Friendly Plastic Fan Handle

I've been mildly interested in fixed fans of the mid-19th century. I will owe you a post with some images for reference. Instead, today I present you with me ACTUALLY FINISHING SOMETHING! Rejoice. I have had this feathered pad (rescued from a cheap mask) waiting around for a while, but to be a feathered fixed fan it really needed a handle. I'd considered doing something with wood, but it was never quite right and wood is definitely not my area of expertise. Just recently I was struck by inspiration - friendly plastic. It comes as tiny plastic pellets, and they get soft enough in water to shape by hand. Then when the plastic cools, it gets completely hard. So even though you know this is plastic, pretend it is something more period like bone. It looks pretty nice, even if I couldn't find a dark background for picture-taking.

Parasol Pockets Part 2

I was going to post about something completely different, but I got some insightful comments followed by a really astounding email from Gemma, full of fashion plates from The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine. Even though she did all the work of finding these, I just had to pass them on. While you're looking them over, consider the evidence. A lot of these are very short for a parasol, it seems that non-triangular shaped pockets appear in similar contexts, and nowhere are these referred to as parasol pockets. On the other hand, the 1870s is a good time period for tiny accessories so we might be talking about short parasols, the existence of non-triangular pockets does not mean they were used for the same thing, and we could still be missing some perfect example of the parasol pocket in action. Still, this could just have been a fashion for impractically shaped pockets (some of them are kind of deep to be so narrow, don't you think?), and it would not be the first time a museum made something up that seemed cute and plausible. Ask my mother about Civil War Tear-catchers some time. On to the evidence!

January 1876: There is definitely a pocket there (under the second bow), but it is not one of the triangular ones.

January 1876: This does look like a triangular pocket, though most of it is hidden under a bow. No parasol in sight.

January 1876: The woman on the left has a square pocket with fringe in the place I might expect one of these triangular pockets.

May 1876: The woman on the right has a shallow triangular pocket.

May 1876: Both of these women have triangular pockets. Neither has a parasol.

July 1876: A lot of triangular pocket designs!

July 1876: But no mention of a "parasol pocket"...

August 1876: The woman on the left has a triangular pocket.

August 1876: A deep triangular pocket AND a tiny fashionable parasol. Is this good news?

August 1876: Maybe that wasn't such great news. The woman on the left has a cute little parasol, but a not-very-triangular pocket.

August 1876: Another triangular-ish pocket on the right.

August 1876: Two triangular pockets, no parasols. Hmmm.

September 1876: No way is that long parasol fitting comfortably in that short pocket.

September 1876: Again, that is a really long parasol for a relatively short (though quite triangular) pocket.

September 1876: Another pocket.

October 1876: Another pocket, woman on the right.

October 1876: Yet another pocket, woman on the right.

November 1876: This could practically be an unattached pocket, something worn slung over the skirt like a purse on a belt. But more likely it is a decorative feature and just another triangular skirt pocket.

November 1876: Another pocket with a bow!

November 1876: The woman on the right has a subtle but long pocket.

November 1876: Another pocket. It is triangular. I'm getting less insightful as this goes on...

March 1877: A very square and not triangular pocket. Interesting.

March 1877: A very deep triangular pocket, of the type I might actually comfortably put a parasol in. I would not want to go fishing for small objects in that, though.

March 1877: A probably triangular pocket on the left, but a square one on the right.

March 1877: One more triangular pocket, on the woman on the right.

Parasol Pockets

So, I've noticed this thing about 1870s dresses. Sometimes they have a hilarious little triangular pocket. A parasol pocket? You tell me. I haven't found any contemporary mentions of such a thing, nor any paintings of a woman with an actual parasol in such a pocket. On the other hand, they appear to be a recurring theme in original garments. Is this absolutely inspired, or kind of dumb? You decide!

Early 20th Century Tiara

I love tiaras, and as far as I am concerned, sparkles are always fashionable. But having a headdress with dangling temple ornaments really strikes me as a 1920s kind of thing, making this particular tiara distinctive and cool in an early 20th century way. I really love it. I also spot some Greek key and laurel-like influences. This is so pretty and striking! Way to take hair ornamentation to the next level, don't you think?

Brave's Queen Elinor Stole Ellen Terry's Macbeth Dress

So, let's be honest. This post is for my friend Raven (who has a new blog, actually), who studied abroad in Scotland and is excited about the upcoming Disney movie Brave. To be fair, Disney movies are a lot of fun. But I noticed something about the Queen's dress in Brave... It looks familiar. Do you see it

That's it! It looks like a total rip-off of the Macbeth costume worn by Ellen Terry. This beetle encrusted dress has undergone some recent conservation work and is looking really spiffy. Also, she was painted in it by Sargent, and he is one of my favorites. Do you see the similarities now? Or am I crazy?

Ellen Terry as Macbeth, 1888

The painting by Sargent... WOW

The Dress

And again

Conservation work! Beetle bodies! Cool!

The New Dress, by Talbot Hughes

On one hand, I really love this dress. It is so beautifully fitted and attractive, the fabric is lovely, and it is just striking. On the other hand, it is also the weirdest thing I've ever seen. What is going on here? Is it an European dress with a drape? A fitted sari? Can you even do that? I just don't even know how to interpret this. I wonder if this is a thing I just don't know about, or if it is a lone occurrence because artists are weird and don't have to paint normal dresses. Anyway, it sure is pretty.

 But since the red and gold brocade is so inspiring, here is another Worth for you (although it is certainly a bit earlier at 1885). Oh yeah!

1900 Pink Worth Wheat Dress

Of course, it is a Worth. Of course, it belongs to the Met and not to me. Still, I love wheat as a motif. Not sure why, but it just speaks to me!

Peacock Showgirl

I've posted about peacock gowns and dresses and costumes before. But this - oh, this is a peacock outfit fit for a charming Edwardian showgirl. No doubt about it. WOW! Where could I need to wear this? Serious question.

Chez L'Artiste (Les Gravures) by Albert Edelfelt

Do I have a thing for french paintings? Perhaps. But it means I don't do a good job learning things about them. This appears to be from 1881. I just LOVE the black and white look here. It is so striking. My favorite part is the cute white shoes with black stockings. It is a bold look don't you think? And the gloves make the outfit.