When I was a little girl, I used to love nothing more than taking off my shoes and running around after it rained in the summer and squishing snails and slugs between my toes. Lucky for my molluscan friends, some things change.
However, one thing that hasn't changed over the years is my penchant for playing dress up. I should start by prefacing this with a brief disclaimer; narrowing down the top ten most awesome costumes is no mean feat and this is by no means a definitive list, rather, a of a fantasy snapshot of some of my favourite costumes from film and music.
1. Queen Amidala victory celebration parade gown
If you're a geek, chances are you have a massive Princess Leia in the gold bikini fetish. But if you're anything like me-whose two favourite things are being geeky and liking fashion-then you've probably noticed that Amidala leaves old Leia for for dead in the sartorial stakes. A couture queen, Amidala's gowns are breathtaking, and there's a part of me that's always wanted to don her clothes, brandish a light saber and get all tied up in intergalactic love and politics and Hayden Christiansen and such.
2. Natalie Portman as a stripper in Closer
There are very few movies that I would say have changed my life, but Closer was most certainly one. Not only was it profoundly moving, but Natalie Portman makes a disconcertingly classy stripper, and an even more stunning pink-head. I can has wig?
3. Kate Bush 'Babooshka'
Xena Warrior Princess move over... Kate Bush is the reigning costume queen. Honourable mention for the Wuthering Heights red dress too.
4. Beyonce 'Sweet Dreams'
Not only do I spend hours in front of my bedroom mirror every night attempting to perfect my robot dance, I also hope that some day technology will advance to the point where I can have my very own Beyonce robot. Then we can practice our moves together.
5. David Bowie as the Goblin King in Labyrinth
You remind me of the babe... What babe? Perhaps that babe bulging from between Bowie's legs? Just kidding, in all serious, Bowie rules. He's invited to my fantasy dinner party.
6. Blair Waldorf Prom dress
Blair's prom dress come selflessly romantic gift from Chuck Bass makes me want to be a rich-New-York-upper-east-side-teenager-prom-queen-with-a-hot-date-not-to-mention-a-hot-Bass-lurking-in-the-wings. Sigh.
7. Mia Wallace
Mrs. Wallace is the ultimate anti-hero, and we all know there is something so mesmerisingly tantalising about an anti-hero. Oozing unbridled cool, arresting beauty and boyish nonchalance, Mia Wallace's untucked while shirt and cropped pants and not to mention that black bob are the ultimate in man-style chic.
8. Girls Aloud ‘I can’t Speak French’
Just take one look at those get ups and tell me you don't want to put one on and do choreographed dances in front of a fan with coloured confetti raining down on you with four of your best babes.
9.Geri Halliwell Union Jack Dress
I wouldn't exactly call it a dress, although it purports to be, this skimpy number would have to be one of the most iconic stage costumes of my generation.
10. Karen O Hand in Christian Joy hand cape and head dress at Lollapalooza
The most charismatic of the charismatic, with stage presence that spills over the stage and hushes a crowd, whips it into a frenzy, brings it to tears and leaves it hankering for just one more moment, Karen O is the showman to outlast them all. And as such, the hand cape and head dress have come to define a performer like no other...