Let’s Play Dress-up! An Introduction to Disneybound and Characterbound Subcultures

We all grew up with the influence of the Disney company – from it’s flagship TV channels Disney Channel and Disney Junior (formerly Playhouse Disney), to its many theme parks in the United State of America, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and France. Mickey and friends have even become fashion icons from collaborations with major fashion brands, from Uniqlo to Louis Vuitton. But have you ever thought of incorporating the colours or patterns of any Disney Intellectual Properties (IPs) into your daily and everyday wear?

What is Disneybound? 

Disneybound is a lifestyle/fashion trend pioneered by Leslie Kay through her book – Disneybound: Dress Disney and Make it Fashion. It’s a way for Disney Adults to wear the outfits of their favourite characters from the main Disney roster – Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel – and even the rides from the parks! It’s also a way to bypass the park rules for adults, who are not allowed to wear costumes within the parks premises.  

Is it cosplay?

It’s not quite cosplay. Cosplay is more common among a subculture of netizens, and is a more expensive activity, with costume and props that could be quite costly. Disneybound is inexpensive, as you can bound any and every of Disney’s roster of characters with your existing wardrobe!

There are a lot of ways to get inspiration to begin your Disneybound journey; inspiration boards are found on Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. Not only that – there are different interpretation/style variants of the same character. If… the inspiration board isn’t catering to your style, you can always mix and match to your taste. (There is no right or wrong way when it comes to fashion).

Don’t forget to accessorize!  

Accessories are an integral part of any outfit – they could be necklaces, earrings, bracelets etc. Disneybound ideas would have a multitude of accessory choices for any outfit bound. For official matching tie ins, there is a brand that is every bounder’s must have – Loungefly. Loungefly is the sister brand of the popular Funko Pop Vinyl standees; it is a fashion brand for pop culture fanatics. They have stylish themed backpacks, wallets for series like Disney, Star Wars, Marvel etc. It would make your boundfit a bit more recognizable to the normies.

With the growing popularity of Disneybounding on social media platforms, bounding has expanded to pop culture character bound as well. It’s not just exclusive to Disney IPs anymore – CartoonNetwork, DC comics, Classic movie characters and even anime characters are now sources of inspiration. There are also inspirational boards for those that prefer non-Disney boundfit ideas. There are no limitations to boundfits being specifically for Disney IPs – heck you can even create your own boundfit from your own lifestyle and culture. With the power of Internet and social media, anything is possible.

You can incorporate or piece out your own boundfit that would express yourself and your love to the characters that had inspired you to be who you are in the way that is you. In the end, it is your story to tell in the style of fashion that suits you best.

For more inspiration for your boundfit, don’t forget to socialize with other bounders or use the #Disneybound or #Characterbound whenever you are posting your boundfits.