5 Accessory and Style Enhancements That Make a Clown Shine

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Have you created your clown look and need something to make you stand out? Do you want to be the shiniest of shiny clowns? Perhaps you are just stuck and haven't actually created your look yet. No matter where you are, these fun accessory and style enhancements can help make clowns of all ages shine bright.

The hair must be unique. If you really want to shine as a clown, get creative with the hair. To accent the traditional multicolored clown afro, try adding accessories to the hair or jazzing it up with very visible glitter. But the afro is not necessary to being a clown. Try something zany like spiked braids, unruly colorful pigtails, a green mohawk, or anything else that comes to mind. Be sure that whatever style you choose, it fits your personality as a clown.

Don't spare the glitter. What makes a person shine more than glitter? Use glitter pencils to accent any areas of the face that you want to stand out. Glitter tears can enhance the mood of a sad clown. Glitter stars anywhere on the face makes happiness features stand out, especially at the corners of the eyes and mouth. But don't limit the glitter to your face! Try glittery fingernails, clothing accents, or full-blown glittery clothing. Glitter on the shoes says you have happy dancing feet.

Bigger is better. If your clown persona seems boring, make one or more things bigger than life size. Clown pants and shoes are one area this is prevalent. But try making something else bigger, such as your hair, a hand, or your props. For instance, an extra large umbrella could make for some fun scenes, as well as accent the look. Shiny up and dress up these extra large accents to make them stand out even more.

Tiny size it? This has the opposite effect of making things larger than life, but is also valuable in clowning. Wear some of your clothing and accessories too small. Try using a tiny coat in a big rainstorm. Place a teeny top hat atop your head. You may have to glue it to your hair. Shrinking things from their normal size is always good fodder for standing out and can add to the performance in many ways.

Umbrellas everywhere!  No clown is complete without some sort of umbrella. An umbrella can be used for various gags, whether it is small or large. It also doubles as a great matching (or mismatching) accessory. Try putting a drink umbrella inside your shirt pocket. It can be glued there or it can be left loose for performance reasons. Remove the tops of drink umbrellas and glue them to clothing for a unique accent. Use them as a shade over eyeglasses as well. Parasols are wonderful for acting out fun scenes and can also double or triple as a cane or fashion statement. Get creative and use this multipurpose prop and accessory to its fullest.

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