i’ve already posted one costume tutorial this year, and here is a second. if that costume was sweet, then this one is sexy. :)
it took me a while to understand the relationship between the chiquita banana lady and carmen miranda, the famous brazilian singer/dancer/actress of the 1940s. it seems like the chiquita banana lady was sort of modeled after carmen miranda to put a face on the world’s first brand of bananas. anyway, many people seem to consider these these two figures one and the same when it comes to halloween costumes, so i sort of did this as well, although my costume is definitely more carmen miranda than chiquita banana. it’s a super simple costume to execute, but really a fun one. here’s how i made mine:
the first step is to make the famous fruit hat/headdress:
{i apologize in advance for the grainy photos…}
here’s what you’ll need:
: : 1 square yard of fabric OR A LITTLE MORE – 1 square yard worked for me but i admittedly have sort of a small head [explains a lot, doesn’t it??] ;) i chose solid blue because my skirt and top were predominantly yellow and patterned and because i was trying to incorporate the blue and yellow of the chiquita banana lady, but any bright color and/or tropical pattern would work.
: : scissors [preferably fabric scissors]
: : fake tropical flowers
: : wire cutters [not pictured]
: : fake fruit [i got mine at michael’s and used two bananas, some strawberries, and one bunch of grapes]
: : a hot glue gun
: : a few small safety pins [not pictured]
NOTE: i am not an expert turban-maker, and this one was made via trial and error. if you are an expert turban-maker or know someone who is, i would go by your own instructions rather than mine, but these steps worked for me for me to make a turban for the purpose of this costume.
instructions:
1. fold the square yard of fabric in half diagonally to make a triangle.
2. put the triangle on your head so that the long straight side is at the back of your head, and there is one point hanging down over your face and points on either side of your head hanging down by your ears.
3. take the two points on either side of your head and tie a knot at the front of your head, over the point that’s hanging down over your face, and pull it tight. the two ends of the knot should now be poking out on either side of your head like ears.
4. take the two “ears” and pull them back behind your head and tie into a small double-knot at the back of your head.
5. this is the tricky part. back at the front, you’ll have your front point still hanging down:
you’ll want to take this point, fold it up over your forehead, and tuck it into the knot at the front of your turban. you can either do this on your head, or you can take off the turban, set it on a bowl that’s a similar size as your head, and tuck it in the same way. i tried it both ways, but found it easier to do it while on my head and then secure it with some hot glue on a bowl once i took it off:
once you’ve hot-glued it in place and checked its fit, your turban is all ready for some fruit!
6. using the wire cutters, snip the flowers off their stems. i left about four inches of stem on each one to tuck into the turban and glue.
7. place the turban on your head and position the fruit and flowers the way you want them, as best as you can. if i did it again, i would probably place the bananas a little lower on my turban so they’re more visible.
8. begin hot-gluing the fruit onto the hat, trying the turban on after each one to ensure they’re positioned the way you want them. i started with the biggest flower, then added the two bananas, the grapes, the second flower, and finally the strawberries. i would use safety pins to help secure the grape stem onto the turban since mine kept falling off. i also cut off some leaves off the flower stems and glued them on as a filler.
it doesn’t have to be perfect.
9. try on your turban and ensure that everything is secure and where you want it, and then admire your work! :)
now is the fun part! …the whole outfit:
i chose to stick with a blue and yellow color palette to be more recognizable, but you can do whatever you want! bright colors and tropical patterns would work. if you want to show less skin, go with a regular shirt rather than a crop top.
i actually added an over-shirt to my outfit because i thought i would be cold, but you can go either way:
and don’t forget the jewelry…
…and the red lipstick!
and then you’re all set. i actually saved some chiquita banana stickers because i had plans of putting a chiquita banana tattoo on my arm or putting the logo on my shoes or clothes, but i forgot all about them! traditionally, you see the chiquita banana lady and carmen miranda with their hair up in the turban, but i wanted to leave mine down. :)
so fun, right? i hope this costume sparks some ideas for you for next year. :)