Carmen Miranda Chiquita Banana Costume for Halloween
How to Make Carmen Miranda’s Costume from Chiquita Banana
Dress like you’re ready to Samba a-la Chiquita Banana Girl with these pieces:
| # | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Dress | Start Carmen’s costume with a black spanish dress. |
| 2 | Fruity Head Piece | Get this fruity head piece. |
| 3 | Yellow Cloth | Cut a yellow sash from a piece of cloth. |
| 4 | Fake Bananas | Line the sash with fake bananas and add more pieces to the head piece if needed. |
| 5 | Fake Strawberries | Add strawberries for touch of color to the sash. |
| 6 | Beads Necklace | Wear multiple necklaces |
True to her nick name, Carmen Miranda’s Chiquita Banana Girl costume includes a black dress. To create her fruity look, wear a headpiece featuring various fruits or add more banana props in the costume. Then cut a sash from a yellow cloth and attach faux banana and strawberry toys on the sash and wear it with the dress.
Carmen Miranda’s style is a very exaggerated and glamourous Hollywood version of original Latina inspired outfits. She loved her chunky and layered accessories that often times took over focus from the rest of her clothing.
A lot of her outfits are a long, flamenco-style skirt, with a cropped or bra-style top that is bedazzled or has flounces along her shoulders. Carmen also loved head-wraps and outrageous headpieces that she pulled off beautifully.
One of her best-known head-wraps features fruit and after the first time she wore it, it became a symbol of her person.
How to Make a Carmen Miranda Costume
| # | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top, gold | Carmen wore a lot of flashy blouses and dresses that were often sequined or very flouncy. This gold chain top is in a similar style to something she might wear. |
| 2 | Skirt, Flamenco-style, black & red | This gold-accented skirt goes well with the gold top to make a matching outfit in the style of Carmen Miranda. |
| 3 | Headpiece, fruit | One of the most iconic parts of Carmen’s style was her beautiful head-wraps and headpieces, particularly the ones covered in fruit. |
| 4 | Necklace, statement | Carmen liked to wear a lot of accessories piled up upon each other. This statement necklace is quite large and chunky, but you can always add more necklaces to the costume. |
| 5 | Earrings, statement | These large gold earrings are very Carmen-inspired and match great with the rest of the costume. |
| 6 | Bangles, gold | Carmen also liked to wear a lot of different bangles on both on her arms, these gold bangles are a great look is you buy more than one set. |
| 7 | Maracas, classic | Carmen was sometimes depicted with maracas which she did play sometimes as an entertainer. |
| 8 | Heels, gold | Completing the gold theme, finish your costume with the classy gold heels of which Carmen had a very similar pair. |
Carmen Miranda Makeup/Hair Look Tutorial
Carmen Miranda didn’t wear a lot of music since she was very naturally beautiful, but she did favor a bold red lip. You can follow this makeup tutorial to get a better idea of her look.
About Carmen Miranda
Before Carmen Miranda ever set foot on a Broadway stage, she was a hat-maker, designing hats in a shop all day long. In the 1930s she began recording samba music which was her big start as an entertainer.
In the 1940s she began starring in Hollywood films and only 5 years later, Carmen Miranda was the highest paid women in the United States.
Carmen Miranda was a Portugese-born Brazilian singer and celebrity. She was also labeled as a Brazilian Bombshell. She is also best known for her most lively colorful dresses, songs, and captivating Samba performances.
When she moved to the USA, she was labeled as the Chiquita Banana Girl. Chiquita Banana is one of the leading banana suppliers in the Americas.
