Dinotopian Librarian: A Costume Build

I really have no exxcuses for this, except that the Loonatic made me do it. Most of it is really just things I found in my closet (or ferreted out of the Loonatic's), supplemented with a trip to a thrift store and a couple of weird accessories I made myself. And from that, I give you: Dinotopia's greatest (and sweatiest) adventuring librarian!



1. Shirt



This is purely a result of trawling of through a couple Goodwills, but it's well worth it. I don't have any great shots of this shirt, but it's the perfect base for this outfit. Big and blouse-y, this silky button up has a modesty panel that covers the buttons and a faux-wraparound collar that makes the shirt look much more Victorian than it is.

2. Pants



Really, this is pretty much just a result of watching Pirates of the Caribbean and going to Goodwill. Fortunately, grandma's golfing bermuda shorts are popular cast-offs right now, so being a swashbuckler is weirdly easy.

3. Shoes



Like the pants, these shoes weren't so much about finding authentic Victorian shoes as much as getting some modern shoes that have a certain look. These are actually a pair of black clog-like shoes I borrowed off the Loonatic.

4. Waistcoat



This is also a result of rooting through the Loonatic's closet. In the Dinotopia miniseries, the clothing combines a lot of different cultural clothing archetypes, cooking up a very particular flavor of fashion melting pot. As such, although waistcoats like this one are something I more readily view as European, the beautiful Oriental designs give it a little extra spice.

5. Coat



Although it was too hot to wear a coat for much of the shoot, this gorgeous yellow silk coat has been in the back of my closet for ages, just waiting for an outfit like this.

5. Belt and Accessories




More on these will be put up in a later post, but I'm actually really pleased with these. The belt is a beaded string belt that wraps around the waistcoat and holds up a map tube and a tool panel.

6. Skybax



Like the tool belt, you'll hear more about this guy later on. For now, suffice it to say that I made this demonic little creature with my own two hands, and therefore there was no choice for me but to make him my terrifying sidekick for the project.



P.S. If you've been tracking these posts at all, I was meant to be wearing the gold paper sun hat from a previous post in this costume. However, the weather turned against us, and I was deathly afraid of what might happen to my paper hat if I took it out in the rain.

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