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.

1860s Ball at Ocher Court

 I've been pretty busy living real life (as a senior in college, eek!). Here are more old pictures I should have put up back in August when Newport happened. Better late than never! I wore my gold stripe ballgown. I absolutely love how shiny and dramatic it is.

1890s Oak Leaf Ballgown

I knew I had better pictures of this, I just couldn't find them. Sorry, I was being silly. Here are more pictures of my fabulous new 1890s dress, because I love it that much.

1890s Ball at Roger Williams Casino

This is the first event of Newport 2011 that I'll go over. Yes, that was back in August, but I never remember how onerous a task it is to go through hundreds of pictures and choose two or three. The ball was lovely, but I'm really here to talk about sewing! This was the debut of three new dresses. First of all, Mother wore a brand new ballgown made of wonderfully vibrant red fabric (in person), with flocked black designs. It was an obnoxious crispy sort of artificial fabric, but it actually looked really good. This was a last minute bodice to go with a skirt I had made for me but never actually worn. My very favorite part is those fabulous sleeves she made in dreamy drippy drapey black velvet. Mmmm. The pictures are a little dark for seeing any detail, but I will just assure you that the fabric looks fabulous in person, and of course the tiara makes the outfit.

Julia wore a dress that we started for me years and years ago. Since I've gotten much more into sewing lately, I decided to resurrect it for her. Unfortunately, she was away at her fancy pre-college art program, so she couldn't try it on. When the day of the ball came, it fit all wrong. Her dramatic and utterly royal-looking Watteau train (yeah, I really have seen 1890s dresses with those... how crazy cool is that?) was an emergency addition made with the leftover rose velvet meant for trimming the dress. I am obscenely proud of my emergency under-pressure hand-sewing skills. I think that now we are both too in love with the train to remove it, so this dress will just have to stay this way. Doesn't she look like a princess?

Finally, my brand new Oak Leaf dress was my proudest moment. I love this dress so much. It is a gorgeous brown acetate that practically glows, embroidered all over with oak leaves. For the bodice, I made a simple sleeveless bodice in deep brown velvet, and added little lace sleeves. Then I painstakingly cut out oak leaves from leftover fabric and sewed them down all over the bodice and onto the lace sleeves. The really do twist and twine like they grew that way. I love this dress beyond all reason. I thought my pink dress from last year (covered with embroidered gold and pink satin flowers) was worthy of being a Worth, but I think I actually prefer this one now.

Event Announcement - Scarlet Pimpernel Ball

The Scarlet Pimpernel Ball
Saturday, September 24, 2011, 7:30 pm
First Congregational Church, 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA
Music by the Ad Hoc Waltz and Quadrille Band.
$25 general / $15 student

They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere – but if they really want to find him, they should be searching in Cambridge at the Scarlet Pimpernel Ball. Join us for a glorious mash-up of regency and ragtime eras, celebrating the French Revolution setting of Baroness Orczy’s early twentieth century novel. Dances will be drawn from both eras, so expect romantic waltzes, bouncy one-steps, and sprightly country dances. Likewise, costumes may range from foppish regency tailcoats to Gatsby-esque suits, from elaborate powdered wigs to sleek bobs, and from ragtime ballgowns to angry peasant clothing. Intrigue, adventure, and dancing! This is a job for the Scarlet Pimpernel!

Register now at http://www.vintagedancers.org/2011pimpernel.html to avoid the $5 at-the-door surcharge!

Irene Castle's Flaming Red Turkish Trousers

I actually wrote a a paper about Turkish trousers for school (and bloomers, and dress reform, blah blah blah... there was a good academic reason for it, not just a costuming whim). Actually, I also made an outfit and turned that in as part of the project, and I even wore it to Newport, but I haven't gotten the pictures onto my computer yet... I will just have to owe you and post it soon.

One of my favorite things that I found while writing this paper was this description in Vernon and Irene Castle's Ragtime Revolution (found here on googlebooks): "A group of Cornell professors' wives told of their shock when one of Irene's monkeys invaded their tea party, and recalled Irene herself rising at the ungodly hour of noon and traipsing around in 'a flaming pair of red Turkish trousers.'"

I want a pair! What a great description. None of these are red, but check out these lovely Turkish Trouser ensembles for inspiration. I think they are fabulously subtle. Still, I think that one day I must make an absurd pair that is "flaming red" in Irene's honor.

Event Announcement: Picnic in the Public Gardens 8/13

Come to the Boston Public Gardens this Saturday at 11:30 and have a picnic with me! This is an informal event, so no RSVP or admission is required. Really, I am going to be having a picnic with some friends, and you could be one of them! Bring a sandwich (or buy one - there is a Boloco really close by), or bring cookies to share. Wear your most picturesque picnic outfit - anything 19th or early 20th century would be perfect, but modern clothing is fine if it is pretty. Please no jeans or sneakers. We'll be sitting under some shady tree, probably within sight of the swan pond, so just show up and walk around until you see the people in pretty dresses. There will be stories, treats, nice people to talk to, and perhaps even dancing. I could even bring croquet if there is a demand. See you there!

Walking on Broken Glass

First of all, HUGH LAURIE.

Second of all, why is she so upset? She has Hugh Laurie. Third of all, her feet probably just hurt from running down all those stairs... the guy knows how to teleport or use the elevator, which is faster anyway. WAIT A SECOND, is that Prince George?Oh, wait... it's Hugh Laurie!

Fur Boas of the Nineteenth Century

Here we are in the dead of summer, and I've developed an interest in fur. Fashion knows no reason! Actually, I think the issue is that I've been watching long miniseries set in Russia (most especially War and Peace, but a few others too), and everyone just looks so good in those furs. Anyway, on a whim I started looking for early pictures of fur boas. I feel sort of weird about those (are they scarves? stoles? collars on steroids? Where does one draw the line?), but no matter how you cut it I've found many more pictures than I would have guessed I would, so I'm collecting them here in roughly chronological order. Get ready!

So to start off really early, here is an 18th century portrait of Caroline von Baden.I've seen these cute ice skating pictures before, but I never really noticed that the women are wearing fur boas. Cool!Here is an 1805 Ingres portrait.And another regency portrait - I adore this one!Here is one from 1823.This is a hilarious caricature from 1829. Look! Her "great boa tippet" is a boa constrictor. Tee hee.This is a picture of Fanny Essler's sister (I wrote a little about her while on my gypsy ballerina kick - she was a very famous ballerina). Knowing that, it must be approximately from the 1830s.With that dumb hair and those crazy sleeves, this must be 30s too.Here is an 1835s fashion plate with a stunningly long boa.This one is 1835-1836 and not only does she have an impressive boa, but her turban is amazing.Here is Maria A. Bek in 1840 by Karl Brullov, with and without a kid. This one is so lovely.1842, another very neat portrait.1848. This is the only picture where I've seen a man wearing one. Crazy.Ok, so this is getting a little late (1910), but it would be a fine look for Titanic events (the anniversary is coming up, you know!).Ooh, and this, 1914.And 1916.Another 1914... I love the white fur AND sparkles!1918, but her name is Antonia too! Princess Antonia of Luxembourg, to be precise.Oh well. Here are a few more early 20th century fur boas, then.