Hollywood Costume Exhibit in LA

When I was in California last week to see my sister, I had the chance to see the Hollywood Costume exhibit currently on display at the LACMA. Seriously, if you're in the LA area, go now. There are 150 movie costumes on display from so many favorite films: Pretty Woman, Indiana Jones, Mary Poppins and more. But as I wandered through the pitch black exhibit (very similar to a movie theater experience), my heart stopped when I discovered the banana yellow jacket from the film Dick Tracy.

Here's the thing: Dick Tracy was a movie that I L-O-V-E-D as a kid. The funny thing is I never wanted to see it. I was 8 years old and my cousins were in town from Maine. So, what did we do? We went to the movies! I have no idea why, but I was so mad that my cousins got to pick the film. "It's a boooy movie!" I whined to my parents. "Your cousins are guests!" my parents pushed back. "They get to choose the film." I sobbed—in the dramatic way that only 8 year olds can do—the whole car ride there, then begrudgingly got popcorn and took my seat in the theater. No joke: As soon as the opening credits rolled, I was hooked. I raved about the movie the whole car ride home. In the weeks that followed, I bought the poster, the Madonna soundtrack (remember, she was one of the co-stars?), the trading cards. I even remember marking my calendar waiting for the film to come out on VHS. When it did, my parents drove me to the Disney Store to buy it. "How much?" I asked the sales lady. "It costs $90." I was crushed.

To see that costume 12 inches from my face was unreal—and it was even cooler to see it with my sister who cheerfully indulged my obsession as a kid, making music videos with me to the Madonna soundtrack and watching the film on repeat for months (yes, the price eventually went down low enough for me to buy it).

The exhibit's on display through March. Will you go?

PS: A full recap of my trip coming next week!

(Images via the LA Times, Couture in the Suburbs, and Red Hot Society)