It's that time again, Dizgeeks! Last weekend was Orlando's own Dapper Day, the fan-run Disney event that invites everyone to dress their best and hit the parks. Vintage fashions and Disneybounding are huge, and every year more and more people join in the fun. In fact, the event has gotten so big that Dapper Day is actually two days, so all weekend the parks are flooded with the most gorgeous dresses, suits, parasols, and hats. (Oooh, the hats, you guys. THE HATS.)
Saturday was Magic Kingdom day, so I spent the afternoon camped out in the main hub area chasing down some of my favorite fashions. It was blazing hot and made me long for air-conditioned convention halls, but I think you're about to agree: WORTH IT.
C'mon, where else can you get a backdrop like that?
Parasols are almost a necessity in the Florida sun - plus they're so stinkin' cute. Can we bring these back for everyday use?
I caught the most fantastic Robin Hood group just as John and I were coming in:
From the left that's Sir Hiss, Prince John, Robin Hood & Little John, and Maid Marion. SO GOOD.
They even had little bags of chocolate gold coins they were handing out, score!
They even had little bags of chocolate gold coins they were handing out, score!
But wait, there's more. I found the group again later, and they'd added this gorgeous Lady Cluck:
See her chicken pin? Also I am completely smitten with her hair. (She did everyone's hair for the group, too! And I think I'm allowed to tell you this: they're all wigs. Shhhh.)
Check the group's hashtag #GollyWhatADapperDay on IG for more.
Check the group's hashtag #GollyWhatADapperDay on IG for more.
An adorable Jessie:
And some stunning Scarlett O'Hara vibes here:
Oof. So pretty it hurts.
I love taking Dapper pics on Main Street; the setting is perfect for all these vintage lovelies:
Also a tip of the hat to all you gents getting dappered up: the guys are officially catching up to the ladies participation-wise, and I am SO HERE FOR IT.
Courtney and her hubby bring their A game every year, and my Dapper Day isn't complete 'til I get their photo:
I mean... LOOK HOW FABULOUS. Give her a follow on Instagram for more.
PRO TIP: The hub grass is the perfect spot for roving photographers to pounce on unsuspecting Dappers:
Well, I guess she may have suspected something... when I asked for a photo.
This next couple are friends-of-friends, and get this: he made her dress!
This next couple are friends-of-friends, and get this: he made her dress!
Wes is also a professional costume designer, thank goodness. I mean, I was feeling bad enough that I can barely thread my sewing machine...
Pretty sure the two ladies here are sisters:
Pretty sure the two ladies here are sisters:
The right couple is 'bounding as C3PO & R2, but I'm stumped on the left couple. He's wearing a Star Wars pin, so probably a Dapper Jedi - but what does that make her? HALP.
[UPDATE: We have an answer! She's Ahsoka Tano! Go check out Kim & Bri's Instagram see more.]
Aha, at least I know these:
[UPDATE: We have an answer! She's Ahsoka Tano! Go check out Kim & Bri's Instagram see more.]
Aha, at least I know these:
The Dapper Dans!
I fall hard for any outfit with vintage-style oranges on it, and this one in the middle is especially swoon-worthy:
I fall hard for any outfit with vintage-style oranges on it, and this one in the middle is especially swoon-worthy:
She even has the Orange Bird purse! Plus the saddle shoes & perfect green cardigan - yassss.
Oh! This is awesome: Charlotte is vacationing from the U.K., and she messaged me the night before to say my Dapper Day posts over the years had inspired her to come check it out for herself. She even brought her parents and brother (plus her hubby), so they made a gorgeous group:
Oh! This is awesome: Charlotte is vacationing from the U.K., and she messaged me the night before to say my Dapper Day posts over the years had inspired her to come check it out for herself. She even brought her parents and brother (plus her hubby), so they made a gorgeous group:
(Her equally dapper folks were off taking a breather while we chatted. Did I mention it was a million degrees out?)
If anything makes leaving the house worth it, it's meeting you guys in the wild. Just be prepared for John to make it weird by gushing over your hubby's hair color and asking if it's natural because, and I quote, "I... LOVE... your hair." (Sorry again, Charlotte and Charlotte's hubby. 😂)
Wait wait, here comes more amazing Epbot readers in another epic Disneybound:
If anything makes leaving the house worth it, it's meeting you guys in the wild. Just be prepared for John to make it weird by gushing over your hubby's hair color and asking if it's natural because, and I quote, "I... LOVE... your hair." (Sorry again, Charlotte and Charlotte's hubby. 😂)
Wait wait, here comes more amazing Epbot readers in another epic Disneybound:
So epic the castle fireworks went off just for this photo.
In case you don't recognize all the characters, from the left that's the Blue Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, the Dormouse, Mad Hatter, and the two Tweedles. These 'bounds were swimming in fabulous details, from hand-painted shoes to novelty purses:
In case you don't recognize all the characters, from the left that's the Blue Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, the Dormouse, Mad Hatter, and the two Tweedles. These 'bounds were swimming in fabulous details, from hand-painted shoes to novelty purses:
I've been eyeing that cute Orange Bird beaded necklace for a while now, but Sarah's addition of the orange bow clinches it: I must have one.
So I completely forgot to get a picture of John's dapper duds on Saturday... but at least he's in the background of this one?
More importantly: Mario Picnic!! I mean, how adorable is this, you guys.
("Sorry, Mario, but your princesses are at another castle!")
These Tiki Room birds all had feather boa "wings" on their backs - plus name tag necklaces, which were the real give-away, ha:
Fabulous, Harry, I love the feathers.
(I have to use that quote every Dapper Day. Sorry, it's the law here.)
I was immediately drawn to this chap's fez and fantastic pin:
(I have to use that quote every Dapper Day. Sorry, it's the law here.)
I was immediately drawn to this chap's fez and fantastic pin:
The pin is the symbol of S.E.A, the Society of Explorers and Adventurerers. S.E.A. is a fantastic deep dive into park mythology, if you're curious, and I LOVE seeing it represented.
Oh geez, you guys, I have so many more photos to get through! Right, rather than torture myself by trying to whittle down these choices even further, I'll just break here and post Saturday's part 2 tomorrow.
Then I can start on Sunday's Dappers from Epcot! [whimper]
Oh, and for you Dappers looking for your photos: after Part 2 I'll be posting all of my photos (roughly 130 finished portraits from Saturday so far) over on Flickr, so if you don't see yourself here on the blog DON'T PANIC; you can still grab your photos there.
Stay tuned!
I love Dapper Day looks! Unfortunately, I live in the UK, so it's a little hard for me to get out there. Maybe one day. I have an idea for an outfit already...
ReplyDeleteIt's happening this Saturday here in Paris! May be a little last-minute this time, but you could aim for next time, anyway? Look for the Facebook group (Dapper Day Europe Lounge) to keep an eye on the dates. I think they usually do it twice a year. I've never participated before, but I'm going this weekend.
DeleteIs the woman in the orange fluffy dress perhaps a porg? If so how sweet! :) Beautiful photos as ever, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI think the couple on the left of R2D2 and C3PO are Rey and BB8
ReplyDeleteShe has teal streaks in her hair and blue earrings, so I dunno; right now my best guess is Kevin the bird from UP! Ha! Although that doesn't explain the furry striped purse or burgundy shoes...
DeleteSorry, I missed that detail. Then they could be a young Anakin Skywalker and his padawan Ahsoka Tano. Those are characters from the Star Wars Rebels cartoons.
DeleteI think she looks like a phoenix (Faux?)from HP especially with the tear drop earrings
DeleteWhat if he's a dapper Chewie and she's one of those new bird/animal creatures from The Last Jedi? (A porg.)
DeleteI was also getting Ahsoka vibes.
DeleteLooking closely at the mystery couple who must be something Star Wars, her blue hair and earrings are like water coming down (those are definitely water drop earrings). My first thought for him was Rey, then I wondered if she was actually representing Jakku (the desert planet Rey grew up on). Her dress looks more like fire, though. I don't think she's BB8, there'd be more white and less fluff? I'm stumped!
ReplyDeleteThe Queen of Hearts' flamingo parasol totally sold the outfit.
ReplyDeleteYay, the picture with the fireworks came out awesome! You should totally get an Orange Bird necklace!! It's funny to me that you liked the bow that much, since adding it was my lone crafty contribution to the ensemble. Our group is definitely already planning for November!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, John totally complimented my husband's beard too!!
DeleteLady Cluck here! Thank you so much for featuring us again!!! I'm so glad we ran into you, Martha still hasn't stopped talking about meeting you. I hopeyou enjoyed Prince John's (chocolate) coins!! Hope to see you next Dapper Day! <3
ReplyDeleteThe lady in orange is Ahsoka Tano.
ReplyDeleteThe sisters' insta is https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyandbrianna/
:)
Called it! (see my comment above) :)
DeleteAha! Thank you thank you - that explains the teal streaks in her hair! I'll go add their IG link in now.
DeleteFabulous as always! Thank you so much for these photos!
ReplyDeleteHang in there, you'll get them edited soon enough!
Pinkie Welborne, 17
Indiana
Super crushing on that Robin Hood group. Adorable!! I love living Dapper Day through your posts. So many gorgeous outfits and smiles!
ReplyDeleteI love Dapper Day posts! Everyone looks amazing, it makes me want to go so bad! But I'm a born-and-bred Buffalonian with ZERO tolerance of weather over 65 degrees... so Dapper Day will remain a pipe dream :P
ReplyDeleteI think that it's Little John first, and then Robin Hood in the group shot. Also, I'm pretty sure the woman in green is bounding as Ariel, hence the purple clamshell bra pin, and scallop purse. ...and is the second pin a golden fork?!
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve said it before on your blog, but I really want to say it again: Jen, thank you SO MUCH for including images of people who have all kinds of body types. As a woman who isn’t exactly skinny, that REALLY matters to me. And everyone you posted in every picture just looks gorgeous! :)
ReplyDeleteThere is such a culture of hatred against non-skinny people in the U.S. (including the media and some politicians seriously suggesting that health insurance companies deny coverage to “overweight” people - a really abitrary designation, BTW, that varies from doctor to doctor) and it just gets EXHAUSTING. I’ve seen the toll that ideology has taken on every single female member of my immediate family, myself included. I feel ugly most of the time, because I’m not skinnier, and feel bad that I don’t have the “willpower” to starve myself. My middle sister spends 2+ hours at the gym at least three or four times a week, working out to an extent where she is actually starting to damage her joints. This sister is naturally “full-framed” - she looks BETTER when she is a little bit “heavy” and there is some genetic evidence in our family members to suggest that she is fighting her “natural weight” by trying so hard to be skinny. But she keeps abusing her body and thinking that everything about her life would be so much easier if she was just skinnier.
And, meanwhile, *I’M* absurdly jealous of HER committment because...I’m not motivated or in shape enough to exercise that much. :(
Sorry for having all my feels all over the place, but I’m so used to seeing images of women who are incredibly skinny that it’s really refreshing to come here and see images of beautiful women who aren’t. :)
PS: Have you heard some of the controversy about Amy Schumer and “I Feel Pretty?” Despite being thinner than the average U.S. woman, Schumer is taking a LOT of flak for a plot point that leads to her believing she is “irresistably attractive.” People in some of the worst corners of the internet are claiming that she is “too fat” to ever be attractive to anyone and the movie is “glorifying obesity.” *UGH*
Thanks, Jaime! While I don't have any kind of checklist while I'm taking photos - I really do just chase the ones I like - I love diversity of styles and shapes, and I'm glad my pics show that.
DeleteAlso I get a genuine thrill when I see fuller figure ladies/gents rockin' out in some drool-worthy ensemble, because A) it's so much harder for plus sizes to dress vintage dapper, so KUDOS, and B) it makes me think maybe I can do it someday. Srsly, I get so much inspiration on Dapper Day - and hopefully you guys do, too. <3
😊
DeleteOoo, so pretty! I always look forward to Dapper Day posts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us things we can't get to the parks ourselves to see! Dapper Day posts make me happy! And, I second Jamie's comments, above.
ReplyDeleteIs the S.E.A. pin something that's sold somewhere, or did he make it? Cause if it's being sold somewhere I NEED to get my hands on it!
ReplyDeletePretty sure he said he purchased it there in the parks, but I haven't looked that up yet. (I need one, too!)
DeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteThe orange necklace that you admire so, you could totally make. They sell necklaces like that all the time in thrift stores. Find just the perfect one - bead size, length and paint it the right shade of orange. I have painted beads using nail polish and they look so cool. Just a thought.
Maureen
P.S. It was great to see you in Pittsburgh.
OMG THE SCARLETT AND RHETT!! I think you ran into Daniel P. McLeod and his fiancée! He’s on Instagram but he got “famous” on YouTube as the best Gaston you’ve ever seen! He works at WDW!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh oh my GOSH The Ariel lady wears the fascinator I make! I mean she bought it!!! I am so happy to see it on a picture in the wild!!!
ReplyDelete