Outfit of the Week: WWAW? (What Would Alice Wear?)

Last night, while reading the February 2010 issue of Lucky, I came across the add for the OPI collection inspired by the new Alice in Wonderland movie.

Left to right: Thanks So Muchness, Absolutely Alice, Mad As A Hatter, Off With Her Red!

Surely you’ve heard of it: it’s directed by Tim Burton (and that alone means it’s likely to be awesome), with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and I just found out, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. This cast sounds so spot-on! Unfortunately I cannot share the trailer with you here, because embedding isn’t allowed, but you can go see it here.

I have been really excited about this ever since I first heard of it and saw the first teaser trailer. Alice in Wonderland is one of my absolute favorite characters, has been since I first saw the Disney Movie (and then later read the book).

The new movie (based on the second book, Through the looking glass) will be in US theaters on March 5, 2010, and hopefully it will come to Europe not much later. This started a frenzy in my house, with me suddenly realizing with shock that we don’t own a copy of the book in any of the 3 languages, nor a copy of the movie – gasp!!– how is that possible? So I have been calling my parents to tell them to send me a copy in Italian to read to the girls, then changing my mind and researching English versions to see if there is an easier version for young readers (though of course I’m going to get the real thing for myself), and then planning to maybe dress Sarah up as Alice for Fasnacht (Swiss Carnival) – you get the drift.

I wonder if Sarah will be as fascinated with Alice as I was! Alice was just so cool to my eyes, she just seemed to find the most fun way to do thing. And I liked that so much that for a while, when I found myself having to make a decision about something, I’d wonder: What would Alice do?

You understand, I was a child. Now, I’m much more likely to wonder: What would Alice wear? Were she a smart young girl, partying with the Mad Hatter and playing croquet with the Queen of Hearts? Surely something fabulously quirky, fun, with a Victorian vibe.

Maybe something like this:

But what about the rest of us? What if we prefer something less… bubbly, but still want to take a page from Alice’s book and add a touch of whimsy to our outfit?

A corset-vest adds more shape to a simple black turtleneck, and a below-the-knee skirt becomes more fun with the addition of a bit of lace. I’m not a huge fan of lace on clothing, but I like this skirt. It’s kind of fun and the lace adds something interesting to a classic shape. And of course you can’t forget the Victorian-inspired lace-up boots, in brown leather to make them a bit more casual (and less goth.) And what to say of that fabulous pocket watch necklace?

The night look would be perfect for a date or a girls’ night out, because it’s fun and flirty. An above-the knee tiered skirt in a pastel color adds a bit of playfulness to offset the sexy bustier-inspired top. Swap the tall lace-up boots for a pair of ankle boots with a fun detail; these have a fun bustier-like lace-up detail in the back. Add a clutch, and of course a headband (Alice always wears a headband!) – but choose one with a fun detail, like small studs, or maybe a flower or feather appliquè if you are feeling daring. Another Alice-inspired accessory could be a key pendant: the one pictured is from the Tiffany Keys collection. This outfit is slightly reminiscent of Madonna’s 80s look, but much more wearable and with a whole less going on

(For more details about the individual pieces, go here.)

What do you think? Would you wear these outfits? Are you as excited as I am about the new Alice movie?