Faking It

When I come to my parents and I'm using their internet I tend to go a bit overboard watching TV shows online. When I was here over Christmas I got through at least 30 episodes of 'Say Yes To The Dress,' a program about women buying wedding dresses, and I indulge my weakness for 'Glee'.

Last night I watched a couple of episodes of an old (to me) show called 'Faking It'. They take someone who has no experience in a subject or career and get them to try and fake proficiency with only a month of training. Most of them seem to manage.

Some of them have a talent or job that translates just a bit, like the classical chellist who had to DJ (music) or the ballet dancer who tried his hand at wrestling (physical prowess), but the funnest are always the ones where they are the most unlikely people you could drag off the street.

These are a couple of links to ones that I really liked. I don't know if they're viewable outside of the UK, sorry.

Factory to Fashion
Twenty-four-year-old factory worker Mick Wigham leaves the grittiness of the production line for the glamour of the catwalk as he tries to fake it as a fashion designer.

In The Navy to Drag Queen
Londoner Spence Bowdler, 30-years-old, an ex-naval officer and self-confessed 'macho' man, transforms into a drag queen.

You may be asking, what does this have to do with sewing? Maybe nothing for other people, but for me one of the episodes was like a lightning bolt.

For the 2006 Christmas special a mousy, shy woman called Scarlet Pallister was introduced to the world of burlesque, and I too had a glimpse in by proxy. I was 16 at the time and I was enthralled. I checked out Dita Von Tease's book from my college library where I was doing Fashion and Textiles and told people that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

As you can probably tell, it didn't work out that way. I dropped out of the Fashion course, ended up studying Childcare for a little while, then got the job I've been working at ever since. It's not glamorous but the pay is pretty good.

I still adore the aesthetic. I've always liked corsets and fur, and the big feather fans look like hours of fun. I've started to wonder lately, could I try sewing a costume like this? Maybe even take lessons? I know they're available in my area.

If you aren't convinced then have a gander at Scarlet Pallister performing here as Scarlet Fever: