Last year I came across the book, "Water for Elephants", at a thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It quickly became one of my favorite books as I'm a historical fiction nerd and loved its setting-- the story is told through the point of view of a 93-year-old man in the present day who is remembering his time spent in a traveling circus during The Depression (1930s). While a work of fiction, the author did extensive research on circuses of the time and weaves in true life incidents and anecdotes from circus performers.
Unfortunately I've never been to a circus as it's become a bit of an anachronism in the U.S., the 1930s saw the last of the great circuses that traveled by train. The hey day of the circus was in the mid to late 1800s when it was THE event for those living in smaller towns and rural areas. The advent of vaudeville, the movie theatre, television and amusement parks did away with The Greatest Show on Earth, the main surviving troop in the U.S. is the result of a merger of the two major companies back in the 1950s: The Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey.Unfortunately I do not have any outfits that directly reference the circus but I picked out a few items that have a cheerful, eclectic feel to them. It's a little more Carnival than Circus Runaway but I tried! Leo the Lion pinata was found in an alley last summer, he's the largest pinata I've ever seen and I knew he would make a good photo prop some day!
Outfit Details:
1970s striped dress: Dust Closet (now closed), Los Angeles
1990s lace up boots: Wicker Park Vintage Store
1940s Navy Blazer: Garage Sale
1950s Hat: Estate Sale, Chicago
Gold Lion Pin: Chicago thrift store
1950s Gold Cateye Sunglasses: Silverlake vintage store, Los Angeles
Black Belt: Wicker Park vintage storeIt was fun working with a few props, I decided I NEEDED an ice cream cone for the pictures even though there's still ice here on the sidewalks in Chicago! While it's chilly I knew the ice cream would melt so I bought a prepackaged cone from the Ukrainian bakery/grocery store on the corner. The brand is Dadu, made in Lithuania, it is black currant and vanilla. So yummy, they use all natural ingredients so it's a little taste of summer in February.The best part of the 1940s blazer I'm wearing is the lining, it's lined in a bird print, I fancy that' they're swallows. Doesn't it seem like something Anthropolgie would do?Yummy ice cream, it's great to work with edible props. The little ceramic tiger was found at an estate sale last summer. He's ceramic and was made in Japan.The dress is one of my summer staples, it's cotton and buttons up the back. Chicago ladies know it's a little too cold for this outfit still, I had to throw a layer over the blazer before heading out today.Of course, like all great novels, "Water For Elephants" has been made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. It's set for American release in April of this year and from the looks of the stills (2 below), the costumes and scenery look to be sumptuous. Reese definitely looks the part but I'm skeptical of Robert, maybe because I'm not a "Twilight" fan (yes, feel free to stone me now).Photo by David James – © TM and 2010 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.Photo by David James – © TM and 2010 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.Interested in getting the Circus look for yourself or your home? I created an etsy treasury with some great items, my favorite being that giant elephant necklace.