Beauty and the Beast (2017) An Embarrassingly Long Review

               Beauty and the Beast (1991 Disney) has had an essential role in my life, having been released during a very formative time of my childhood. I went to see it when it was first in the theater, on a field trip with my sixth grade class when I was 11, and was immediately in love with this version of the fairy tale I had previously read in books. Belle became my heroine…my ultimate role model. So although I was extremely excited a few years ago when Disney announced their live action Beauty and the Beast, I was also nervous.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 17: THE Movie Outfit

It has been a fun journey we've taken together, these 17 days of March, leading up to the premiere of the new Beauty and the Beast live action film. At this point, regardless of what any of us end up thinking of the new retelling, it can't tarnish the shine of the masterpiece that is the original animated classic. Right after I post this, I'm leaving to go to our favorite theater to finally see the movie for the first time.

This is the outfit I settled on for the movie premiere day! The whole reason I first gathered together photos of all the Beauty and the Beast fashion items I owned was so that I could try to figure out what I wanted to wear for the movie premiere. And this is it! The shirt is arguably my favorite one I own, from Whosits and Whatsits: "Lumiere's Culinary Cabaret." I love the Art Deco styling and the subtle wink and nod logo. The kimono top is a new item from Hot Topic, and as soon as I saw the design of it, my eyes went all anime-style sparkly and I started making grabby hands.

 The flower crown I made myself. I had to have a "big crafty item" to end this experience. The beads you see are glass marbles backed with scenes from the animated movie. Sometime in the next few days I'll be posting a tutorial on how to make the flower crown.

I truly hope you've enjoyed going on this adventure with me for the last seventeen days. It has been fun to figure out new and creative ways of wearing these wardrobe items I've had, some for years. I'm honestly a little sad to see this fun experience ending, but am excited to wear some of these ensembles I've whipped up this summer when we go to D23 and Disneyland!

Thanks for watching! Please tell me what YOU think of the new movie once you've seen it!

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 16: Mrs. Potts!

"Cheer up, child. It'll turn out all right in the end: you'll see!"

I have mentioned before that I actually am not winging it on this challenge: I wrote out a simple list of outfits ahead of time (knowing I could change up details as I wore them) so that I'd be sure to get everything in. Technically, I could have borrowed my husband's new Beauty and the Beast shirt today so that I could be wearing an official clothing item, but as soon as I thought of my Mrs. Potts lunch bag, I realized how fun it would be to do a Mrs. Potts Disneybound.

The lunch bag is from the Disney Store. I got it last year and it's another one that is now only available at a much higher price on eBay.

I had fun figuring out what in my wardrobe I could wear in order to get Mrs. Pott's colorful color scheme of white, pink, teal, and purple. I'm paying homage to her "ruffled cap" with my rose-colored chiffon cap my friend Sara got for my birthday last year.

The Mrs. Potts and Chip pin was part of a New Fantasyland pin set when the updated area of Disney World reopened. "Chip" the teacup is from a tea set I inherited from my grandmother. It's so lovely and delicate, and I love the small roses on the inside lip of each cup.

Ah, "look at me, jabbering on while there's a supper to get on the table!"

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 15: Are You Happy Here?

Only three more days to our countdown, today included! I admit I was really looking forward to sharing today's ensemble with you. Despite the fact that the art on here is by Thomas Kinkade, an artist whose work I abhor on principle, I admit this particular rendering of Belle and Beast on the terrace as he asks her if she's happy...is quite lovely. Beast's castle in the background, the watercolor shades of purples and pinks...it's truly lovely.

I bought this skirt on Amazon for our Disney trip last Christmas, but when it arrived it didn't fit quite right. The skirt is one size fits all, and the elastic waist was just fine, but the length...oh my. It was indecently short. So my mom and I added fabric to lengthen it. The fabric we chose just happened to be in a William Morris pattern, one of my favorite artists. So this skirt went from being unwearable to suddenly being strong competition for my favorite item in my wardrobe.

The flower clip I'm wearing in my hair is made of paper, and was a handmade gift from my friend Shveta Thakrar. The words on it tell the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, my second favorite fairy tale, and the only one I love almost as much as Beauty and the Beast.


 My pin is currently available at Disney World as a Disney Visa Rewards item, and through the Disney Parks merchandise app!

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 14: Book, Belle, and Bonnet

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you....day 14 of our countdown, about a half dozen t-shirts or more worn, and this is the first time I had to pull out my trusty skinny blue jeans to pair with this shirt. I intentionally tried to wear all the other shirts until now in creative ways I normally wouldn't try, and I must say it was quite enlightening! But this is how I wear my t-shirts most of the time, so I had to represent that in this countdown.

The shirt features art from Megan Lara, and I got it on TeeFury, though it appears to no longer be an available design. I'm telling you, guys, you have to jump on these things!

I'm wearing a floppy brown felt hat I like to wear in the spring and on cooler summer days, and my other big-ticket item in this ensemble is my new Beauty and the Beast book purse! Yes, this is technically labeled as a girl's purse, but the straps are fully adjustable to much longer than I show here, and the size of it is comparable to book purses sold on Etsy to adults for literally ten times the price. When I saw this, and the price, I immediately ran to my local Target to snatch it up.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 13: Dancing

I have four or five of these silk circle skirts in different colors, sent to me three years ago or so by a friend. They are all so marvelous to wear, swishing and swirling around my ankles as I walk or spin or as the breeze catches me.

I'm wearing this skirt with a long sleeved stained glass pattern shirt, purchased from Hot Topic a couple years ago. The design was quite popular, so even though it's no longer available, I bet it's somewhere on eBay if you wanted to find it!

I'm wearing a watch cameo necklace, also from Hot Topic, with the same design on it. I apparently have a bit of a fixation on the stained glass designs from the movie. It's a pity I'm guessing they aren't going to tell Beast's backstory in the form of stained glass in the new movie, from the teasers I've seen. To me it was a particularly beautiful moment, and engrossed the viewer in the fairy tale immediately.

 The khussa-style slippers are purple dupioni and were a gift from another friend. The blur is from spinning around and around and around.....

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 12: *That* Yellow Dress

In cinema history, there are dresses that become iconic. That word is so often overused, but I can think of very few other gowns in Disney animated history that are so quickly recognized and so elementary to the character as Belle's yellow (gold) gown. Love it or hate it, it was THE gown from the ballroom scene, a revolutionary moment in animation history when an until-then rather static camera eye view in animated films turned into a sweeping swooping scene, with the camera angle diving down from chandeliers and catching her underskirts as Beast caught Belle up in his arms.

A couple years ago, Tom and I were planning our second Disney World trip, and I wanted something special to wear to Be Our Guest restaurant. I really wanted a yellow dress. And then, like magic, one appeared, at JCPenny. Yes, today is my first Disneybound of this challenge, since the dress is technically not officially Beauty and the Beast merchandise. But look! There's a stained glass-esque rose pattern on the yellow bodice. It's perfect.

Disneybound though it might be, I AM wearing an official licensed item: the tree branch necklace Belle wears in the new forthcoming film with her version of the yellow gown. It's available from...three guesses...Hot Topic.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 11: Great Wide Somewhere

Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of all time. And my favorite moment of my favorite movie is when Belle runs to the hillside and sings "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere." So when I saw this shirt at the Disney Store last summer, I snatched it up. The fit is great, the fabric is soft and comfortable, and I really love the "great wide" scoop neck. Of course now when I go to the Disney Store website, there's no sign of the shirt anymore, but perhaps they can be found on eBay still.

I'm wearing this shirt with a black silk skirt that flutters against my legs in the breeze. I have a red ribbon at my neck, and a Hibiscus flower in my hair...perhaps brought back from travels in that "great wide somewhere?"

A practical woman comes prepared when venturing into the outdoors, so I'm wearing my Beauty and the Beast sunglasses from Hot Topic. There's nothing overt about them, but I love the shape, and the gold and red rose pattern on the frames.

For once it might be grand to have someone understand...I want so much more than they've got planned.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 10: You Look So..So..Stupid

Ever had a day where nothing seems to go right? Where you feel like a goofball posing in front of a random movie theater poster? Or maybe your hat rack has just styled your hair for your evening out with your new love, and you look "so...so...STUPID"? Yeah, I've been there too, and so has Beast.

This dress, which I love and got as a Christmas gift a couple months ago, is from Hot Topic. The charm bracelet is one I've been collecting charms for since our May trip to Disney World last year. You can see one of the charms is Belle of course. And the hilariously awesome pin of Beast looking all fancied up for his evening with Belle, and rather "Stupid" was a limited edition 30th anniversary Disney Store exclusive we snagged about a month ago, now only available on eBay.

I'm wearing the dress with a teal rose soapstone necklace, a tomato-red shirt, black tights, and ballet flats. Can't wait to see how this dress looks this summer!

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 9: Philippe

Poor Philippe. Despite the fact that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite film of all time, I can still acknowledge certain parts of it that upset me. One particular moment that chafes me is when Maurice is on his way to the fair with Philippe. When offered two paths, Philippe chooses the safer one, but Maurice tugs on the reigns to go down the darker path. Then, when wolves overtake them and things seem dire, Maurice exclaims "Where have you taken us, Philippe?!" Every time, I yell at my TV "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE HIM GO THAT WAY!" (ahem)

Tom and I have a soft spot for Disney horses. There are so many sweet ones with great character,  including Philippe. This three-panel shirt is from Hot Topic, of course, and is no longer available. I'm wearing it with a black lace skirt and a wide black belt I wear so very often, I'm surprised I've held off on including it in an ensemble until today.

Philippe, like all of the plush I've shared in my posts so far, is available through the Disney Store.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 8: Purple Princess

Purple is my favorite color. I even wore a purple dupioni silk gown on my wedding day. So this is an especially fun outfit for me. The shirt is from Hot Topic, as are so many things I own ;)

I'm wearing a pair of cropped purple jeans with a brown belt (another Goodwill find years ago), and a crocheted purple flower head wreath made by my friend Jessica Freytag. I clipped in a handful of the purple hair streaks my hairdresser friend Salena helped me obtain a few weeks ago (I like that I can wear them or not wear them as my mood strikes me).

The last standout item with this ensemble are the Disney princess sneakers. Yep, Belle is on there. I got these from Target last spring, and with inserts, they were comfortable enough to wear at the parks! (Just for one day...I wouldn't recommend them as your only park shoes!)

 

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 7: Cogsworth

Yesterday was Lumiere's day to shine. And what's Lumiere without his "Overgrown Pocket Watch" comrade, Cogsworth? Today's outfit is dedicated to this tightly wound but lovable character. I'm wearing one of my favorite Beauty and the Beast t-shirts, with a retro movie-poster-esque design on the front. I believe this shirt was from Target, but it was from a couple years ago and is likely  no longer available.

To mimic the gilding on Cogsworth's lovely self, I'm wearing sunflowers in my hair, and a gold wrap ribbon belt. I've paired this with a sheer black pleated high-low skirt and simple ballet flats. An easy comfortable outfit. After all..."If it's not Baroque, don't fix it!"

Finally, I wanted to share my Beauty and the Beast limited edition magic band. Magic bands are used at Disney World to do everything from open your hotel room door to paying for all that you buy and getting into the parks and onto rides. The new magic band style has a removable puck at the top that makes the design look quite a bit like a watch, so I thought it was apropos to wear with this ensemble. I believe the magic band is still available to buy on the Shop Disney Parks app.

 

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 6: Lumiere Cartoon Gothic

I call today's outfit "Cartoon Gothic." I really tried to ham it up for the photos, imagining myself wandering through the corridors of a mysterious old castle, Lumiere in tow lighting the way.

The tank top is from Hot Topic. I love the image on it, but don't wear it often because shirts with that dumb "dip down" curve on the front were NOT made for hourglass figures. It emphasizes all the wrong things in my hip/waist area. Recently I realized that I could just have mom help me cut it straight across in the front. Hopefully when I do that, I'll end up wearing it more often.

I decided to try wearing it almost like a corset, with a cobalt blue peasant blouse underneath, a brown rose in my hair, and a blue heavy crushed velvet floor length skirt, with a patterned ribbon belt at the waist.        
            

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 5: Human Again

I admit, I have a preference when it comes to my retellings of Beauty and the Beast: I prefer the Beast to not transform at the end. It just seems like such a cop-out to me for Belle to fall in love with Beast for who he is, and then have her "rewarded" by him turning handsome. What?? But despite this, I still adore Disney's movie as-is, including the ending.

I'm wearing a new shirt from Kohl's. I saw it on their website and loved it immediately. I'm a sucker for "cold shoulder" tops, and I love the asymmetrical hemline on it too. I've paired this with a rose headband from Claire's, a pixie-hem skirt and patterned tights I've had for ages, and granny boots that were a gift from my friend, Lisa. The necklace is a licensed BatB one from Hot Topic, who are single-handedly putting me in the poorhouse with all of their new licensed BatB merchandise. On the necklace is a rose (the original was way too pink instead of red, so I "repainted" it with red nail polish), mirror, bell jar, and a medallion with a silhouette of Belle and Beast.

I'm holding the 25th anniversary ornament from Hallmark last Christmas. It's a beautiful piece, and I couldn't put it away after the holiday, so it's out on display.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 4: Comfy Weekend Time

Sometimes, you just want to be comfy. Sweatshirts are great for this. And this sweatshirt is my go-to for a comfy weekend top. I got this particular one from the Disney Store last year, and of course like many officially licensed Disney items, it's no longer available (believe me...if you really love something...grab it when you see it). I love the sketch of Belle and Beast, and the gold roses at the bottom of the design are actually embroidered.

Today I'll also share with you something I use daily: my purse! I confess I spent more on this handbag than any I've ever bought...I'm usually a "find a bag at a garage sale and use it until it falls apart" gal. But when I saw this design, I was smitten. I loved the feminine floral design and the way you have to look at it twice to see that the yellow pattern isn't actually flowers, but Belle. Not to mention I'm picky about my Belle art, and these depictions of her are spot-on. If you're equally smitten with it, you can still get it on Amazon!

Black leggings and a delicate pink rose flower crown finish off my casual weekend ensemble for kicking back around the house.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 3: My Books

Late last year, I found this shirt on Amazon, and it was right after my mom had asked for a link to my Amazon wish list for gift ideas. It wound up being a Christmas gift from my Grandma, and I love it. It's a great shirt for me to wear to work at the library.

The confusing thing for me was that the words on the shirt are presented as a quote, and for the life of me I couldn't recall Belle ever saying this in the film. But it looks like, after a quick Google, she says this line in the Enchanted Christmas film, which I've only seen once.

I've paired this shirt with a pair of white bloomers. Yes, white bloomers! I'm wearing a pink rose flower crown, (both bloomers and crown were secondhand scores from my friend Lisa) and a necklace from Etsy with an image of deliciously old leatherbound books. My earrings are delicate cameos, and were made by my mom for me. I'm wearing cream-colored sweater wristlets.

The book is a gorgeous hardcover from Amazon of the tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve that was just released in celebration of the film. There are all sorts of interactive illustrations and pop-ups in this version, and I'm greatly enjoying it so far.
 

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 2: Beast!

Confession time: I am not entirely coming up with these outfits on the fly. I wrote down a rough list of outfit ideas ahead of time to make sure I'd have enough to fit all seventeen days. When I thought of this outfit plan, I knew I wanted to wear these ram horns with the shirt. But I pushed it forward in the "schedule" when a friend told a story about a stranger she saw who wore a pair of ram horns to Lowes. Good for her! In solidarity, I decided to wear and share this today.

Over the centuries since Beauty and the Beast was first written (and in various similar tales before that), the Beast has been visually represented in a variety of ways. He has been simian (monkey-like), appeared as a warthog, a bear-type creature, oxen-esque, horned, and antlered. In celebration of this variety, I'm wearing my ram  horns from Linden Sidhe Designs with a deer antler necklace from Etsy. The shirt I got from Macy's...despite it being a men's baggy shirt design, I loved the sketchy image of Beast on there. And it works well over leggings because it's longer than a woman's shirt. For a finishing touch, I'm wearing my black sweater wristlets with (100% faux) fur on the edge from Amazon.

17 Days of Beauty and the Beast - Day 1: Stained Glass Window

For day 1 of my 17 Days of Beauty (and the Beast) challenge, I'm wearing a cheap but fun dress from Amazon featuring the stained glass windows from the beginning of the animated film. Sorry if the photos look blurry...it's a stormy evening here in Ohio with very little light.

I'm wearing the dress with a bell-sleeve black shirt underneath it, black leggings, and a red bow belt (also from Amazon). A red and black stained glass floral velvet scarf is at my neck, and I'm wearing my homemade pair of Beauty and the Beast stained glass window mouse ears.