Fashion Historian & Historical Costume Maker
An interview with Jacqueline Durran, oscar-nominated (cough) costume designer of the recent version of Pride & Prejudice. And an article in the Oakland Tribune about San Francisco-based corset couturiers Dark Garden (congrats on the quote, Heather!).
Oh, and, um, yes, I have been sewing (well, embroidering) — I’ve just been SO LAZY I can’t pick up my camera, and I always think it’s pointless to post updates w/out photos. Especially when the update is “so I’ve been embroidering.” Soon.
Costume Design: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (eh), Memoirs of a Geisha (beautiful, but no idea how accurate it was), Mrs. Henderson Presents (heard this is great), Pride & Prejudice (OH PLEASE GOD LET IT BE PRIDE&PREJUDICE&PIGS!!!), Walk the Line (Fabulous).
Art Direction: Good Night, and Good Luck (haven’t seen it yet); Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (yay!), King Kong (fabulous), Memoirs of a Geisha (beautiful), Pride & Prejudice (OH PLEASE GOD LET IT BE P&P&PIGS!!!).
On the off chance that anyone is interested, I’m selling a few things on ebay right now (or seller name tweedlebop), including my too-small 1910s corset, a vintage 1920s dress, and a modern 1940s-esque dress by Trashy Diva.
There’s a raft of new updates to the Real Women’s Clothing directory — don’t ask, I had a run of luck the other night while searching! Some really really gorgeous things in there, particularly in the 18th c. section, from the Museo del Traje in Spain (although if you get a Microsoft SQL error when you open the page, hit “refresh” on your browser and that seems to take care of it).
One of the most entertaining of these is the supposedly 1780 gown (hideous!) at the Museo del Traje that is obviously the inspiration for one of Natalie Portman’s costume (more hideous!) in the upcoming film Goya’s Ghosts — we’ve been picking it all apart on Livejournal (credit LJ heileen for the find). What do you think? 1780 – huh? Hideous or only midly offensive?
One $94 trip to Lacis and one marathon 5pm-1am sewing session later, and we have achieved corset! Yes, I’m insane… but I wanted to wear my Wings of the Dove dress to the GBACG Open House today just cause I had a yen to… but the thought of wearing my too small teens corset and being uncomfortable did NOT sound fun. Plus I got a bee in my bonnet. I’m weird that way.
It was relatively straightforward to put together — I do have a big awl stab in one my fingers (and bled on the corset — yay!). Forgot to buy one piece of boning so one side of one of the side seams is awaiting boning… but since I’d already put a similar corset together I pretty much knew the drill. Plus since I’ve invested in a grommet setting kit, that part has gotten much better (much fun to bang grommets on the fireplace at 1am! Yay!).
Not the most flattering pictures — I look pretty sausage-like — but it’s true to the teens tubular silhouette. And, most importantly, it’s A) stripey and B) SO COMFORTABLE. Wow. Right. Fitted corset = comfort. Forgot about that one!
And now I can sell my old one and try to recoup some money.
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