Dino Inspo

Hurray! Rivals of Ixalan is officially released! To celebrate, for the next four weeks, each Friday I’ll be putting together an outfit that tries to capture the essence of the four groups in Ixalan. The four tribes are: Dinosaurs, Merfolk, Pirates, and Vampires. My goal is to put together each outfit for under $100. This is a casual cosplay that anyone could pick up and wear if they were interested in representing their favorite team on game night. This week – dinosaurs!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Magic the Gathering, or if you just haven’t played in a while, Rivals of Ixalan is the latest set in the Ixalan block. In Magic, each player controls a deck of cards. The cards are either spells or mana, and mana is used to summon spells. Mana comes in five flavors (white, blue, black, red, green), but sets will often combine these mana colors to create new combinations (red-green, or black-red-blue).

Ixalan featured four main “tribes” you could create while playing cards, and Rivals of Ixalan won’t be changing that particular format too much, just improving on it. I listed the four tribes above, but the only one you need to focus on right now is dinosaurs.

I won’t lie to you – we’re doing my personal favorite first. Dinosaurs fall into the red-green-white (Naya) section of the color wheel. And red-green in particular is my jam. If you’re not familiar with the colors in magic, this particular combination is known for being particularly aggressive. Which means dinosaurs are fierce! No surprise there. Of course, I think all the tribes on Ixalan are fierce in their own way. But dinosaurs? Dinos are pretty aggressive, and they aren’t subtle about it, either. Dinosaurs in Rivals of Ixalan aren’t afraid to get in your face, and they aren’t afraid to kick your ass. The outfit below is for those days when you’re not afraid to get in a fight, and when you know you could win that fight too.

Small aside. Because we’re working with a budget, I’m not picking out clothes that are designed to last forever. This means that much of the pieces I choose will come from fast fashion sites. You can think of what I put together as more of an idea or inspiration, and not necessarily an immediate “to purchase” list. Of course, it can be that if you want it to be, and when putting this list together, I wanted everyone to have that option. But you also have the choice of looking at what I’ve put together and finding more ethical options, or more expensive options – whatever options you prefer, depending on the price point you’re comfortable with. 

Shoes – $35

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up. I felt like some kick ass combat boots were a must. Dinosaurs are big, and combat boots give us a little of that height, but also let us keep that bad-ass attitude that we’re looking for. For the ones I’ve linked above, I would suggest the color white, but it comes in other colors too. I suggest white because I like the way it fits in with the colors that surround dinosaurs in Rivals of Ixalan. If you prefer the classic black, I would also recommend switching the pants to a more traditional blue jean (I’m picturing something dark blue).

Jeans – $20

On to the pants. I thought about going for a more traditional army look with some cargo pants, but I decided the classic skinny jeans and boots combo are a classic for a reason. These are just your regular skinny jeans. They’re low rise, so it’s a little risky, but so is life when you’re a rampaging dinosaur, you know? You’re a big girl, and you can stand to take some risks when you’re an aggressive 6/6. Again, I went with green jeans because 1. I love that color pie but also because 2. I think green corduroys and green jeans are just underrated. As I mentioned above, if you’re not feeling the color combo, go for some traditional dark blue skinny jeans instead.

Top – $18

Man, I love this top. It’s a little flashy, and kind of sexy; just like Regisaur Alpha. I like the sequins on the top too. Dinosaurs are like reptilian birds, which means scales, and I think the sequins do a good job of filling in for scales. They’re shimmery and shiny, and there to call attention; again, they’re filling in for the dino scales. And again, with a red top we get to stay inside the color pie. Red is the most aggressive color in the color wheel, and while a more toned down or classy look could be achieved with a white camisole, in this case red seems more appropriate for what we’re trying to achieve.

Jacket – $35

And, of course, some outerware. Because you can’t just leave those scales unprotected! This is technically a men’s bomber jacket, but I think it would look great on women. An oversized jacket also helps contribute to the big strength picture we’re creating. The picture on the right is in black, but I prefer the wine red color that’s also available. Perfect for the look we’re going for.

This brings our total for the whole outfit to: $98.

Extras

If you want some extras, and you’re willing to spend a little extra, I have a few accessories to recommend as well.

Dinosaurs aren’t just known for their big teeth and big claws. In the realm of Ixalan, dinosaurs can be flyers too. They’re not just monsters – they’re monsters with feathers! So of course we would need some feathers to go with our outfit. I think these earrings from Etsy are perfect. The seller has some in other colors as well, but the yellow ones I’ve linked to are more appropriate for dinos.

Yellow is appropriate because, for better or worse, the dinosaurs on Ixalan act as an extra protection against the discovery of the lost city of Orazca – a fabled city covered in gold, where people worship the sun. Throwing in some gold accents, then, would also be appropriate. This necklace, for example, is perfect. The necklace length is 24 inches, so it’ll hit around mid-chest. Another choice might be this one, the hammered gold sheen immediately calling to mind lost golden temples; or, if you’re truly set on a feathered theme, this one.

And finally, some make up. In this case, we’re going with just eye shadow and mascara, no eye liner. The mascara you use is up to you. For eye shadow, I’m going to recommend Colorpop’s Fluffy. It’s a creamy, sparkly eye shadow in a warm gold color. Perfect for the defenders of Orazca. For the lips, I’m recommending a matte rose from Fenty Beauty. This shade is called Spanked, which is how your opponents are going to feel after you go 4-0 with dinosaurs tonight. Good luck!