Dressing Devin: Bringing Roy Lichtenstein to Life

I love art. The first thing I ever wanted to be was an artist (well, tied with a paleontologist...dinosaur obsession was pretty intense), and if I was doing anything that required sitting still, you bet I was drawing. It justified binge-watching TV at a young age quite nicely :)

While my professional interests have since taken me in a very different direction, art still feels like that little piece of home. I will never forget my mom teaching my about Degas on my first trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, her pointing out the ballerinas and the race horses, and me falling in love. Art is one of the reasons I do fashion - it's my way of getting to create a piece of living art every day, something that evokes reaction, something that has heart in it.

So when I saw an article a few years back about dressing up as a Lichtenstein comic girl for Halloween, I was obsessed. It was just such a perfect idea. What an amazing way to demonstrate cool makeup capabilities, pay homage to an icon, and be an absolute show-stopper. Even if people don't know his work well, they immediately recognize the look. However, I never really had the opportunity to do this costume. I was in college, and college parties weren't the best venue to display something like this (lots of sweaty people, not good for hair and makeup). But now I have this blog! Therefore I was able to put this together just for the fun of it on Halloween weekend for the sole purpose of sharing it with you.

The makeup didn't take me nearly as long as I expected. You can see the before on the left and the finished product to the right. To sum: makeup does mind blowing things. The dots could have been smaller and more uniform, but I was working with mediocre Halloween makeup and on a time crunch. For what took probably 20 minutes or less, I was pretty happy with the results.

Lichtenstein girls are famously known for having phone conversations with men, and I made the decision to pose with my iPhone rather than a larger house phone. I wanted to take the Lichtenstein comic girl to the 21st century. Sure, she makes the occasional phone call, but she's a much bigger fan of sending her gentleman callers selfies and snapchats. That's what you can see in some of the images I chose, like in the image immediately below (which I must admit is one of my favorites).

This entry is pretty obviously less style-focused than my others. It's more artistic and abstract. However, I have worn all of these pieces separately in my daily ensembles! The Campbell's soup can sports bra has to be my favorite. Who can resist anything Andy Warhol?? I purchased it at Forever 21 (they've gone through a pop art phase recently, and I am NOT complaining). I think it was around $12.99. I normally wear this with skinny jeans and a soft grey tank top that has a high neckline but is cut super low on the sides - it's a great conversation starter for fellow Warhol lovers, which sounds like a very specific crowd, but is surprisingly most everyone.

The skirt was actually purchased at a Mandee right before the store went out of business, and I snatched it up for only $5! This is another conversation starter. People seem to have this innate love for pop art, and it's nice to wear something that brings a smile to other people's faces. I typically wear this with a tight black tank top and a moto jacket. You can do any type of shoe - combat boot, heels, flats, they all work with the flattering cut of the skirt. Plus hello stretch waist band! Please be my friend while I consume endless piles of pasta (my intention for this evening).

I wouldn't mix these pieces outside of a fashion shoot like this one - the tones don't particularly work with each other, and it's too over-the-top, even for me. But for a costume when you're looking to make a pop art impact? Perfect. And like I mentioned, each piece on its own is a fantastic crowd-pleaser. So don't be afraid to purchase an item that's a little outside the box! Pair it with the right minimalist pieces to make it shine, and you have a statement piece that is sure to become a new favorite.