Have you ever seen pictures of opening day at Disneyland? If you have, one of the first things you might have noticed was how well dressed these early visitors were. Ladies wore feminine floral dresses accessorized with white gloves, pearls and high heels. Men wore ties, suits and brimmed hats. Everyone came out in their Sunday best. Going to Disneyland was a special occasion and people dressed accordingly. If you’ve been to the Disney parks recently, you might have noticed that some people have begun to dress up again. Since 2011, Dapper Day has worked at bringing style back to the theme park going experience. So, what exactly is Dapper Day and what should you expect if you plan on participating in their Walt Disney World outing?
The Rebirth of Cool
In the mere eight years of Dapper Day’s existence, it has grown exponentially in popularity from 100 participants in its first year to over 25,000 participants in Los Angeles alone. Dapper Day organization has no affiliation with the Disney company. The goal, according to creator Justin Jorgensen, is to bring style back to outings at museums, operas and theme parks. It started in Los Angeles and spread to the Orlando and Paris Disney resort areas.
En Vogue Seasons
If you want to participate in one of the Walt Disney World theme park outings, they happen twice a year. The fall outing is in November and the spring outing takes place in April. Spring 2019 takes place from April 26-28. The festivities begin at The Boathouse in Disney Springs on the 26th, Magic Kingdom on the 27th and Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival on the 28th. This will give you three days to show off your impeccable sense of fashion. So, what should you wear to these events?
Dress Code
Dapper Day is all about getting dressed up in whatever way you define that. It could be that you really like the fashion from a particular decade or maybe you want to come up with something completely original and unique. I’ve seen people dressed up in vintage pin-up, jazz era outfits and even steampunk attire. One trend that is particularly popular is dressing up in a vintage inspired Disneybound outfit. For those unfamiliar with Disneybounding, it’s a fashion trend that became popular when Disney enforced an adult costume ban in the parks. Guests got super creative and put together outfits that were inspired by Disney characters, but were not technically costumes. If you are interested in learning more about Disneybounding then watch this Refinery29 video. It is worth noting that Dapper Day is not a Disneybounding or cosplay event. It’s just about being your dapper self in however you want to define dapper.
Strike a Pose
Disney is one of the most Instagrammed places in the world. This is pretty obvious if you’ve ever been in the parks during a Dapper Day event. On one particular year, the line for photos at the purple wall stretched and snaked around. It makes sense that people would want to make the most of all the amazing photo opportunities while dressed up and looking fabulous. If getting photos at iconic spots is important to you, expect to find longer waits than usual at these places. On an average day, I feel like I am accidentally walking in front of people’s photos constantly, but on Dapper Day it seems like I can’t take more than a few steps before interrupting a strikingly stylish pose. This isn’t a complaint. I actually enjoy looking at the creative poses and backdrops people use to make their outfits pop.
Walking Right down the Middle of Main Street USA
My favorite thing to do on Dapper Day is find a shady spot on Main Street USA to people watch. These dapper dandies are the main event and attraction for the day. Even if you do not want to dress up for a theme park (you totally should at least once), you can still enjoy the creativity and style of others who are participating. I never want to miss a single outfit, and there is something about Main Street USA that makes it the perfect backdrop to start the fashionable fun.
Have you ever participated in Dapper Day? Do you have any great Dapper Day tips? Check out the official Dapper Day site for more information about future outings and exclusive specials and merchandise.
