Disneybounding! Where Disney Magic Meets Fashion

by Heather Kaminski 

A few months back, I wrote an article explaining the basic principles of “Disneybounding.”

Since I have discovered it, I’ve become a tiny bit obsessed with creating outfits that transport me back to strolling down Main Street listening to the Dapper Dan’s, or enjoying a cocktail while exploring the World Showcase. When I am “home sick” for my favorite place on earth, I like to think about an outfit that I can put together that makes me smile and think of my happy place. I recently had a Disneybound adventure with my friend and husband to go see Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out!"

There’s lots of different ways that you can Disneybound, and there’s no right or wrong way to go about it. The only unwritten “rule”, is that you don’t want to turn this into a costume party. Your outfit should be something that you could conceivably wear in everyday life.

Sometimes, I start with what’s already in my closet and try to put together an outfit with items that I already own. I typically start with patterned clothes and think about what reminds me of certain characters. Stripes? They remind me of Mr Smee, or even Nemo depending on the color. Flowers? Rapunzel, or perhaps the Talking Flowers from Alice in Wonderland. Solid colors are even better. You can mix and match with any kind of accessory to create a multitude of combinations of characters or attractions.

Other times, I enjoy searching online for ideas for new Disneybounds that I’ve never even considered. Majority of the time, I end up already having something that I can use at home. Sometimes if I am really excited about an idea, I’ll order an item new online. And you can also always search in thrift stores or in friend’s closets as well. The point isn’t to spend a lot of money doing this, it’s to be creative and to express yourself!

That being said, when you find Orange Bird earrings or earrings that look JUST like the Tiki Room Birds - you’re not going to pass them up!

Some fun “twists” on Disneybounding is a “gender-bend bound”, where you would perhaps dress up as Gaston, but in a red dress with a yellow scarf. Or, another fun idea would be to take a very modern movie and give it a ‘bygone era’ feel to it. A flapper inspired Baymax sounds like a lot of fun to me! I’ve also seen people take very demure princesses, and make them nerdy or punk by adding glasses or metallic jewelry.

Here are a few Disneybounds that I have put together over the past few months. Some, I feel are pretty spot on! Others may take a little stretch of the imagination, but I don’t care! They made me happy and that was what mattered. It’s cool to be recognized when you’re in the park, but it’s still fun when you do it just for you!

Interested in more Disneybounding tips, advice or inspiration? Search “Disneybound(ing)” on Facebook, and you’ll be sure to find groups that you can join with people who have the same interests!