The theme of Gloomth’s upcoming Tea Party on November 13th is “Miss Havisham’s Dolls”. In our vision of this classic character we see her as a maiden left at the alter, acting out her dream wedding with her crumbling porcelain dolls in an attic bedroom full of lace and cobwebs. Today I wanted to post some outfit inspiration and ideas on how to bring this theme to life in your own outfit- whether you’re wearing it to our party or just need some Halloween help! 🙂

Miss Havisham is a character in Dickens’ “Great Expectations” who was humiliated by her groom when abandoned at the alter and spent the rest of her life hiding in her decaying mansion while wearing her rotting wedding dress. Her bitterness from experiences with men led her to desperate attempts to protect her adopted daughter, Estella, and coach her to break hearts.

In our world she is a fashion icon. Who doesn’t like a little decay in their decadence? For our Tea Party we envisioned a Victorian attic room full of dolls and crumbling wedding decorations wreathed in cobwebs.

It’s easy to bring some Ruined Bride into your outfit. Aim for white and pale colors in your base dress, our “Chrysanthemum” dress in white or pale cream would be a great starting point! For a more antique and tea-stained feel our “Sepia Damask” dress would make a great base for this look also. Layer sheer vintage peignoirs or dressing gowns over it, we like at least 2 worn at a time of different lengths so you get some swish when you move and walk. They can easily be found on etsy or at thrift shops!

A ruined bridal veil is an easy diy accessory, you can craft a quick one by pinning white tulle and ribbons in your hair with bobby pins cascading down. The more details and tattered bits the better!

Dried flowers like hydrangea blossoms work beautifully in outfits as they can be pinned into the hair, even if the petals are falling loose it simply adds to the ruined beauty effect. Failing those dried leaves or fake flowers in pale colors (or tea stained white ones) would work nicely. A small flower crown of fake baby’s breath flowers tea-stained would make a lovely Havisham style headdress.

For makeup we love blurry smoky eyes in shades of grey or rusty browns, echoing late nights and weeping. Glossy rose-tinted lips call to the fragility of this character.

Think lace shawls in pale ghostly hues, torn net or lace gloves, and heaps of tangled pearl necklaces, doves, and crystal. Anything that feels forgotten and luxurious.

We can’t wait to see what everyone wears to the party! It’s always amazing to see the outfits that people create. 🙂

-Taeden