The Pimp Polka

Inquiring minds wanted to know (see my previous post). Luckily, I have a poor quality video! I can take no responsibility for this, but Nick and the two Julia's came up with it, and I think it is fairly darling (if questionably named).

1890s at the Roger Williams Casino

For the 1890s ball, we went all out on the glitter. For me that meant a tiara, two necklaces, and 14 sparkly bow pins. Excessive? Since it was all about the sparkles, I made the dress out of black velvet for maximum visibility. Add some big hair, and it's a thing. I started Mother's dress for Newport last year, but we didn't get as far as a bodice. Everything this year was a little rushed (I lost about a month of preparation time to the flu followed by a vicious cold), but the fabric is lovely. It deserves to be trimmed with something pretty next time, though. Julia's dress was also new (and unfinished). I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but it is the most amazing fabric ever. Pretty green gauze all covered in gold and embroidery. Wow. Pictures!

The lights are making my tiara difficult to distinguish, but it is a fabulous one, all fleur de lys and sparkles!

Black velvet shows off the bows. I think I need more for the bodice, though. What do you think?

Sitting.

All the angles.

With Julia. This doesn't do the green dress any justice. It is amazing.

With Adrian

Pugliese girls, covered in sparkles

People dancing

More people. More dancing.

Zombie cakewalk!

More typical cakewalk. You can't see me behind Julia, but you can see my foot.

I believe they call this the pimp polka

Jewels, Gems, and Treasures at the MFA

About couple of weeks ago (but oh, I've been busy since then), I went to the MFA with a dear friend. At the moment, they are having an awfully sparkly exhibition called "Jewels, Gems, and Treasures." There were some cool ancient things, but obviously I'm most interested in jewelry that I could wear to a dance event. If only it was mine! Here are my favorites.

Oh, if I could have stolen one thing, it would have been this. The picture does no justice to the size of this thing! It is an 1890s corsage ornament. I found a website with what I think is the same item (or something very similar, at the least), and it claims to be 23.5 cm long. Wild, don't you think?

A detail of the 1890s corsage ornament. Look at those diamonds glitter!

This early 1860s set belonged to Mary Todd Lincoln. Cool.

1870s amethyst suite. You know, I really like amethyst. It is so pretty!

I am sure I have seen this one in books. It is a Lalique hair ornament with antennae, from approximately 1900. So cool! I really do love it.

Another view of the same. It was symmetrical, but my camera makes it look funny.

An 1890s Faberge diamond necklace. Oh yeah.

Close up!

And the winner of creepiest jewelry set, this 1870s set is composed of taxidermied hummingbirds. Eww! They have rubies for eyes and little gold beaks. Creepy.

Jules Louis Machard: Jeune femme en tenue de soiree assise pres dun bouquet dhortensias

I love this painting. Unfortunately, I can't find any information about it in English, so it will have to speak for itself. The sleeves are hideously wonderful, all covered in lavender ruffles. The square neckline decoration is actually pretty compelling, in my opinion. I find the fact that this is a 1890s looking ensemble where the skirt and bodice don't really have anything to do with each other really interesting - I have seen a couple of other examples like this, but it does not appear to be particularly common.

Fringe Tiaras as Bodice Jewelry

Fringe tiaras are beautiful and fabulous. They look like this, and have been favorites of royalty throughout the 19th century and beyond. Sometimes they have rounded points, or pointy points, or two types of interlocking spikes... but they all have this approximate Russian-kokoshnik-esque shape. You can wear them perched on your head, or if you're from the 1920s slide them down to the forehead like a bandeau.

 

 

A lot of these tiaras can be worn either as tiaras or necklaces. Extra bang for your buck, right? Actually, convertible tiaras are surpisingly common, and you can find all kinds of cool things (like tiaras where you can pop the jewels out and they are mounted on clips or broach backs, or the tiara breaks into pieces to be worn as a set of bracelets and rings... all sorts of things!). But since I'm focusing on fringe tiaras, let's stay on topic. I think it is neat that the nature of the many-pointed-pieces lets the tiara spread out to lie flat as a necklace. It is very simple and clever.

 But wait, there's more! I think this is totally neat and brilliant. Here is Queen Alexandra wearing what I believe is one or two fringe tiaras... around her waist, attached to the pointed bottom of her bodice. Like an amazing sparkly spikey belt or girdle! HOW COOL IS THAT?

 And here is a picture of Lilly Langtry, doing what looks to me like the same thing. Awesome!

 This is different, but here is are two cool dresses with beaded trim, applied to create a similar effect. I guess this is what you do if you can't afford an amazing fringe tiara. Oh, I need one! Or rather, two (to go around my waist, obviosly!).