How to Make a Stallion into a Queen!
Mood: Excited!
Listening to: Born Naked by RuPony
Outfit of the Day: A flouncy dark violet salsa skirt with lace trimming and different floral prints, a simple fitted top in a lovely shade of purple, and silk roses in my hair. I can never resist wearing florals in the summer!
Hello again my darling Gems, it has been awhile and I've missed you! I hope you are all doing fabulously!
Today I have a very special story and a slightly different kind of customer.
I was putting away my supplies in my boutique, after I had just finished my latest frock. It turned out quite beautiful, if I say so myself! I think mint green silk will be quite popular next season 
Anyway, that was when the bell chimed, and two ponies whom I like very much strolled in: Apple Bloom, a good friend and a fellow Cutie Mark Crusader to my dear sister Sweetie Belle, and her big brother Big Macintosh. I do believe he has visited my establishment as a customer only once, when he needed a suit for his wedding, so I assumed he was there to escort Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom! How nice to see you again! And Big Mac, how good of you to come," I greeted them, "Are you in need of a new dress? Or maybe a pretty new bow? I have some new hair accessories and they would do your mane so much justice!" I told her.
"Thanks Rarity, but we're not here for me today. We need a dress for Big Mac!" Apple Bloom chirped, pointing to her brother. He blushed and scuffed at the floor.
"Oh?" I asked, a bit surprised. As far as I knew, he is not the sort of stallion who cares much for clothes, let alone ladies' fashion! I suppose Apple Bloom saw my nonplussed expression, and she launched into an explanation: at the time me and Applejack were called to Manehattan to revitalize the Midsummer Theatre Revival with Coco Pommel, Big Mac dressed up as a mare, "cousin Orchard Blossom," so Apple Bloom could take part in the Sisterhooves Social. And she showed me a picture:
I had heard part of the story from my sister, but I had not realized how far he went to make his sister happy! It was truly touching 
He really does care for his siblings very much.
"I see. And now cousin Orchard Blossom is making a new appearance and needs something to wear?" I asked them.
"Sugar Belle spotted a flier for an open mic night at the Starlight Club for drag performers, and thought she would love to see miss Orchard Blossom as well, if Big Mac was up for it! And even if the Sisterhooves Social didn't, um, go exactly as planned, both of us DID have fun," Apple Bloom enthused, "and I've gushed about her ever since!"
"Yeeap," Big Mac said, "it was fun. So I'd like to give it another go. And if it makes Sugar Belle happy as well I'll do my darndest."
"So I thought he should do this properly and get a pony who knows how to look anypony look real purdy make a great dress for him! Last time he just threw together whatever we had in the attic," Apple Bloom added.
Touched by her compliment, I now turned my attention to Big Mac. "Hmm, it will take some work, but I think I can make you look absolutely fabulous! Do you have any wishes when it comes to the outfit?" I asked him, as I ushered him in front of the mirrors.
"Noope. Just make it classy. Orchard Blossom is a lady," he told me in his straight-forward way.
"Oh do not worry, she will look every bit the proper southern belle she is!" I assured him.
Now, when it comes to designing feminine clothing for stallions, there are different situations that need a slightly different approach. There are stallions who prefer to wear dresses just in their everyday life, and as a designer it is my job to make sure they feel comfortable and beautiful in their couture. Of course they are like any other customer, and simply want something that compliments their colors and looks lovely on them. And I would modify their dresses to fit them better when needed.
This, however, was a bit different. This was a drag outfit, something made for a performance. Now I absolutely LOVE making costumes for the stage! You can let go and really make things as sparkling and fantastical as you can! And this is not my first time making an outfit for a drag queen. Many ponies who perform the art of drag are really quite spesific about their costumes. Not only do they often have a particular look they have honed for years, but they want to accentuate or hide certain features: make the shoulders look smaller, make the eyes bigger, or some such thing.
I would say that to a fashion designer, making costumes for drag queens and kings is a wonderful chance to learn! It really opens your eyes to the art of proportions and illusion, that can inform your more everyday designs as well!
Now Bic Macintosh is an athletic, well-built stallion, as you can see:
So to make him look more ladylike and dainty, there are several tricks I used.
First of all being, I knew making the outfit voluminous and resplendent would make his natural features look smaller in comparison!
And since he wanted something elegant, I thought a traditional floor-lenght gown would be just the ticket. And to add enough volume, I decided that a layered, very generous hem would be best. But I didn't want it to look too heavy, so only the bottom layer is an opaque fabric, but the top layers are made from a sheer, lighter fabric, which moves beautifully.
However, just adding volume on top of volume would result in him looking bulkier, not more graceful. So the huge skirts needed a counterpoint.
Now here, my gems, we ran into an issue that every drag performer must face: how are they willing to shape their natural features? By that I mean, there are all kinds of trade secrets into making your figure appear more masculine or feminine. There are many queens who use a very tight corset to make their waist smaller, and add padding to their flanks to make their bottom look rounder. And many kings put a little something around their shoulders to look wider. And then there are performers who prefer not to do any of that, either because it would make performing too difficult or because they simply don't see the need to.
After talking to Big Mac, he decided he wanted to wear a corset under his dress, but any extra padding would feel too hot and uncomfortable. That is part of the reason I made the skirts so abundant, so he wouldn't even need to wear pads!
So, since he was willing to take his waist in, I though making the top of his gown form fitting would not only show off his cinched figure, but paired with the hem it would look très élégant However, that also posed a slight problem: it would accentuate his muscular shouders and chest. It took me some sketching, but I finally found a way around it! If the colors and pattern of the fabric is placed just so, it would optically minimize his musculature.
I debated if I should add some type of sleeves. The right kind of lovely covering for ones hooves can make a look really pop, after all! But after I draped some fabrics over his shoulders, I realized even the most delicate sleeve would add to his mass and width. So making the gown sleeveless was the better course of action. I carved the armholes to be smaller than his natural shoulders, and a bit higher to make his legs look longer (this is a trick I have sometimes used myself )
Oh and then came one of my absolute favourite parts of dressmaking: choosing the materials and colours!
Big Mac, like most members of the Apple clan, has a very vibrant coat, his in a lovely, slightly muted red. Dressing ponies with a darker or a brighter colour is a bit different than ones with a softer pastel tone. If the colour does not pair well with their natural hues, the clash is ever so much more apparent. So getting them right was of utmost importance!
I tried several options against his coat, but then I realized that miss Orchard Blossom is an Apple! So what better to dress an Apple queen in than fruity apple colours! Fortunately my supplier has just released a series of gradient dyed fabrics in their summer collection, one with JUST the right cheerful reds, yellows, greens and oranges. And to give the outfit that special stage flair, I was determined to add oodles of sparkly rhinestones! ✨✨✨
Now that we had the design of the dress nailed down, we had to consider a most crucial part of any truly remarkable drag outfit: The hair.
This was an important part of this look. Big Mcintosh has a very handsome, square jawline, and while it is attractive, it would make miss Blossom look less lady like. So what he really needed was a VERY large, spectacular wig. Making such a wig is possible by taking several wigs and combining them into one. Now I am not a wig maker, but constructing one from ready made materials is within my abilities.
I chose a beautiful golden blonde colour, and I designed a hairstyle with lots of large swirls and curls and waves. They would draw the eye away from his sculpturesque jaw. Also I thought a style where most of the hair is draped on one side of the face would look marvelous with the gown.
Once we were satisfied with the designs, I asked Big Mac who would be doing his make up. Maybe they would like a few swatches of the colours or a sketch of the look, so they could take it into account in advance?
"Umm, I just thought I'd do it miself. I did it before," he told me.
Here, my Gems, I almost dropped the sketchpad. I mean, did you see the make up he did himself?! I do not wish to be rude here, but it was COMPLETELY wrong for his complexion! That ballet slipper pink lipstick applied too generously, and that blush... No no no no NO! I was not going to stand by and let him use those with this outfit!
"Umm, Big Mac? Would you be opposed to me applying the cosmetics? I would love to complete the look, if you do not mind," I coaxed him.
"Oh, I do not wish to impose on ya," he answered, humbly.
"It's no imposition! I like to stretch my skills as a make up artist every now and then! It would be fun," I assured him.
"Well, if ya truly don't mind," he said (thank Celestia.)
Well today was the day, he came to the boutique in the afternoon and I went to work.
We cinched his figure and put him in the dress. Then I put the wig on him. To make his face appear smaller, I positioned the hairline a little lower than where it is naturally. This would make his eyes appear larger as well.
I had made a few delicate fabric flowers, which I placed in her hair, and added a couple to the neckline as well. They add a lovely feminine touch and they bring the colours together quite nicely. Also a bracelet, for what is a queen without her jewels? 💎💎💎
We chose a dark cherise hoofpolish, which makes her hooves appear smaller. I also used a darker red eyeshadow and lipstick, MUCH better than the pastels he wore before. And as the finishing touch, the biggest, longest, most luscious false eyelashes to really make those green eyes stand out!
And here my darling Gems, is the completed look of miss Orchard Blossom!
I accompanied her to the Starlight Club, and oh the Ooohs and Aaaahs that followed us!
When we got there, her family was already present. And their reactions to her appearance were absolutely golden! Apple Bloom would not stop squealing and bouncing around. Applejack looked as though her eyes would pop out, her mouth hanging open. Granny Smith said "well, I always knew the mares in the Apple family are the greatest beauties around!" And Sugar Belle was blushing and giggling, lamenting how she was no longer "the pretty one." Miss Blossom assured her that this was not the case, and left a slight lipstick mark on her cheek.
And it was a delightful evening!
There were many very talented kings and queens, doing all sorts of numbers, some funny, some dramatic, some touching. The costumes were splendid and many were very imaginative, like the queen dressed as the Purple Pony Eater!
Orchard Blossom started with a really funny story about trying to find heels in her size and then sang a truly wonderful country song medley. She garnered a loud round off applause and cheers, deservedly so.
It seemed like she had a lot of fun, so who knows? Maybe miss Blossom will make another appearance sooner or later
Well that is my story for today.
How about you my sweet Gems? Have you ever done drag or gone to a drag show?
As ever, leave a Miss Rarity comment below, and I will do my utmost to answer
Hope you have the most marvelous day today, and do something fun and creative!
Kisses and Glitter,
Rarity
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Awesome to see you back, Rares.
I have to admit this is a side of the industry I wasn't really aware of.
Oh, sweet Goddess Twilight. This cringe-worthy thing. I'll never see how or why Hasbro thought making Big Mac a drag queen was a good idea. I get the in-universe reason (not really. But at least they tried to justify it.) But still.
To be fair, this comment isn't supposed to be used in the story in some way. Just needed to vent.
10870606
Is that so?
I though his drag persona was really fun and fabulous.
Each to his own I guess.
10870603
Good to be back.
Lovely! Nicely made!
10870639
Yep. Neat artwork too. I somehow missed this one in your blog series.
I know this is supposed to be silly, but I think it's cool that Rarity is really chill about crossdressing.
Instead of mocking Big Mac, she's being very encouraging about his love of mare's clothing.
10897078
Actually I didn’t mean it to be silly. Light-hearted sure, but not like there is something ridiculous about cross dressing. People do it all the time, either as an artform we call drag, or for personal reasons in their everyday life. And there is no reason to laugh at them, nor do they deserve it. With them is totally cool when it’s a drag show and they do a funny number and are trying to make you laugh.
Nevertheless, I’m glad you appreciate it
11015330
Yes, writing is still on a touch-and-go basis, so I unfortunarely can’t give regular updates. I’m going through a lot, we had a death in the family a couple of months ago. But I’m trying to get back into a place when I can do creative stuff again. I’m sure it would do me good.
11015360
I think you meant to reply to someone else. Much the same way I unintentionally posted a empty comment. I figured you should know.
11062091
Well hello, and thank you for reaching out! When it comes to colours, a designer must first and foremost keep her client in mind, so one cannot be too enamoured with certain palettes. That said, I do have a certain fondness for jewel tones: emerald green, sapphire blue, amethyst purple, and so on. I do enjoy a vibrant colour, but as I said, the most important thing is to choose your tones to suit the pony.
11062103
11062103
Hello again! Nice to hear from you. To answer your question, yes I do design and make casual garments as well as formal wear. Unfortunately, few ponies see the need to wear anything unless it's for a special occasion. As a designer, I see this as a challenge. I try to make my day wear as gorgeous and interesting as any couture gown, in the hopes that it will entice ponies to shine brightly in everyday life