Cigarette girl with flowered headband and flippy skirt. Source unknown.

Ever since I saw this photo of Diane from Zelda Magazine dressed up for Dances of Vice, I’ve been plotting a cigarette girl costume. Diane sells sweets, chocolates and of course, cigarettes from her lovely painted trays.

There is also a business out of San Francico called Peachy’s Puffs, that is a professional cigarette girl job! Do any San Francisco people know if they exist still? The website looks a little old.

We have a vending tray at my job, and we use it to peddle fake moustaches and light up gizmos during Kite Fest and SXSW (can you see the remnants of a moustache at the front of the tray?). Laurel from Recspec! asked me if I would like to have a table for my embroidery set up at her Valentine’s Day event at Rio Rita, and when she told me the theme I immediately began building this costume.

I am mad for these coral roses. I bought them for myself in a gesture of Radical Self Love for Valentine’s day. (Plus, even if I did have someone to buy me roses, would they know to choose coral over red?) I knew that I wanted to wear one or two in my hair. After a failed attempt at making a heart-shaped tilt hat (a la Mildred Dixon from Busby Berkley films) a stroke of luck caused me to remember a coral lace coat/dress that was in my scrap pile because of gaping holes in the arms. I set about working on the dress, cutting off the sleeves and about 6 inches from the bottom. I wrapped the 6 inch hem scrap around my head twice and slid the roses into the first fold. It was so comfortable!

Mildred Dixon, I think this is from the Honeymoon Hotel dance number.

At the photobooth – so romantic! The glasses were painted pink to look like a milkshake! I’m wearing a Valentine that reads “Buy me a Whiskey.” I was not anticipating such a cold night (it was 65F during the day) and so I cut my dress off so my Valentine tattoos could show. BRRRR!!!

Of course I have a matching coat.

Here is my suggestive Valentine making station, complete with pornographic images, glitter and lace. I spent an entire evening writing glittery swears on heart doilies. It was like making a tidy cloth – only much more fast! This was a real hit towards the end of the night… a lot of people were maliciously taping phantom genitals from the porno mags on to people’s backs!

By the by, I have some new Tidy Cloths listed in my etsy store, and the price was dropped significantly on all decorative Tidy Cloths.

1. Rubber City – Perdita
2. Wanda Jackson – You Don’t Know Baby
3. Serge Gainsbourg – En Melody
4. Issac Hayes – The Feeling Just Keeps On Coming
5. Bobby “Blue” Bland – I’ve Just Got To Forget About You
6. Nina Simone – I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl (Live)
7. Nouvelle Vague – In A Manner Of Speaking
8. Juliette LeBlanc – Theme from “Nights of Sin”
9. Billie Holiday – Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)?
10. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Come On Over (Turn Me On)
11. James Brown – It’s A Man’s World
12. Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra – Some Velvet Morning
13. Can – She Brings The Rain
14. Air – Le Voyage De Penelope
15. Curtis Mayfield – We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
16. Otis Redding – Cigarettes and Coffee
17. Kool and The Gang – Summer Madness
18. Faith No More – Midnight Cowboy

Download the music of the evening here!