, you can find the first two installments of this monthly series through the links I’ll place at the end of this blog. You can read those first to learn more about it if you wish. But briefly explained, it’s where I show you the difference between the 3 types of Disney dressing through a movie or character featured every month.
Since Beauty and the Beast holds the top Disney place in my heart, you get two blogs for September. The second regularly programmed one comes out this Sunday, so stay tuned for that!
But before I proceed, here’s a little recap for you. Here are the 3 types of dressing in Disney:
DISNEY STYLE
Adding Disney magic to your personal style without dressing as a particular character. Disney Style is dressing in Disney as no other person but yourself.
DISNEYBOUND
Creating character looks by using elements like colors/placement of colors and accessories without actually wearing the character’s costume.
COSPLAY
Wearing an exact replica of the character’s costume.
Disney Style
I am nothing if not a matchy kind of girl, so I always like to color-coordinate my Disney Style outfits even though I really don’t need to.
So I paired this beautiful Belle tank top my best friend got me with high-waisted lightwash mom jeans and blush pink everything – jacket, cap, and shoes. Since this shade of pink is my favorite color ever, this outfit doesn’t really stray much from my personal taste, which is exactly what Disney Style is about – Disney but make it you.
Disneybound
When I fell in love with Belle’s Celebration dress, I fell in love with the colors and the movement most of all. I loved how airy it was and how gracefully it fell. So for this bound I used this white chiffon skirt that I actually made myself for my Disney birthday trip last year. Found this gorgeous pink and gold lace applique that I hand sewed to two layers of chiffon.
Then I styled it with a white tank top, a pink cardigan buttoned down and tucked in, gold pumps, and a gold belt. For the hair I used white pearl hair jewels to represent the white flowers Belle had in her hair.
Cosplay
Out of everything I’ve ever made, I think this is what I am proudest of.
When I first watched Belle twirling in this, I knew I had to have it. But I had no idea where to get it. So with absolutely no experience in painting fabric ever, I bought myself some textile paint and around 12 yards of chiffon, and decided to give it a go.
Once I finished painting it (it took me 2 days lol), I cut the fabric and put it together, then attached silk flowers and individually sewed on sequins for that beautiful 3D effect.
The designs aren’t screen accurate or anything, but I have to say putting this dream dress together and knowing that I made it from scratch made all the second guessing and hard work worth it.
“Think of the one thing that you’ve always wanted.
Now find it in your mind’s eye and feel it in your heart”
– Beauty and the Beast
However new and a bit alarming dressing in Disney is to you, the best way to truly get inspired is to find a movie or a character you love with all your heart. And believe me, it will all fall into place from there. For as long as it makes you happy on the inside, whatever outfit you put together will look beautiful on the outside too. After all, “beauty is found within”.
Katsie Llave 
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