Style

Dapper Day DisneyBound: Clarice the Chipmunk

After years of enviously scrolling through pictures online of friends attending Dapper Day at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, I was so excited to finally participate this year! As soon as my hotel was book, my mind started racing with outfit ideas.  For those of you who may not know, Dapper Day is an unofficial Disney event which originated in Disneyland as a day when people would arrive at the park dressed as though they were attending around the time the park opened in the 1950s; it has since grown to include Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. On top of putting together mid-century outfits, many people choose to get creative and put together a Dapper DisneyBound inspired by characters from the films and television or even aspects of the theme parks themselves.

Theresa DisneyBounding as Clarice the Chipmunk, standing between Chip and Dale.

Dapper Day Outfit Inspiration

To create my Dapper Day outfit, I wanted to go with a character I adore, who would be somewhat recognizable, but also one I assumed would be underrepresented in Dapper Day styles. Why not go with style icon herself, Clarice the Chipmunk!  If you are not familiar with Clarice, it’s understandable – she only appeared in one short with Chip and Dale titled “Two Chips and a Miss.”  She also doesn’t appear in the US-based Disney Parks very often (aka only at the occasional special event), but at Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort she is frequently meeting with guests in a huge variety of unique outfits.  I decided to go with her classic, original outfit and see what I could come up with!

Gif of Clarice the Chipmunk speaking alluringly to Chip and Dale

Almost everything was purchased on Amazon for under $15 or used from items I previously owned, since I think most of the fun of coming up with themed outfits is by doing so as frugally as possible. So here’s a look at how this outfit came together.

Dress

Theresa DisneyBounding as Clarice the Chipmunk, standing on a bridge in front of the France pavilion at Epcot with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Note to those planning their Dapper Day: if you come across the “AHHH YES THIS IS PERFECT AND EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR” integral part of your outfit, don’t delay in making that purchase. If you’re wondering whether I’m saying this from experience, you would be correct! I hesitated on buying the initial dress I had seen, which is similar to the one I’m wearing, except it came with a belt made of the same fabric. This dress ($18) arrived with a solid black belt, which doesn’t quite fit Clarice’s look, so a new belt was one additional thing I wound up needing to purchase.

Accessories

Blue dress, yellow flower necklace, yellow flower headband and white purse with pink flowers hanging from a wall-mounted coat rack.

Given that black is not part of Clarice’s color scheme outside of her ridiculous eyelashes, as soon as the dress came in I immediately went back to Amazon to find a more appropriate belt to pair with the dress. I initially searched for a few mint green options to match the dress, but not being able to see the exact shades in person, I didn’t want to risk having clashing colors so I went with the main alternate color in Clarice’s color scheme, yellow. For under $7, I really could not have found anything better, and I absolutely adore how it clips in the front to form a cute bow design.

To recreate the yellow lei and hair accessories, I found this adorable, chunky yellow flower necklace ($13) that I know I’ll be able to incorporate into my wardrobe regularly. The hair flower ($6) I wore attached to a headband, but also arrived with a clip to be worn as a barrette. Hair styling is not my forte though, so I went with the easier option so that I wouldn’t spend my time during the day fussing with it.

Theresa Disneybounding as Clarice the Chipmunk, standing in front of Gertie the Dinosaur, holding a small crocheted dinosaur.

The purse is the item I spent the most money on ($35), and that was mostly because I feel in love upon setting eyes on it and know I’ll use it frequently. It’s a Liz Claiborne bag and perfectly fit my phone, camera, tissues, wallet, lipstick, and MagicBand (since that did not fit my outfit, heh). I made up for the money spent on the purse by using my white vintage-looking sunglasses and a brown bolero-style cardigan that I’ve owned for years.

I rounded out the outfit with champagne-colored gloves ($10), which mostly only stayed on for pictures since they are not smart-phone friendly! I like what they added to the outfit when I stopped for PhotoPass, but I’m not sure I’ll incorporate them into my Dapper Day outfits in the future. And of course, the crinoline ($6). This was a late purchase; I didn’t want to spend the extra money if it wasn’t necessary, but after trying on the dress at home, I knew it needed a little something extra, both figuratively and literally.

 

Shoes

Theresa dressed up for Dapper Day with two friends, posing in front of a large orange flower display at Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival

I’ll be honest…as you may be able to tell from the pictures on this blog post, I had to swap shoes mid-day.  The shoes I started off with, Camel-colored wedge heels by Impo, are typically comfortable to wear to work, but I also do not typically walk several miles a day while I’m at the office. Luckily, I had cute, black ballet flats in my room and they acted as both a cute and stylish modification.

Total outfit cost

An animated Mickey Mouse is sitting on a ledge next to Theresa and two friends dressed up for Dapper Day.

Many of these items were purchased on Amazon, where prices can fluctuate, or on sale so I’ve listed the price I paid for each item below:

Dress: $18
Belt – $6
Necklace – $13
Headband – $6
Sunglasses – owned
Cardigan – owned
Gloves – $10
Purse – $35
Crinoline – $8
Shoes – owned
Total Cost: $96

While I feel great about being able to purchase most of the items for my outfit at low prices individually, as you can see those costs can add up quickly. If this is also a concern of yours, be sure that you are buying items that you feel confident you’ll be able to use either in your day-to-day look (purse, necklace, belt) or for future Dapper Days (dress, crinoline).

Additional thoughts from my first dapper day

Mickey Mouse and Theresa standing next to each other, visibly laughing.

My first Dapper Day at Walt Disney World was an absolute BLAST! Within my first few hours of walking around Epcot I’d already started mentally planning outfits I could put together for the Fall edition of the event (November 3 &4 at Disneyland, November 17 & 18 at Walt Disney World).  Most of my day was spent meeting characters, taking advantage of every PhotoPass opportunity and admiring the creativity in everyone’s outfits. I only did three rides the entire day (Spaceship Earth, Soarin’ and Gran Fiesta Tour), so I’d recommend this more for people who have visited Walt Disney World several times and are looking for a fun, new way to experience the parks rather than a first-time guest.

Have you ever participated in Dapper Day at a Disney Park or do you think you will in the future? Let me know in the comments!

Ultimate Dapper Day Clarice the Chipmunk DisneyBound pinterest image

 

Theresa is a Maryland native who is grateful to only be a 2-hour flight from Walt Disney World. She loves exploring new locations & cuisines, and can beat anybody in a game of “Oh! You know what else that actor was in?” Although myopic macular degeneration is deteriorating her eyesight, it hasn’t dampened her spirit or sense of humor; she likes to tell people this simply makes her a “temporary visionary.” Visit About Theresa to learn more or send an email to insightfulllife@gmail.com!

1 Comment

  1. I loved this post! I have heard about dapper day but I thought it was just in the American parks! I can’t believe it’s in Paris too. Paris is closer for me you see. I think I will be adding this to my never ending Disney bucket list. I love your outfit 💕

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