I Wish I Was a Mermaid SO MUCH...Don't You?

Top: Pam Dawber in Faerie Tale Theatre's The Little Mermaid
Bottom: Cher in Mermaids

Like many little girls, I used to love pretending to be a mermaid anytime I was in water. I used to swish my long hair around under the water like the beautiful and mystical sea creature I thought I was. I would cross and hold my legs together like fins and dive in and out of the water with the enthusiasm and precision of someone who thought they had actually transformed into a mermaid. Sadly, my dreams of underwater romances and adventures never came to be, but my fascination with the mermaid look has not faded away.

My first mermaid beauty inspiration- Faerie Tale Theatre's 1987 version of The Little Mermaid, which I happen to own on VHS (!). The mermaids sport the most glorious headgear that I still lust for to this very day. Why Pearl would trade her slammin’ mermaid headdress for human legs is beyond me.

My second mermaid inspiration- Cher is a vision in her mermaid costume in the 1990 film Mermaids. She wears a similar headpiece to the one in the Faerie Tale Theatre, but girl wears it with sass. Her character is so feisty and glamorous that I immediately loved her, plus she had an amazing 1960s inspired wardrobe, seeing as the film is set in the early sixties.

It seems I’m not the only one who takes beauty and fashion tips from mermaid films:


Top: Milan Fashion Week
Bottom: Spin Magazine March 2010

When I first noticed Courtney Love’s affection for Kat Swank's elaborate mermaid-y headdresses paired with glittery face make-up I automatically thought of both films above. Both of headpieces are made by Kat Swank of Liason by Kat Swank. Her work can be found on Etsy but it’s seriously going to set you back a few bucks if you would like to make your mermaid fantasies come true. Not all of her work will transform you into a whimsical sea creature, but there are a few pieces I wouldn’t mind sticking on my head and splashing around in. On second thought, maybe just a bit of wading. I wouldn’t want to mess up my fancy mermaid headgear with…water…How silly would that be?