Burlesque Costumes

Burlesque and Moulin Rouge costumes are fairly interchangeable. Burlesque is a form of humorous theatrical entertainment that involves parody and usually grotesque exaggeration. The costumes are generally opulent and colourful but fairly minimal and provocative, featuring lots of feathers, fishnet and flashes of racy underwear.

In 20th century America burlesque became associated with a variety show that featured striptease as its main attraction. The striptease actually originated at the Moulin Rouge in Paris in the 1890s, and went on to become part of some burlesque shows in Europe, but only in American culture is it closely associated with striptease. So when thinking about a burlesque costume keep in mind the showgirls of the Moulin Rouge and a hint of sexy striptease.

The word burlesque actually means “in an upside down style” as it basically turns social norms upside down and disregards them. Burlesque is a style of live entertainment that includes a variety of acts, such as dancing girls, comedians and mime artists, all with a provocative and satirical tone. You could base burlesque costumes on any of these acts, and it’s easy to find images in the internet.

Early theatrical burlesque involved taking a serious opera or classical theatre production and adapting it with the use of deliberate exaggeration for comic effect, often in a style that ridiculed stage conventions of the time. In late 19th century England these productions became very popular.

The American form of Burlesque originates from 19th century music hall entertainments and vaudeville but in the early 20th century it re-emerged as a popular mix of performance art and adult entertainment featuring striptease and comedy acts.

In burlesque acts the performers, who are usually female, often create elaborate sets with colorful costumes, mood-enhancing music and dramatic lighting. They sometimes include novelty acts, such as fire breathers or contortionists. Think of circus-style performances, and this could be a good theme for a burlesque costume as you can get some fabulous ring mistress and daring lion tamer costumes.

The American form of burlesque also was highly influenced by 19th century English variety shows and music hall shows, which developed early in the Victorian era in the 1840s. This was a time of culture clashes between the social rules of established aristocracy and the working class. Originally, some burlesque performances included comic sketches that ridiculed the social attitudes of the upper classes and their musical tastes. A great burlesque costume is a burlesque Victorian vampire, think of the style of costume in the movie Interview With A Vampire.

So burlesque developed alongside vaudeville and performed on competing circuits. In Britain, burlesque maintained its established position in theatre land and even enjoyed its own theatres, such as The Olympic Theatre in London. It was mainly a middle class pursuit, as the jokes relied on the audiences’ familiarity with well-known operas and literary works.

Historically American burlesque bore little resemblance to English burlesque (now known as “classical” or “traditional British” burlesque), which parodied famous works of literature, theatre and opera, and did not feature striptease. So this gives you several options on which to base your costume, either American style Las Vegas sexy showgirl, European Moulin Rouge Can-can girl or British Victorian burlesque performer.

In recent years burlesque has enjoyed a huge revival and the new style of burlesque has taken on many new forms, while incorporating a mixture of historical performance styles and costumes. Acts include striptease, lush, glamorous costumes, risqué humour, cabaret and more.

So you shouldn’t be stuck for ideas for burlesque costumes, as there are plenty available. As burlesque performance has grown in popularity so has the demand for costumes and it is a popular theme for fancy dress. It gives you the opportunity to be more risqué and glamorous than you might usually feel comfortable being.

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