Saturday, January 2, 2021

My #DisneyBound Year in Review: Looking Back on 2020

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Do you know what it means to DisneyBound? If not, don't worry — before about two years ago, neither did I! DisneyBounding means putting together outfits inspired by Disney characters, but not dressing as the characters (which would be cosplay). So, you take pieces from your wardrobe and put them together to create different characters! I first learned about bounding from my friend Erin during our many trips to Disneyland (she is a true bounding queen), and while I had dabbled in it before 2020, I really let my creativity fly this year. Hey, I had to do something while I was just sitting in my apartment all year! Below, some of my favorite bounds of 2020.

THE MARCH DISNEYBOUND CHALLENGE

This challenge definitely kicked off my new bounding mania for the year! There's a March challenge every year on @thedisneybound, with a different prompt for each day of the month, and Erin encouraged me to take part this year. While I didn't do every single day, I did actually put together bounds for 23 of the 31 days! (Whew.)

This challenge also couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, since it started right during the beginning of quarantine. I think all of us were looking for ways to stay happy, focused and creative (and still are). I was originally only going to do about 10 of the days, but with everything that started happening at that time, I needed a way to continue to bring joy into my life. This challenge filled that void in spades!

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Top row: Rapunzel, Lizzie McGuire, Alice in Wonderland. Bottom row: Sulley from Monsters Inc., Barley Lightfoot from Onward, Bo Peep.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Top row: Kevin from Home Alone, Smee, Michael Darling (for 1920s Day). Bottom row: Rainbow Unicorn from Inside Out, Meg from The Descendants, Roger Rabbit.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Top row: Donald Duck, Hercules. Bottom row: The Doom Buggy from The Haunted Mansion, Bo Peep (showing her again because I honestly forgot when I made these collages that I included her in another one), Dory from Finding Nemo.


A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Top row: Ariel, Yesss from Wreck-It Ralph 2, the Disney+ Logo. Bottom row: Archimedes from The Sword in the Stone, The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room, The Magic Mirror from Snow White.

THE #EARSOUTSIDETHEPARKS CHALLENGE

This challenge held even more of a special place in my heart this year because I created it! It's the very first Instagram challenge I created and asked people to take part in, and I'm so proud of how it turned out. I had the idea for this challenge right when everything first started shutting down in LA. I wanted to bring people together through positivity, fun and light, even while social distancing—to give us all a reason to smile through the darkness. I have so many pairs of Minnie ears in my wardrobe, and I wanted the chance to wear them even if I couldn’t visit the parks for awhile. And voila! #EarsOutsidetheParks was born!

I chose to dress my ears up all week in outfits that I’d normally wear, and I actually did wear them that week (even though PJs and athleisure were definitely the major loves of 2020) —because they just happen to be super comfortable, too! I had to start with an outfit themed around my new Mickey balloon ears, because come on, they are the coolest!!

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Top row: Mickey Mouse-inspired look inspired by my Mickey balloon ears and popcorn bucket. #MinnieStyle look with a Cakeworthy Minnie ears hat and polka dot espadrilles. Over-the-top printed outfit with Nooworks printed dress and polka dot Minnie ears.
Bottom row: Ariel-inspired look with Back from Bali caftan and Flounder purse. Eeyore-inspired look with Best Day Ever Ears Co. Winnie the Pooh ears and Asos jumpsuit. Ice cream-inspired look with Disney Ice Cream Bar ears and printed maxi dress (it's actually a skirt!).


THE #BOUNDINGWITHPRIDE CHALLENGE

In June, @thedisneybound put together a challenge called #BoundingWithPride to coincide with Pride Month. Each day of the week was another color of the rainbow to support the LGBTQ+ community! I thought a LOT about how to best participate in this challenge. I have been an ally of the LGBTQ+ community since the moment I knew what LGBTQ+ was (and I was still in single digits). Where this week was concerned, I wanted to make sure I didn’t just pick Disney characters at random. I didn’t want to pick a red character just to pick a red character. Each one I chose to bound as this week means something to me in terms of LGBTQ+ rights and what it means to support this community. Each character I chose represented my allyship to the LGBTQ+ community, which I have detailed below.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
My 7 looks for the #BoundingWithPride challenge on @thedisneybound.
Top row: Animal from The Muppets, Purl, Cinderella.
Bottom row: Pluto, Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc., Meg from Hercules, The Rose from The Golden Afternoon.

RED: THE ROSE FROM THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON SCENE IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND
In terms of this bound, I really love the lyrics of “Golden Afternoon.” Just look at them! You can learn a lot of things from the flowers. Especially in the month of June. A wealth of happiness and romance. This just FEELS like my friends, and like Pride month. I learn from them every day. They’ve shown me more about what happiness and romance can mean than anyone else I’ve ever known. And, hello, JUNE! PRIDE MONTH!

ORANGE: ANIMAL FROM THE MUPPETS
Animal marches to the beat of his own drum — not hard to do, since he’s the drummer for Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem! He’s wild, he’s crazy, he’s often unintelligible. But he’s also fiercely loyal to the band and The Muppets in general, which is how I have always been and will always be to the LGBTQ+ community. I went for a more glam take on Animal — a GLAMIMAL bound, if you will! I structured it around these amazing @coupdecolere earrings, which I salivated over the moment I saw them (I think Animal would appreciate that) and simply HAD to buy. My ASOS floral dress has all of Animal’s colors in one easy piece (not to mention it’s the only orange piece I own), so it translated well into this bound!

YELLOW: PLUTO
I decided to bound as Pluto because he’s stuck by Mickey for almost 90 years — and there’s no sign of him stopping! As an ally to the LGBTQ+ community for almost 30 years already, my commitment shows no signs of wavering — it’s only getting stronger. This involves listening, learning, standing up for change, and VOTING. My friends, and the entire LGBTQ+ community, DESERVE the same love, respect and rights as anyone and everyone else — and I stand proudly by their side.

GREEN: MIKE WAZOWSKI FROM MONSTERS, INC.
“You and I are a team. Nothing is more important than our friendship.”

It’s extremely hard for me to pick a favorite Pixar movie, since so many of them are masterpieces. But Monsters, Inc. definitely ranks among the very best. I’ve loved it since the first time I saw it in the theater my senior year of college. Seriously, if you don’t cry when Boo gleefully yells out, “Kitty!” at the end, do you even have a soul?! In any case, this is a movie that has long resonated with me. I honestly don’t watch it as much as I should, only because I DO NOT WANT TO UGLY CRY. It’s only taken me this long to bound as Mike because I didn’t have a green dress before! But once I bought this Loungefly Mike Wazowski mini backpack, this bound simply HAD to finally happen! While Mike has many funny lines and moments throughout the movie, this quote felt right for my week of Pride-inspired bounds. Nothing IS more important than my friendship with all of my amazing friends in the LGBTQ+ community. These individuals are, as Carrie once said on Sex and the City, “My family. They’re my insides.” I don’t know where I’d be without each and every one of them — but I do know my life wouldn’t be anywhere close to as wonderful as it is because of them.

BLUE: CINDERELLA
Snow White may be the OG Disney Princess, but Cinderella’s the one who has my heart. Whether it’s the animated Disney film, Ever After, or A Cinderella Story, her story is just always one that resonates with me. I love that, through all the adversity in her life, she perseveres. Yes, she falls in love with a prince, but doesn’t she deserve that after all she’s been through? Plus, her fashion transformation is just unparalleled! I chose Cinderella because of her unwavering desire to find love and be happy. No matter what, she hopes and wishes for the life she’s always imagined. As an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, that’s what I hope for each and every person — that your hopes and dreams will come true, and that you will find the love you’ve desired. I also discovered that the meaning for blue in the Pride flag is serenity — and that describes Cinderella to a T! (Or to an S, as the case may be.) 

Interestingly enough, I didn’t find this image of Cinderella until after I shot my look. Can you believe how closely I ended up resembling her in this pose? I was shocked when I found it! (P.S. My slippers are actual slippers. They were a Christmas gift a few years back from my friend Claire.)

PURPLE: MEG FROM HERCULES
“I’m a big, tough girl. I tie my own sandals and everything.”

Meg is the ultimate Disney heroine. She’s strong. She’s no nonsense. She believes in equality. She’s an individual. She’s headstrong. She has GUMPTION. Plus, she has one of the absolute best songs in any Disney movie, hands down. Okay, and yes, she sold her soul to Hades to save her old boyfriend’s life. But nobody’s perfect. πŸ˜‚ On the Pride flag, the color purple represents spirit. I would say Meg has that in spades! I hope that I embody all of Meg’s characteristics — and spirit definitely ranks up there as one I definitely aim to exhibit on a daily basis.

While I hope that I possess all of Meg’s qualities, my LGBTQ+ friends DEFINITELY do. I am inspired by them every day, because they have strength in their convictions and in who they are to their very core. I am proud to be an ally to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community, and I will continue to speak up for love, equality and individuality.

PINK: PURL
“I would say it’s unbeweavable.”

Have you watched this short by Spark Shorts and Pixar? Not only is it super cute, but it sends a wonderful message about equality in the workplace. This rings true in many forms — for women, minorities, LGBTQ+. Purl starts by trying desperately to fit in, and then realizes she is her absolute best self when she is just that — herself.

While I am straight and white, I am also a Jewish woman. I have experienced my fair share of workplace discrimination based solely on my gender. During my time as the Copy Director for American Eagle, I was constantly disrespected, harassed and not taken seriously by male management — I had FOUR male bosses treating me as “less than” simply because I was a woman. My time at that company was soured by the fact that, no matter how hard I tried, I’d never be seen as more than a girl who — in their words — was “unintelligent, uncreative and uncool.” It took a long time after working there to regain my confidence and rediscover both my talent as a copywriter and my worth as a human being. However, aside from that experience, I have not had to suffer much discrimination based on my sex or my religion — and I know I am beyond fortunate. I am an ally to the black community and to the LGBTQ+ community — and to all other minorities — and I will do everything I can to fight for what’s right and stand for equality. This special little short goes a long way in teaching all of us how to open up our minds and our hearts just a little bit more, even if — and especially if — someone is “different.” Our differences are what make us, US.

I was so excited to put together this bound. As soon as I saw the color pink, Purl was my choice — and I knew I’d do it with my Free People sweater dress! I added my Sparkle Bomb heart earrings because we should all incorporate more love into the way we live our lives. Also, I have to say I am incredibly proud of how I was able to get Purl’s box into my hands! (Psst: I shot this with empty hands and added the box in post!)

THE #BOUNDTOBEVILLAINOUS CHALLENGE

My friend Erynn (AKA @thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo) conceived this bounding challenge and I was so excited to take part in it. Each day had a prompt for a different type of villain in the Disney universe (and one rule breaker, which means non Disney). I had SO much fun putting together all of these looks — my creativity really ran wild! More details on each one below.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
All 7 of my looks for the #boundtobevillainous challenge hosted by @thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo. Clockwise from top left: Cruella DeVil, Scar from The Lion King, Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove, The Ugly Stepsisters from Cinderella, Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Iago from Aladdin, Captain Hook.

FEMALE VILLAIN: YZMA FROM THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE
“I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea, and then I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives … I'll smash it with a hammer! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! Genius, I say! Or, to save on postage, I'll just poison him with THIS!”

Okay, truth be told, I didn’t watch this movie until this past summer. I know, I know, I KNOW. I just never got around to it! It came out back in 2000, and I was already in college, and I just wasn’t watching a lot of animated movies at the time. Then years went by, and it just felt like it was too late to even start with the ones I missed.

Thankfully, though, I finally got around to watching it a few months ago, and OMG. THE HYPE IS REAL, you guys. It’s funny, it’s suspenseful, it’s entertaining, and it has THE best villain. Yzma is fashionable, intelligent, creative, sarcastic, all the things you want in a villain, really. And she was voiced by Eartha Kitt, who was a freaking LEGEND.

As soon as I saw the prompt for this day, I knew Yzma was IT — mainly because of my fascinator headband! Yzma definitely knew how to accessorize. How to be a good person, no. But how to look fabulous, yes. πŸ˜‚

VILLAIN WITH A HAT: CAPTAIN HOOK
“Blast that Peter Pan! If I could only find his hideout, I’d trap him in his lair!”

Captain Hook really is quite dastardly. Yes, he’s a pirate — but does he really have to go after small children?! There’s something pretty darn sinister about that. However, he does also get a lot of really amazing one liners, and he’s absolutely up on his fashion trends, so he’s got those things going for him at least.

I chose Hook because I already owned all of these pieces and had never used any of them for a bound! I bought this Free People dress right before lockdown and honestly I just really wanted an excuse to finally wear it. And my earrings are gold crocodiles! (Swipe to the next pic to see them closer up.) I got them during my trip to New Orleans with my best friend Katie last February!

VILLAINOUS SIDEKICK: IAGO FROM ALADDIN
"I just don't believe it! We're never gonna get ahold of that stupid lamp!”

I still remember seeing Aladdin when it first came out and being totally blown away by how magical it was ... and totally scared by the team of Jafar and Iago! As sidekicks for, Iago is pretty darn villainous all on his own — yes, Jafar calls the shots, but Iago is no wimp on the sidelines. That’s a terrifying duo!

RULE BREAKER: SHREDDER FROM TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
You’ve caused me enough trouble. Now you face ... THE SHREDDER!”

I was admittedly not the biggest comic or cartoon fan as a kid (aside from The Chipmunks and Disney, of course). But I looooved TMNT. I watched the cartoon, I saw all the movies in the theater, I quoted them endlessly with my brother Evan — though I’d actually be hard pressed to think of many quotes these days! I was super stumped when I first saw today’s prompt and thought I might skip it. NOTHING came to mind outside of Disney. And then, like a lightning bolt (ahem: see my earrings) I remembered The Shredder!

The centerpiece of this bound is ABSOLUTELY my rhinestone-studded mask. It serves double duty — both to represent his mask and to tell you that EVERYONE SHOULD WEAR A MASK RIGHT NOW. Period. 😷 Plus, look how much fun you can have with them!

LIVE ACTION VILLAIN: THE UGLY STEPSISTERS FROM CINDERELLA
“Cinder Wench!”
“Dirty Ella!”
“Cinder - Ella!” 

Okay, I had WAY too much fun with this one. I looked at the promo art for the live action Cinderella and realized I had dresses almost identical to the ones the Stepsisters are wearing — or at least identical enough for a bound! On the left is my yellow daisy dress by Nooworks, on the right is my pink floral dress from ASOS. And, yes, in the original photo, Lady Tremaine stands in front — but I took some artistic liberties here! Truth be told, I’ve only seen this movie once — and I really liked it, but I don’t remember it all that well. πŸ˜‚ It might be time for a rewatch! I do know, though, that Drizella and Anastasia are just pure evil toward Cinderella — and that is definitely not a way I actually choose to live my life. You’ll notice I wasn’t even able to look that evil in these photos, but I tried my best!

ANIMAL VILLAIN: SCAR FROM THE LION KING
"Oh, I should practice my curtsy."

I’m going to admit something to you. The first time I saw The Lion King, I ... did not like it.  This was prime JTT time, mine you, and I had a MAJOR crush on him. I was very upset about his lack of movie time before Simba grew up. And it just made me strongly dislike this movie. Fast forward to now, though, and I’m singing a different tune! Scar is also just INSANELY evil, without a single redeeming quality. He’s power hungry, murders his brother, blames it on his nephew—yeah, that’s all not so great. But you’ve gotta admit he makes for a pretty fantastic bound! I hadn’t even thought of using this dress I bought out of my Nuuly awhile back til my friend Cari told me I should—and then, voila! Today’s look was born!

VILLAIN YOU RELATE TO: CRUELLA DEVIL
"To see her is to take a sudden chill! Look out for Cruella DeVil!”

 Now, you may be asking yourself one very basic question. “Jamie, WHY ON EARTH would you relate to a character who wants to kill puppies?!” Well, trust me, that part of her character is not the one towards which I find a kindred spirit. I relate to Cruella for three very specific reasons:

1) As a kid, my favorite color combo was red, black and white. Hello, CRUELLA’S COLORS!

2) Aside from the combo, Cruella is majorly fashion forward. πŸ‘—πŸ•ΆπŸ‘  Say what you want about her character (and you wouldn’t be wrong), but the woman’s got STYLE. After almost 20 years as a fashion writer (and a lifelong love and passion for it), I would hope we have that in common!

3) When my family first got AOL, I was trying desperately to find a screenname and everything was taken. All of a sudden, my brother said, “How about Cruella52?” And voila! My one and only AIM screenname was born! (Also, RIP, AIM.)

THE #1PIECE5BOUNDS CHALLENGE

This challenge is incredibly special to me, because I created it! And while I am definitely proud of my #EarsOutsidetheParks challenge, this holds an even dearer place in my heart because it was a true bounding challenge and SO MANY PEOPLE participated. I was blown away by not only the participation, but the bounds people created — there is just so much creativity in this community and it is incredibly inspiring!

I had been kicking this challenge around for quite some time. I love fashion and I love shopping. But in an effort to become more sustainable and thoughtful about what is in my closet, I am also a huge fan of reusing what’s already there — especially when it comes to bounding! I also think it’s really fun to see how many different ways I can use the same piece to create completely different bounds. Each day had a specific theme, such as Classic Disney or Disney Princesses. The piece I chose for the week was my yellow Who What Wear dress. I had so much fun storyboarding out different outfits and characters for this week! More details on each look below.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
The 5 looks for my #1Piece5Bounds bounding challenge. Clockwise from top left: Gus from Cinderella, The Broom from The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Snow White, Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, Ducky from Toy Story 4.
 

CLASSIC DISNEY: THE BROOM FROM THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE
I chose this character because I’ve always loved this part of Fantasia, and bounding as the broom felt unique and off the beaten path. I wanted to challenge myself within the overall challenge this week to choose characters that are a bit more under the radar, or to look at them in totally new ways!

DISNEY PRINCESSES: SNOW WHITE
“With a smile and a song, life is just a bright sunny day - your cares fade away and your heart is young!”

I decided to bound as Snow White for 3 reasons:

1) I’ve never bounded as her before — and she is the OG princess! It was an opportunity to push myself out of my bounding comfort zone.

2) To push myself even further creatively, I wanted to feature her a bit differently with a hipster-inspired bound! I started with my yellow Who What Wear dress, added the Ralph Lauren denim jacket I’ve had since high school, and a trusted pair of Converse Chucks that have been in my closet for over a decade. Talk about sustainability with this one! (Full disclosure: I bought these poison apple earrings specifically for this bound and I’m not sorry about it!)

3) I really wanted the excuse to shoot at the Witch’s House (AKA the Spadena House) in Beverly Hills! You might recognize this house from MANY a movie (like a scene in Clueless!) — this iconic house is an LA landmark and the perfect #spookyseason backdrop for a Snow White bound! (This challenge happened in October.)

DISNEY RENAISSANCE: LUMIERE FROM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
“We tell jokes, I do tricks with my fellow candlesticks. And it's all in perfect taste, that you can bet! Come on and lift your glass, you've won your own free pass to be our guest!”

Beauty and the Beast is not just one of my favorite Disney movies, but one of my favorite movies EVER. If you set aside the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing going on between Belle and the Beast — because, seriously, that whole situation is kind of messed up upon viewing as a single adult woman — the movie itself is Just. So. Wonderful. And a lot of that is due to Lumiere!

Jerry Orbach (RIP, and man, what a talent) voiced him so perfectly, I just can’t even imagine anyone else ever doing him justice. He has so much personality, and he also has true empathy for the people in his life. My friend Cari also pointed out that he is a literal light to the people around him — and that during these dark times, he can be our light as well. 🌟 Plus, that voice!! (Side note: If you’ve never watched Jerry Orbach perform “42nd Street” at the Tony Awards, do yourself a favor and YouTube that RIGHT NOW.)

This bound came together pretty easily because I knew I wanted to use my JustFab gold boots and my studded gold headband! They were the perfect way to accessorize my Who What Wear dress. And I also knew I wanted to shoot at Urban Light outside @lacma — what better way to look like a candlestick than being surrounded by over 200 restored cast iron street lamps that once lit the streets of Los Angeles?

PIXAR: DUCKY FROM TOY STORY 4
"To infinity and ... MY FOOT!"

 While some people say Toy Story 4 was the weakest of the franchise, I disagree. I not only cried buckets more than once during this movie, but also laughed so hard I cried — and that’s due in part to Ducky and Bunny! Sometimes it’s tough to introduce characters so late in a franchise and have them make an impression, but Ducky definitely delivers. I love so many Pixar movies, and will admit I struggled a bit trying to decide which character to choose. I picked Ducky because the Toy Story movies have held a special place in my heart ever since the first one came out, and it felt fitting to celebrate them today.

I will also admit that I had a LOT of fun with this bound! I don’t know if you can tell, but I really enjoyed shooting it. Plus, putting myself into this scene — complete with zip ties (found in picsart!) around my arms to secure me to the prize wall — was a definite test of my photo editing abilities. I’m really proud of how this came together!

DISNEY ANIMALS: GUS FROM CINDERELLA
“I’ll cut it with the scissors!”

What’s not to like about this adorable little mouse? First of all, he actually makes me like mice. Secondly, he just really wants some corn. And lastly, he cares about Cinderella and wants her to be happy. Plus, he’s just the cutest!

I actually originally planned a different bound for this day, but after I shot it ... well ... I hated it. It just didn’t come together right. So I went back to the drawing board, and voila! Gus was right there in front of me! I will admit I bought the green beret I’m wearing here on Amazon for $5 just for this bound — but I’m planning on wearing it all winter! Plus, apparently I wear berets now. Did I do it right?


MISCELLANEOUS BOUNDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

I didn't just bound for challenges this year — there were also many days that I just wanted to bound because I needed a way to fuel my creativity! Whether it was for Halloween, the holiday season, or just because, I definitely had a lot of fun putting these outfits together all year long. Here they are in all their bounding glory!

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Clockwise from top left: Steamboat Willie for Mickey's 92nd Birthday, The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, Ooogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Merlin from The Sword in the Stone, Rosie the Riveter (for Voting Day!), The #GhostChallenge.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Clockwise from top left: Loki from The Avengers, Disney Popcorn, the Disneyland Arendelle Macaron, Remy from Ratatouille, Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

A collection of Disney bounds created by Jamie Allison Sanders during 2020.
Clockwise from top left: The Gingerbread Man from The Disneyland Christmas Fantasy Parade, Jovie from Elf, The Reindeer (also from The Christmas Fantasy Parade), Minnie Mouse (celebrating Joe Biden's win!), Alice in Wonderland, Cookie Monster.

3 comments:

  1. Wow! Really creative....i would be terrible at this but I think my daughter would have fun creating outfits based on certain characters!

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  2. Even in a pandemic year, you get such joy out of the fun, cute and creative outfits that you put together! Go girl!

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  3. What a super fun post! Nice to see some positive things from 2020!

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