DisneyBound Basics: Create Disney Inspired Looks from Your Own Closet

I absolutely love wearing character-inspired looks in- or outside of the Disney Parks. DisneyBounding is growing in popularity and part of that is because we can take our everyday wardrobe and infuse it with a little of that Disney magic that used to only be found in the parks or other Disney events. I can now channel a character while working my day job!

A DisneyBound can be any character, ride, show, song, location, or anything else created by Disney that you can incorporate into your outfit using similar styles and colors. Caitlin did a great job of explaining it in her recent Minnie Mouse DisneyBound post.

When I first started DisneyBounding, I thought I needed to purchase all kinds of clothes to get the looks I was going for. I would pile up my Amazon wish lists and contemplate buying items for a single use – a very specific Disneybound.

DO NOT DO THIS.

The best part about DisneyBounding is that this is not a costume; its sole purpose is to allow for anyone to put together looks from their own closet! That means pulling out that strange colored sweater you may not have worn in a while because it would be perfect for a certain character. Or taking your favorite plain black tee and accessorizing it to channel a certain character.

Denim is popping up all over lately so don’t think, as I did, that you need to own every color pants there is. Basic jeans or shorts will be a fine base to any outfit unless you absolutely cannot have blue anywhere on you, in which case, feel free to wear black.

To start out a DisneyBound, think of the character, movie, or attraction you would like to use. Think of the colors that are most prominent and what clothes you already own that are those colors. I typically picture clothes I have in my closet (and that gets annoying if I can’t find them after building an outfit around them in my head) and start from there. Lately I’ve been on a budget and have been thinking and rethinking every purchase I make – especially if it’s of the clothing variety! Three times this week I thought I needed to buy a new article of clothing, only to remember I have a similar piece in my closet at home that I could substitute it for.
That being said, if you are set on building up your wardrobe, or you were planning on a shopping spree anyway, here are some tips for choosing the best pieces for Disneybounding:

1. Keep your personal style in mind – Don’t buy something you think you should buy because it looks like something a character would wear. This item of clothing will still need to fit into your wardrobe and day to day outfits. It should not be anything extravagant that you would really only wear for pictures.

2. Solid colors are a blank canvas. Just like in any wardrobe, solids are staples here and having solid tees in a few different colors can really help to build a DisneyBound on top.

3. Don’t ignore prints! Flannel, in particular, is everywhere lately and the plaid can bring different colors together or even break up too much of a single color. A floral print could work for Rapunzel, Aurora, Minnie Mouse, etc. And Minnie Mouse is the queen of polka dots so basically anything polka dot could turn into a Minnie DisneyBound.

4. Select items that can work for multiple DisneyBounds. One of my favorite pieces of clothing is my yellow sweater. I bought it a few years ago because I loved the color and even wore it for my engagement pictures. It’s great for fall and works perfectly whether I’m channeling Mickey Mouse, Gaston, Belle, or even the Mad Hatter. I’ve also used it for a Rogue DisneyBound (for any X-Men fans out there) and a rule-breaker Hufflepuff look.

My final piece of advice for any DisneyBound is to accessorize! This is primarily where my money went when I was starting out because I was trying to find the perfect accessories for every DisneyBound I put together. I learned quickly that buying many necklaces can add up to A LOT, so try to keep accessories basic. I like purchasing sale items whenever I can and also think about wearing the pieces more than once. I found reindeer earrings that I love to wear around the holidays and are great for my Sven DisneyBound. Also, snowflake accessories for a Frozen DisneyBound easily go with any winter outfit. I’ve seen arrows a lot lately and bought an arrow necklace for a Merida DisneyBound that could also work as Robin Hood and still looks really stylish even without a DisneyBound. Don’t forget any Disney jewelry you may already have – I wear my Mickey necklace for lots of outfits because it all comes back to him!

Scarves are also a great accessory (especially in fall) and you can easily find many different prints, solids, and styles to top a basic shirt. I have a pretty big scarf collection from my days working in retail and love adding them to my looks.

DisneyBounding also helps me to step outside my comfort zone and pair different items of clothing that I normally wouldn’t to create a style that I actually love. As an example, I put together this DisneyBound of Mickey Mouse that pushes my limits for this fall fashion!

Take a look:
The star of this DisneyBound is my red shorts, which I had been trying to incorporate into a look all summer but didn’t get the chance. These are reminiscent of Mickey’s red shorts and I love the high waist. Paired with some black tights, they make for the perfect fall look and are sure to keep me warm when there’s a chill in the air!

A plain black tee provides a blank canvas onto which I can build my accessories. A yellow scarf and cardigan bring in the fall colors while still channeling the main mouse himself. I topped that with my thumbs up Mickey pin that says he approves!

My Mickey bracelet and pearl earrings provide a clean and classic look and pull it all together, while my Disney resorts mug is perfect for a warm seasonal drink!