Fashion

7 Ways To Dress Like Dorothy As An Adult

by Julia Guerra

June 10, 2015

The late iconic actress Judy Garland is perhaps best known for her lead role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Garland was a woman full of raw talent with incredible vocals and natural beauty. Unfortunately a star that was taken far too soon, whether you spent your childhood skipping down her yellow brick road or meeting the actress in St. Louis, Garland continues to live on through her films.

I dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween when I was in the first grade. My mother parted my hair into two braids tied at the ends with blue bows. I kicked the leaves on the sidewalk aside with my red sneakers (seven-year-olds and heels do not mix well), and carried around a wicker basket with a stuffed Toto hiding under a white blanket.

It was my Wizard of Oz phase, one the majority of my girlfriends went through, watching the film as many times as I could during the week, begging my father to sing “The Wicked Witch is Dead” in his best munchkin impression. Dorothy will never be just a movie character — she's a legend.

There are many days I think back to my childhood and wonder what it would be like to play dress up again, and I don’t mean for a party or Halloween. Who doesn’t miss the days of throwing on an old costume or party dress and making believe they were off to a grand ball or running through the forest to get away from a wicked witch?

It may not be the super norm to call up a fellow colleague and instead of inviting them to grab a coffee, suggest an exciting adventure developed through our imaginations and coming alive through funky mix and match pieces of our ensembles, but looking back on our favorite movies and actors for a little style inspo is definitely a thing. A smart one at that.

For a woman in the 1930s, Dorothy Gale had style (or maybe the blue and white striped dress looks cute on Judy Garland, but nonetheless). Check out seven outfits I’ve put together inspired by Judy Garland’s Dorothy dress and ruby slippers. Get to shopping and channel your inner Dorothy Gale.