I feel like Halloween is one of the very few days of the year when you can put on a pair of enormous iridescent fairy wings, carry a glowing purple orb around on a staff, and everyone just accepts it.
So obviously, I took advantage of that. 😂
This year I went with a woodland fairy enchantress, and I think this might be one of my favorite costumes I’ve put together.
I didn’t want a super bright, sparkly, Tinker Bell kind of fairy. I wanted something that felt a little more grown-up and earthy—like a fairy who lives somewhere deep in the woods, probably owns far too many old books, and may or may not know a suspicious amount about magic.
Basically…fairy me. 😂
❧ The Dress That Started It All ❧
The base of the whole costume was my dark olive green dress.
I loved it because it already had that slightly old-fashioned, romantic shape I wanted: a fitted bodice, little flutter sleeves, and a long, full skirt. It was comfortable enough that I could actually wear it all day, but it also looked like it belonged in some little enchanted cottage in the middle of the woods.
Once I had the dress, everything else started coming together around it.
And by “coming together,” I mean I apparently decided subtlety was no longer necessary.
Because then came the wings. 😂
❧ And Then There Were Wings ❧
The wings are HUGE.
And I love them.
They have this incredible translucent, iridescent finish that changes between green, blue, pink, and purple depending on the light. They almost look like real insect wings—just significantly more dramatic.
They completely changed the costume.
Without them, I was a woman in a pretty green dress.
With them?
✨ Woodland fairy enchantress. ✨
There is absolutely no casually walking through a doorway while wearing them, but some sacrifices must be made for fashion.
❧ The Little Details ❧
This was definitely one of those looks where the accessories made the costume for me.
I wore my hair up and decorated it with flowers, little gold details, pearls, and dangling chains. I wanted it to look pretty without being too perfect—more like I’d gathered little treasures from the forest and tucked them into my hair.
And then there was my necklace.
I already owned this delicate floral necklace, and it ended up being perfect. The little pale flowers and soft green leaves looked like they belonged with the costume instead of being something I bought specifically for Halloween.
Those are always my favorite costume details—the things that are actually mine.
Even my nails got involved: soft nude pink with metallic green-gold tips and tiny white flowers. Because apparently the woodland fairy gets manicures. 😂
❧ My Favorite Part: The Staff ❧
Okay.
The staff may actually be my favorite part of the entire costume.
It’s only about waist height, which made it easy enough to carry around, with a twisted dark wood look and vines winding around it. At the top is this big glowing purple orb nestled into the branches.
It gave the costume exactly the little bit of fairy enchantress I wanted.
The dress and wings say fairy.
The giant purple magical orb says, perhaps don’t annoy this fairy. 😂
Perfect.
❧ A Little Magic, but Still Me ❧
That’s probably what I liked most about this costume.
It doesn’t feel completely disconnected from the things I normally love wearing. There’s still the long romantic dress, flowers, delicate jewelry, pretty hair accessories, and even my little Mary Jane flats.
It’s just…
me with wings and magical powers.
Which, frankly, feels like an improvement. 😂
I love costumes that don’t just feel like putting on a character for a night. I want to look in the mirror and still recognize myself in there somewhere.
And this one absolutely did that.
Earthy, feminine, a little old-fashioned, a little whimsical, and just dramatic enough to justify carrying a glowing purple orb around.
I think Woodland Fairy Katie can stay. 🧚🏻♀️🌿✨
Costume details: olive green dress • iridescent fairy wings • floral and pearl hair accessories • floral drop necklace • nude Mary Jane flats • woodland staff with purple orb • floral green-and-gold nails
If you could turn yourself into any magical creature for one day, what would you choose?
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