Prizes are here! Thank you, everyone, for participating in our contest this year. It’s always a joy to see and share your inspiring, heartfelt creativity. Especially now in these very difficult times. Our community lives on!

I will be emailing the winners their Amazon gift certificates over the next couple of days. (For reference, here’s the original contest announcement.) All the winners have been posted on our Facebook page and uploaded to our 2025 Costume Contest Winners album. You can also review all the entries this year in our 2025 Costume Contest Album.

Okay, prizes!

Division I: Women’s History

These are the prize categories that we award every year. They’re based on our own costume categories here on the website: queens, goddesses and mythological figures, and notable historical women.

Best Queen Costume

Winner, amateur class: Brittany Strelluf as St. Olga of Kiev.
Olga is one of my favorite saints; she was such a freak. Burning people alive! For reference, I included Nikolai Bruni’s famous illustration of Olga, which is exactly what popped into my head when Brittany’s entry came in. Brava!

Winner, hobbyist class: Janice Strickland as Empress Theodora.
Our costume page for Theodora suggests using readymade store-bought items to rig up a Byzantine look; Janice went with that concept but took it to the next level. She sewed that beautiful dalmatica herself, customized the collar and crown, added pearls and gold trim everywhere, and just generally made it fabulous. Wonderful work.

Best Mythological Costume

Winner, hobbyist class: Becky Murphy as Epona Regina et Invicta.
Becky really went all out for her Epona entry, costuming herself as both aspects of the goddess. The helmet for Epona Invicta is an especially impressive piece of craft-fu: Becky created the helm from high-density EVA foam, while her mother crafted the plume from white festival braids. Good job, Becky and Becky’s Mom!

Winner, expert class: Sylvia Subialdea as Baba Yaga’s hut.
It’s canon here at Dress Parade that Baba Yaga is her hut; as Marija Gimbutas wrote in The Language of the Goddess, “The hut can turn around on its axis like a spindle and is, in fact, Baba Yaga herself.” So it’s very fitting that Sylvia here is taking what we used to call the Best Goddess prize for this astoundingly cool hut. Everything about this is on point, including the fact that the hut is backwards (or rather, Sylvia is backwards) so that Sylvia’s legs are bent in the correct bird-leg way. Amazing.

Winner, Judge’s Choice: Ursa Sylvest as Hel, the Norse Goddess of Death.
This is so perfect!!! I’ve thought about adding a Hel costume to our website, and I don’t think I could do better than this. I love the skull mask combined with the hangerok; it seems exactly right for Hel. Bonus points for the juniper berries.

Best Notable Woman Costume

Winner, hobbyist/expert class: Gabriela Salvador Bassett as Frida Kahlo.
I don’t know where Gabriela had this picture taken—it looks like it could be a museum cafe—but the backdrop is perfect for Frida Kahlo. Gabriela is of course an expert costumer, but she felt this was more of a hobbyist level entry; hence the blended class. Regardless, it’s a wonderful outfit pulled off with Gabriela’s typical elegance.

Winner, junior/expert class: Emma Glynn as Frida Kahlo, costume by Angie Glynn.
It’s The Year of the Two Fridas! Angie always creates terrific costumes for Emma, and this year is no exception. That blouse is especially good. Congratulations, Angie and Emma!

Division II: Masquerade

This is for costumes that don’t fit into Division I. The prize categories this year are Period Costumes, Historical Recreation, Fiction, and Fantasy.

Best Period Costume

Winner, hobbyist class: Marisa Montesino as an Appalachian Folktale Teller, Early 20th Century.
Marisa made this costume for her library’s literary haunted house, where she told the story of Tailypo. In true authentic style, she made the whole outfit from thrifted fabric, with different material for the top and bottom of the dress. The apron even looks like it could be flour sack material. Great job, Marisa!

Winner, expert class: Monica and Arthur Griffith in French Court Dress, costumes by Monica De Souza-Griffith.
Monica dubbed these marvelous costumes “Purple Passion.” Her creations are always splendiferous, but these particular outfits have a special meaning. As Monica explained in her email entry, “It was a true labor of love because of the purpose behind the creation. A dear close friend, avid patron of the Faire, passed away this year. All of the friends and family gathered at the Faire this year in her honor wearing her favorite color. Of course, purple is violating The Sumptuary Law of the land, but it was well worth the risk of being taken to The Tower :).” Congratulations, Monica, and thank you for sharing your beautiful tribute to your late friend.

Best Historical Recreation

Winner, hobbyist class: Laura Gill as the Minoan Snake Goddess.
This is a reconstruction of a reconstruction, since Arthur Evans kind of dreamed up the Snake Goddess from fragments of figurines he unearthed. Maybe she was a goddess, maybe she was a priestess, maybe…who knows? Anyway, Laura’s interpretation is very sensible, I think, and captures the look without the awkward, um, bosom exposure. I think the bodice is wonderful and the flounced skirt is perfect. Great job, Laura!

Winner, expert class: Ainsley Hawthorn as a Julebukk.
All hail the Yule Goat! Ainsley explains that “Julebukking was a Nordic house-visiting tradition like mummering, where people dressed in animal skins and straw goat masks would go from door to door entertaining their neighbours and demanding to be fed.” Her mask was specifically inspired by a vintage-style costume from the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark (inset). Isn’t it amazing? Also maybe a little bit terrifying? Just kidding, Ainsley—beautiful work.

Best Fictional Character Costume

Winner, hobbyist class: Jackie Williamson as Serena from Bewitched.
This is the classic episode in which Cousin Serena plays guitar and sings “I’ll Blow You a Kiss in the Wind.” Jackie made the dress from vintage polyester fabric and painted an old guitar to evoke the hippie vibe of the episode. Great job!

Winner, junior/expert class: Edmund Wahl as Glinda the Good Witch, costume by Sarah Turner Wahl.
Edmund is following up last year’s bravura entry as Elphaba with another Wicked-inspired costume; this year his mom Sarah has turned him into Glinda the Good Witch. As someone on Facebook said, “this child is wearing outfits I want to wear.” We can only hope that when Edmund grows up he will appreciate his mother’s loving devotion and phenomenal sewing-fu.

Best Fantasy Character Costume

Winner, amateur/expert class: Sarah as a Querm Rybet.
Sarah has pulled together a wonderful costume here, with commissioned pieces from WelshCreations (the marvelous mask and hands) and SparetimecosplayUS (the poncho), and a dress from Burgschneider. Kudos all around for this great look!

Winner, junior/hobbyist class: Loretta Mestishen and her son Locryn as the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog and the Black Knight, costumes by Loretta Mestishen.
Run away! Run away! Loretta crafted Locryn’s helmet and tunic from scratch, and adapted the rabbit head “to make it a bit more menacing.” That is, indeed, a menacing rabbit. That’s no ordinary rabbit!!!

Okay, folks, that’s it until next year. Happy costuming!

0 Comments