Formal Tea

The next big dressing occassion was formal tea. I wore an old (but still beloved) project - my lavender and white striped trained skirt. Then I made a brand new hat to go with it, covered in rose velvet with a giant blue shot pink silk bow on top. Unfortunately, I failed to pack the intended blouse, but I made due with what I had. I lent Julia my even more fabulous black and white trained skirt. They are made from the same pattern, but I installed an enormous thick and wide black ruffle in that one, which really makes the train look fabulous. I think I either need to do the same for the lavender and white skirt, or maybe I can get away with making a really fantastic petticoat. Either way, I better get on that. I also made Julia wear a fabulous three plumed hat I made, even though it freaked her out when the wind kept blowing them. Mother wore a lovely linen skirt with pretty flanges (they look really good in motion), and I trimmed a hat for her at the last minute with pretty yellow striped silk and a plume of ostrich feathers I dyed orange.

Fabulous skirts

And more!

Matching skirts, but hers looks better

Nice hat, Mother

This landscaped pond is easily the prettiest thing on campus

I couldn't pick a favorite

Protect the hat!

Pretty pretty

Nice hat on Adrian, too.

Walking home, looking silly...

Oscar Arthur Bluhm - "Leutnant (und Dame)"

I know basically nothing about this painting, except it seems to have gone up for auction under the title of "Leutnant (und Dame) (um 1900)." But what I love is that charming late-century uniform with the great boots and a monocle or possibly glasses (but I'm voting monocle, because that would obviously cooler). And then there is the woman, wearing a wonderful trained skirt. I love trains. I am not completely confident that this is her whole outfit (as opposed to her being in a state of mild un-dress), but I'm going to pretend I am. In which case, I really like the fabulous and dramatic skirt with a cute belt (maybe, anyway) and a little nothing blouse. I am inspired to make trains... or possibly uniforms. Oh dear.

The End of the Ball - Rogelio de Egusquiza

This is a pretty painting. But the interesting part, in my opinion, is the study photograph it is clearly based on. I love the way they've propped up her train on a stool to make it look like it is swishing.

Ice Blue Swans Down Outfits

My most recent obsession is swans down. It is so fluffy! It is like fur, but possibly even better (and I do really like fur). I am completely in love with this 1870s blue quilted skating waistcoat (Manchester Galleries), which is obviously trimmed in swans down! In fact, I vow to make this. Solemnly so.

This 1885 dress is also lovely (Met). I adore how the train is trimmed all round with down, and how it is gathered up in a bow at the back. Trains, butt bows, and down trimming? I am so inspired!

Russian Court Trains

This is my new favorite picture (it is an 1838 painting of women in the Winter Palace). Let's analyze why.

Actually, it is a small part of this larger picture, which has fabulously dashing uniforms.I love them.

But back to the trains! I am not, in fact, super interested in Russian court trains - they are absolutely beautiful, but not the sort of thing I have a lot of opportunity to wear, so not something I am planning to make very soon. But I am interested in court trains generally, and I am working on one now (I'll write about it when I actually make any progress). The reason I think this painting is so amazing is because the women are not posed. Whenever I see a painting from early in the century, or a photograph from late in the century, women in court trains are perfectly posed, with their trains artfully arranged in a swoop around their feet or carefully spread behind them. Like so.

This is fine if you are sitting still while someone takes a picture or paints a portrait of you. But realistically, what do you do at a ball or a party? Do you carefully let your train drag behind you? We all know this gets your train dirty, but I suppose you don't care if you are some duchess with a slew of seamstresses who can re-line the thing before its next wearing. But it also means your train won't lie as beautifully flat as you think. Seriously, how do you maneuver in one of these? Well, this more candid-style painting shows these women with their trains draped over their arms. Brilliant! Now when I make my court train, I won't be afraid to carry it around when I don't feel like letting it drag.

The First Cloud by Sir William Quiller-Orchardson

A pretty painting, with a pretty trained bustle. The year is 1887, so this makes sense. Bustles are so not my thing, but I still kind of like this one - the train probably saves it for me. I think I like the name of the painter even better than the dress in the painting (Quiller-Orchardson? Somehow that is so neat!).

Formal Tea at Linden Place

For a spiffy afternoon event, check out these pictures of Wednesday's Formal Tea at Linden Place. Also, we had a trolley drive us from the school to the place. Neat. I wore my (newly completely ruffled!) lavender and white striped trained skirt, and a new hat. Julia wore a matching hat, and mother made her a brand new and super amazing pink eyelet skirt, all coated in tucks and pleats and lovely details. It is really super spiffy. While you look at the pictures, be sure to note my strange hobby of jumping into low trees while wearing trained skirts (Look! It's me in a tree!), and the cute boar statue. I liked him.

A Waltham Adventure - The Tea Leaf, Gore Place, and Stonehurst

Yesterday was a grand adventure with a rocky start. A friend invited me to go see Lyman Estate, which was supposed to be having an open house as part of the Historic Waltham Days (lots of wonderful events and thing are happening in Waltham right now). Unfortunately, when we showed up at the Lyman Estate, we were informed that the open house was not Thursday, the 8th, even though all the publicity had given that date. There must have been some misunderstanding somewhere, but so much for that plan.

Since we were looking so lovely, and this is a friend who has been telling me about a particular teahouse nearby forever, we went there. The Tea Leaf is absolutely darling, and the woman who runs it is delightful. We had some delicious tea and tasty cucumber sandwiches for lunch. Yum. Definitely go there when you get a chance. We chatted, both with the woman who owns the Tea Leaf and with some other very nice people eating there, and they all suggested that we go check out Gore Place, since the Lyman Estate hadn't worked out and because Gore Place is lovely. She even called them so they would know we were coming, and they set up a special tour for us. Here is a picture taken at the Tea Leaf - note the seersucker.Gore Place is absolutely gorgeous, and the gentleman who gave us our tour did a spectacular job pointing out fascinating things. I can heartily recommend going to look at it some time. I would tell you all about the house, but there is just too much! Some highlights are the incredible stairs, the fascinatingly large billiards table, the super lovely reproduction wallpaper (especially with the birds... I love that stuff), a particularly beautiful vainty, pretty marble floors, Mr. Gore's outfit for going to court (regal, not legal, if that was unclear), etc. Too many lovely things. Here's a picture in front of the entrance.Next, we went to take a look around Stonehurst, but as we arrived a woman came to the door and told us we could take a look around inside if we wanted, which was very sweet. So we wandered around, inside and out, and I was very much photographed. My favorite is the picture with the big windows... I really love that one for some reason.
So yesterday was an adventurous day, full of Waltham History and good clothing. The end.

What, Another Peacock Dress?

I am not actually planning on making a peacock dress, I promise. I just keep finding interesting ones, and this is too cool not to share.

These are pictures of Mary Victoria Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedelston. Her husband was the viceroy of India, so she had a reason for the indian influence in this dress. This dress was from the house of Worth (so you already know it is going to be good), embroidered all over in gold peacock feather designs, and in the eye of each feather was a beetle wing. The blue-green beetle wings were so pretty and sparkly that people though her dress was covered in emeralds and sapphires. Isn't that a great story?


And this one I just thought was cool. Here she is in India, with her husband, and a tiger. Cool.

Another Peacock Dress

Ruth St. Denis would not have worn this one, though. I see no way you could dance in that thing. But it is very dramatic. And very expensive. Interesting.

The Ruth St. Denis Peacock Dress Returns

This is kind of cool, having seen the photograph of her actually wearing the dress. Here is a painting of Ruth St. Denis in her Peacock dress.

More of Ruth St. Dennis

Oh wow. What incredible costumes. I especially love the parasols for the Burmese dance and the train on the Peacock. Oh wow. I am a bit jealous, though I'm not quite sure where I would even wear such outfits. Wow again.

Ruth St. Dennis in The Peacock.
Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Cuadro Flamenco, a Spanish gypsy dance scene. (1923)Ruth St. Dennis in a Burmese solo dance. (1923)