DIY Britney Spears Costume : I’m a Slave for You

Since this week is my birthday week (yes, I’m turning the big 3-0 on Friday, AHH!) I thought I’d focus these next couple posts on my favorite things. And if you know me, you know there is nothing I love more than a good costume, and Britney Spears.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I’m almost 30 and I am still completely obsessed with Britney Spears. And if you, too, were born in the mid to late 80s, you may share much of my obsession. Let me give you a little background.

My adolescence was spent listening (and swooning) to the songs of New Kids on the Block. As I grew older, NSYNC came on the scene, and I couldn’t get enough. I would tape their songs in my boom box on my cassette tape every time they were played on the radio, and I plastered their pictures from Tiger Beat onto my walls.

In the fall of 1998, NSYNC was going to be going on tour. With a stop in LA, and within driving distance of my house, I had to have tickets. I called in numerous times to the local radio station, with no luck. My poor dad was forced to stand in line with me at Tower Records (yes, before the days when you could buy them online) so I could attend my first concert. Finally, I was going to see them live!

I knew that a new girl in the music scene would be opening up for them. Britney Spears. I had heard her song on the radio once or twice, and couldn’t get it out of my head. It was catchy. But little did I know that after that concert, I would have a new idol for my teeny bopper self.

She sang for a good 20 or 30 minutes. She didn’t have the best voice (that’s when she still was actually trying to sing live) but her costumes were amazing, and she could dance! Every song she sang was catchy, and I found myself aspiring to be like this girl. After all, she WAS getting to hang out with the guys of NSYNC. She obviously was doing something right, in my mind.

As the years went by, I couldn’t get enough. She was pretty, she was fit, she was fashionable (or so I thought at the time), her songs were my favorite to blast in the car, and she could dance like I’d never seen. There was nobody else out there like her, and I wanted to be just like her.

When I was 16, I got my belly button pierced like she had (which I still have to this day, and at 30, maybe should re-evaluate) and bought the kind of clothes she wore (if only I could pull them off like she did). And even to this day, 17 years later, I still enjoy rocking out to her music (Britney Spears Pandora station is my go-to choice at the gym).

So when Britney announced that she would be having a residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, I was giddy with excitement. I had my wedding coming up, so I knew EXACTLY where I wanted to go for my bachelorette party. Nothing said girls weekend like a good Britney Spears Concert.

I didn’t think of it at the time, but there are SO many eras of Britney Spears, and so many great costumes you could dress in to pay tribute to the almighty performer. If you’re planning to visit Las Vegas to see her in concert (which I can’t recommend highly enough, it’s incredible), and you want to dress in character, I have 2 fun tutorials for you.

The second, will be a surprise for Friday’s post. The first, however, is one of my favorite Britney looks. And it’s what I went as for Halloween this past year. Back when Britney was at her arguable peak, at the 2001 MTV VMAs performing “Slave for You”.

The jungle theme was more than just a hit, it’s now an iconic moment in music history. Below, I show you the step by step instructions you can follow to create your own perfect replica of this quintessential Britney look.

Steps to Create “Slave for You” Britney Spears Costume – TOP

The Necessary Tools:

Step 1:

Take your tulle and drape it over the top of bra cups, starting at the middle of the bra and continuing to the side wire.
Either pin the tulle in place, or sew as you go (I chose the latter).

Step 2:

Once you get to the side of the bra cup, fold the tulle over to the other side of the bra, and sew the edges to the other edge of the bra.
Make sure to sew over every side fold and drape, to ensure the tulle won’t unravel.
- When you sew, make as long of stitches as you want on the back of the cups, but try to keep the stitch small and in one place on the front. If a stitch is wide, the thread will show through the tulle. I made small, bee sting sized stitches every inch.
Continue folding the tulle from on side to the other until you have sewn it around all sides of the bra cup.
Repeat for the other bra cup.

Step 3:

Sew a few pieces of folded tulle onto each side of the back strap (starting at the side wire and continuing until the hook fasteners).
Make sure the tulle is loose, as to allow the back straps to stretch.
- Only sew those two ends, and not the top and bottom, to ensure the tulle and straps can stretch as much as you need them to.

Step 4:

Take 2, long pieces of tulle, and sew them each to the inside, front and center of the bra.
Let them hang. You will tie these behind your back once you put on the bra, to give the “wrap around” top illusion.

Step 5:

If the straps are not the right dark shade of green, color them with a dark green sharpie to make them darker.

Step 6:

Take your costume necklace, and cut each jewel piece apart (wire cutters work best for this step).
Glue the largest piece to the center of your bra, and 2 smaller pieces to where the top of the bra cups meet the bra straps.

Voi La! You are halfway done making your Slave costume! Now, onto the bottom half…