Yes, that is Lady Gaga dressed in a dress made of Hello Kitty dolls. While this is an extreme example, it is an example ofa newly forming “fashion” craze. This craze includes dressing up as or with images of famous toys! Last week we discussed the use of Muppets as hats, now we’re going to discuss why not to use toys as fashion!
Hello Kitty seems to be the most common character used in dress fashions for adult women. Heads up, this character is for children in United States, and dressing with her on your clothing does not make you appear younger. Instead, it dates you and tells people that you are still behaving like a child even when you are an adult! You do not appear innocent or “youthful” in a child’s dress, rather sad and desperate to regain your childhood.
The idea of character dresses is not a new one. This idea has been around for a while. It has never been taken as seriously as it is now being taken though. It was not uncommon to find children’s dresses made with their favorite characters on it. Now there are wedding dresses with those same characters though, and that’s not fashionable, that’s scary. This addiction to one’s childhood is something that one might feel nostalgic about, but should not take over the wardrobe. It should definitely be left off the alter.
Now I can understand why someone would want to wear a small piece with their favorite character on it. There is some stress relief to be had by looking at a smiling face of a kitten. This is completely acceptable. A small pin or a small coin purse or something, that’s not too bad. That is even within fashionable acceptance. However, the full out dressing with your favorite character in mind is scary. It denotes an obsession that is not healthy for anyone, definitely not for an adult.
If you have to have your favorite cartoon in your wardrobe, please do it tastefully. A pin, a small clutch or coin purse is sufficient enough to let people know who your favorite character is. You may even find a polo shirt with your character embroidered on it. This is a great way to look stylish and still have that slight playful nature that the character brings about. Do remember that the character is not work appropriate and even a small cartoon character is not acceptable for the work environment. Keep the cartoon characters in your casual, not for work, wardrobe and please, keep it away from your wedding dress.