It was just over 50 years ago when a record-breaking 73 million Americans tuned into the Ed Sullivan show to watch the live debut of a Britain band who called themselves the Beatles. Soon, lives everywhere would be changed forever and especially so for young and impressionable teenage girls. As pictures from concerts surfaced, mobs of girls could be seen adorned in ‘I love John’ buttons and ‘Beatles Forever’ T-shirts. Often times, they were so overwhelmed at the mere sight of the mop-haired musicians that they appeared to be in pain. Amidst the hysteria, one thing was clear — the Beatles fan base was unlike any the world had seen before. The fact that this costume hasn’t been completely overdone is shocking to me, because it’s so good! And so fun. Scroll down to see just how we brought this Beatlemania costume to life.
photographed by kate lesueur at shdw studios
THE COSTUMES
The base of this costume is anything and everything early 60’s. Think loafers, mini skirts, a-line dresses, & turtlenecks. All of us ended up wearing a mixture of clothes we already owned as well as a few accessories from costume shops such as the wing-tip glasses and knee-high socks.
THE SIGNS
Making your own is the way to go with the signs. All we did was print blown up photos of their faces and then hand wrote various beatlemania messages on posters with acrylic paint. As for the buttons, you can make your own like we did with these, or there are some really cute pins on Etsy as well.
THE DETAILS
Luckily we had some pretty dedicated Beatles fans in the house, so snagging a vintage album wasn’t hard. Other places to look for one would be thrift shops, used book stores and of course, there are always inexpensive finds online as well. And shhhh, don’t tell: We faked our own vintage buttons by printing out images online and popping them inside DIY button holders from a local craft store. Don’t be afraid to get crazy… and whatever you do, don’t forget your sharpie for an autograph!
Check out more costumes for you and your girl gang here!
