I fell in love with a dress

Every year I assist with the costumes for my daughter’s school play.  This year they put on Singing in the Rain.  So we were pretty surrounded with flappers—fringe and beads and feathers. 

But, somehow, amongst the stockpile of clothing, there was a beautiful midnight-blue velveteen dress from the 1930’s.  A real, vintage dress from the 30’s!

 And as soon as I touched it, I fell in love.  It was beautiful to look at, and it caught my eye at first glance, but it wasn’t until I actually reached out and experienced the brilliance of the bias cut, that I fell in love.  

.  If I could wear a dress like this every day, I would.  It feels so good to touch, and I can only imagine that it feels even better to wear—to be surrounded by that beautiful shimmery-ness! And the details on this dress—especially the sleeves. 

 Sadly, it is quite a bit worse for the wear, and my pictures really don’t do it justice, but I’ll leave you to feast your eyes, and dream of a more elegant time…

It might have been the buttons...

There's a new vintage shop that has opened up on Great Western Road, in Glasgow - everything for £10. Weeks ago I went in and among the fusty and garish gowns spanning from the 1960s to the 1980s, this plain cotton underdress stood out to me.

Not only was it plain and simple, and cotton, it also seemed quite old. I'd say 1920s. Well, I resisted the first time, and the second time, and even the third time. After that, I gave in and bought it. It is in astonishingly good shape. In fact, if it wasn't for the embroidered buttons, monogram, and lace, it looks brand new!

Metal (I think) buttons covered in embroidery floss.

Reinforcement on the other side of the button. And what lovely lace!

The front of the underdress and the monogram.

A full- length view of the underdress.

I justified buying this as I thought I could use it as a shift to go under my stays (corset) for the 1830s dress I'm finishing up (that will have to be a later post). I have a shift, but alas, I left it in New York. However, I tried on my dress today, and it served very well as a shift.

The underdress in action (and a sneak-peek of my dress and a not-to-distant post about it - I hope!).

Elementary, my dear costume designer

I've been watching the American modern-day Sherlock Holmes TV series, Elementary, since it first aired on September 27th, 2012.  It is not as good as the British one, but it somehow leaves me just interested enough that I keep coming back for more.  To me, Jonny Lee Miller just doesn't quite fit the Sherlock Holmes part.  I did, however, realize that he vaguely reminds me of Dr Gregory House.  And since I am having House withdrawals, I think that Elementary is filling that void.

That being said, one of my favorite things about the show is Lucy Liu's wardrobe.  I have rarely seen costuming this good in a modern television setting.  The costume designer, Rebecca Hofherr, is obviously trying to be understated and not too distracting.  But she still manages to give Joan Watson (Lucy Liu's character) tons of style, which I believe adds greatly to her character.  

Here is a quote from Rebecca Hofherr:  “It is, for all intents and purposes, a crime show, and the usual thing is to have the characters on crime shows in uniforms and suits, but Lucy’s character is not a detective, so I was really excited to know that every week I could put her in way more exciting clothing than you’d see on a standard detective show.”

In my own life, I am constantly trying to ride the line between casual and dressy.  Her entire wardrobe does this perfectly.  I love that she is often wearing skirts and tights, or tight things with slouchy things, and sometimes there is even a pleasing pop of color.  Apparently Lucy Liu herself has a lot of input on her character's style.  This definitely shows, because she is obviously comfortable in her clothes, which I think is very important for an actor.  

As a side note, I'm not really crazy about the costuming on Jonny Lee Miller, though that would be a hard character to dress.  I guess I just want his clothing to be a little more unique, and in this it is fairly average.

P.S.  As long as we are talking about Lucy Liu, I figured I might as well include her red carpet dress from this year's Golden Globes (Carolina Herrera).  This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite red carpet dresses from the entire season!

Good Foundations

One of my greatest memories having to do with fashion has to do with shoes!  I had flat feet growing up and because of my orthotics I had to wear ugly shoes.  When buying new shoes I usually ended up with a bulky, brown leather, laced up shoe!!! I hated them.  I wanted shoes that made that "clip clop lady sound".  I wanted pretty shoes that made a sound that echoed in my ears.  My grand-daughter now does the same thing.  She is 1-1/2 and one of her favorite things to do is put on my shoes and walk on the wood floor.  No one taught her that, she puts them on and her face lights up.  She giggles when she hears that "clip clop sound".  Just like when I was young, the sound and feel make her happy.  When I heard it, I knew I was pretty, I knew I was powerful, I knew that I could do anything I wanted and go anywhere I chose.

Today I feel much the same.  Shoes and feet are very important to the way I feel.  They carry me into situations that are good and some that are bad.  They support me when the weight of the world is on my shoulders and holding me straight when everything is sideways.  A shoe can make me feel powerful or sexy, make me feel fun or serious.  A shoes is the very foundation of an outfit.  A good foundation is what is needed for most things in life, and I believe it is the same for fashion.

Shoes, shoes and more shoes!  I can put on an outfit that is ok and looks fine but when I add a pair of shoes!!! the outfit changes, it becomes something more.  A pair of jeans with a t-shirt and sweater can suddenly look sensational.  A shoe is the finishing touch to an outfit.  I do love shoes of all kinds.  Heels, flats, strappy sandals - red, pink, yellow, floral.  It doesn't really matter to me so long as they are not a bulky brown leather lace-up shoe!

No matter what your shoe choice may be you can't ignore what goes inside!  

Of all the things I do just for me, I think a pedicure is definitely one of my favorites!  Sitting on a comfortable seat, in a bright room, that smells like flowers makes me feel like a queen.  Not only do my feet become soft and smooth but my soul reacts the same way.  It always seems to take me forever to pick a color to put on my nails. I find myself searching and researching the wall of nail polish, imagining how each would look on my toes.  My daughter would say I always end up with some kind of RED. She is probably right, but last week I picked a soft spring purple.  What better way to start off Spring.   With this soft purple on my toes I feel like I carry a bit of Spring with me wherever I go. Even though it is still cold outside and I have to cover up my new polish, I feel better knowing that under my shoes are perfectly painted toenails. 

A good foundation is important, because with a perfect pedicure and a pair of beautiful shoes you really can do anything you want and go anywhere you want to go!

In the Beginning

When I was a baby I loved to play dress-up.  I am told I would climb out of my crib, make my way to the dresser, and try on new outfits; one on top of the other.  I think this must have been the beginning of my love affair with clothes!

Growing up, my Mother always made sure we were surrounded by beautiful things.  My father also loved beautiful things, but also had an appreciation for quality craftsmanship in everything.  I believe all of this has helped to shape me into the person I am today, and has had an affect on the things I love and admire.  

As a little girl, I enjoyed getting "pretty" during the holidays!  I loved shopping for new dresses and I remember loving the smell of new shoes!  I have wonderful memories of playing dress-up with my cousin, Bekah, in my grandmother's high heeled shoes.  We were always afraid to ask her, for fear that she would say no, which would inevitably leave us terribly disappointed.  She always said yes, so I have no idea why we were so worried!  We loved to traipse around in her heels and pretend to be sophisticated ladies, pretend to be all grown up! 

When Morag and I were little, we oftentimes had matching clothing (almost like we were twins...I still don't understand it!)  One Easter, we not only had our matching dresses, but we were also lucky enough to have a new Easter bonnet, a little matching purse and new, shiny, white patent leather shoes.  I felt so pretty and like such a little lady! 

As a teenager I fell in love with the Beatles, which led to my affection for anything and everything from the Swinging Sixties!  I would day-dream for hours what it would have been like to live during a time with so much happening in the world of music, pop culture and politics.  It seemed like such an exciting time to me.

A lot of my friends were also fascinated with the Sixties, and we would talk for hours on the subject.  When I was 12 or 13 a friend of mine had a Sixties themed party, and we all had so much fun dressing up.

I absolutely adored Twiggy.

I loved her big eyes,

her short haircut,

and her streamlined, androgynous style.  As a child, I was lanky, skinny and awkward and I believe I related to her during that uncomfortable "teenage" time.

Over the years, my taste has inevitably changed.  Don't get me wrong - I still love Twiggy, but I no longer feel the need to emulate her in every way!  I still love to dress-up, I still love to try on new clothes and I still love to acquire a new pair of shoes, or a coveted handbag!  I believe that "dressing up" changes ones demeanor in a positive way, and it changes the way others perceive you.  Whoever says that appearances don't matter is obviously fooling themselves!  I have many times mourned the fact that we live in an age where leaving the house in your pajamas and a t-shirt is somehow acceptable.  When I wear a pretty dress, I feel more lady-like and that translates into the way I carry myself and the way I feel about myself as a person.  I most definitely feel more pretty when I take the time to wear a nice outfit and do my hair and make-up.  I look at it as an investment in myself.  I love to dress-up and I love pretty things in general!  Moving forward with this blog, I look forward to sharing some of those ideas with you!   

These aren't the Vikings you're looking for.

Contrary to popular belief, Vikings didn't wear winged helmets. Not in Scotland, anyway!

I usually adhere pretty closely to fashions of the 1920s, though I do have favourite periods ranging from medieval to, well, about the 1920s and 1930s. However, these past few months I've been positively steeped in 9th to 12th century Britain. My favourite class this semester was entitled "Northern Britons" and included the area in which I am currently living (Glasgow). 

One of the places we learned about is the fascinating town of Govan. It is now part of Glasgow, but in its glory days (9th to 11th centuries) it was a power unto itself. What on earth, you are asking yourself about now, does this have to do with fashion? I'm getting there. 

One of the Norse influenced stones from Govan Old Parish Chuch.

Well, I've signed up to volunteer at Govan Old Parish Church, which houses remarkable carved stones from these early centuries, and although the church itself is 19th century, a church of some description has been on that sight since about the 7th century. And I keep thinking how jolly it would be if I could dress up in 9th or 10th century garb whilst telling people about the remarkable stones in the church. The stones have a strong Norse influence, as there were Vikings in the area during this period, so I thought I would share with you some authentic Viking garb, and I can daydream about having a spiffy Viking dress some day. 

A drawing made based on a skeleton found in a Viking boat burial in Orkney: The Westness Woman. Note the large oval brooch's holding up her apron (source: The Sea Road, by Olwyn Owen).

A Viking brooch (source: Bridgeman art gallery).

A modern ensemble available to buy! I know you're all going to rush out and buy your Viking dress today!
(http://www.revivalclothing.com/10th-11thcearlymedievalvikingaprondress.aspx)

Now Introducing...

As I start this blog, I thought it would be nice to tell you a little bit about all of us. We are six sisters who have six unique points of view about the world of fashion.  Together, we hope to be able to share our opinions on styles and trends both contemporary and historic.  I will give a short introduction to each of us: 

HEATHER - The Historic Bohemian

From being the ultimate "Uptown Girl" in High School, to living on a farm and owning her own sheep. She is well versed in the traditions and practices of fashion.

JENNIFER - The Politicians Wife

Her tastes are well refined and she is a great collector of accessories.

REBECCAH - The Romantic Savant

She is the type of girl who always looks like a million bucks.  She is always up on the latest trends and is an avid reader of all the major fashion magazines.

MORAG (moi) - The Quirky Connoisseur

I am a huge lover of Pop Culture both present and past!  I love mixing the old with the new!

MAIRI - The Bygone Free-Thinker

When she is interested in something, she becomes an expert.  An Archaeologist and Silver Screen aficionado, her wealth of knowledge is limitless! 

APRIL - The Young Perfectionist

She can safely claim the young point of view, while adding to it her own flair and class.