Those who know Brigette Pheloung online as Acquired Style know that nothing is “casual” when it comes to her fashion choices, especially during the holidays.
Last Thanksgiving, the content creator’s 1.4 million TikTok followers watched her turn a low-key family gathering into a fashion show with the $8,800 Parker Zinn knit dress that went viral online.
But after successfully pulling off the over-the-top look, Brigette, who has created a style tradition of dressing extravagantly for her relatives’ holiday parties in 2021, wasted no time thinking about what to wear on Christmas Eve.
“I liked the idea of repetition [an outfit worn by] holiday barbie. After looking at all the legendary ones, I thought the 2007 one was perfect,” the 27-year-old tells PEOPLE.
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Brigette Pheloung in a custom Undone by Kate gown made of satin, faux fur and Chantilly lace.
Brigette Pheloung/Tiktok; Brigette Pheloung/Instagram
Right after Thanksgiving, she approached Kate March, founder of Undone by Kate, the New York-based label that makes clothes for Selena Gomez, Kelsea Ballerina, and Julia Fox, about creating a life-size version of formal wear for dolls.
In less than three weeks, the pair squeezed in three accessories with time to spare for the brand to actually create a finished product (a feat in itself considering it usually takes them up to six months to come up with a design, says Brigette).
The finished product was an exact replica of an ensemble of Mrs. Claus-like dolls from the early 2000s.
Crafted from Italian ruby satin trimmed with faux fur and special black Chantilly lace embellished with bow motifs for an “extra special touch”, she was exactly what Brigette had hoped for. She even accessorized the dress with a furry white headband and opera gloves to really be on theme.
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As impressive as it looked, the dress, says Brigette, had some physical limitations as it weighed about “6-10 pounds due to the amount of crinoline, bone and materials needed to give it Barbie volume!” Plus, the length made it difficult to walk after wearing her heels.
However, the custom item was not “too heavy for hanging out and relaxing.” Plus, she didn’t wear it all night (changing clothes for Brigette is a holiday routine as she has to take painstaking measures most times to ensure her looks, many of which are gifted or borrowed, stay clean). “I held him for the first two and a half hours on Christmas Eve and changed right before we ate,” she says.
The entire look cost $6,000 to create, the price includes accessories, sketches, fabrics and unlimited alterations, plus a prototype dress used for fitting and the actual dress worn on Christmas Eve.
Brigette, who along with her twin sister Danielle worked with March on their recent Sabrina Carpenter Halloween costumes, says Undone by Kate pieces typically cost about $3,000 to $10,000 to make to order. Other non-custom pieces can be purchased for several hundred – or several thousand – dollars on the company’s website.
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The big reveal didn’t disappoint either, with her followers and her “Gap-jeans” clad family all impressed.
A TikTok video that has garnered more than 5 million views captures the reactions of Brigette’s relatives when they saw the dress. He also showed them taking pictures with her – and her own 2007 Holiday Barbie.
“One of my uncles said ‘I’m not sure my jeans are fancy enough to be in the same room with you right now.’ We all laughed.”
If you’re wondering if Brigette is looking forward to Thanksgiving next year, the answer is yes. There may be just over 300 days left, but she’s already updating her mood board as the days go by. “A lot of my followers send me pictures of inspiration, so I keep everything in a photo album on my phone.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education