by Marie | Nov 9, 2013 | Everyday Edwardian, Fashion & Costuming, Sewing
I have been watching the maxi skirt’s popularity rise over the last year or two, and it has mostly confused me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a beautiful skirt… but so many of these maxi skirts aren’t. So many of them are elastic waisted, polyester, one-size-fits-all things, often festooned with a print that doesn’t do much for the backside. In my opinion, they are basically the sweatpants of the skirt world. They look great on young university students, but all that extra fabric doesn’t do much for most women. If you search for “maxi skirt” on Pinterest, most of the women sort of look like columns. No waist, no hips, just fabric. Call me an idealist, but I think a skirt should do more for a woman than make her look like an architectural feature.
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by Marie | Oct 19, 2013 | Fashion & Costuming, Thoughts
Well, the weekends for Halloween fancy dress parties are coming up fast, and you don’t have a costume yet. Maybe you do this every year, or maybe this is the first time in a long time you haven’t had a chance to sew something elaborate from the ground up. Either way, I’ve got you covered with another installment of my 10 Quick & Easy Halloween Costumes for Procrastinators! (Be sure to check my 2011 and 2012 editions for even more ideas.)
The Royal Baby
Footie pajamas, a crown, and a bejeweled (bedazzled) rattle and pacifier. Done!
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by Marie | Oct 11, 2013 | Everyday Edwardian, Fashion & Costuming, Thoughts
As I discussed in my Everyday Edwardian overview, the best way to bring a bit of Edwardian style into your day-to-day life is best to take your cues from a current Edwardian-era drama. In this case, it’s the first two seasons of Downton Abbey and James Cameron’s Titanic.
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by Marie | Oct 6, 2013 | Fashion & Costuming
Last year I looked at Halloween costume ideas for your Little Black Dress, so this year I thought I’d look at blue jeans—another wardrobe staple, and one that is gender neutral.
Paul Bunyan
Blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and some species of small blue stuffed animal (an ox would be preferable, but I think this costume could be pretty funny with a blue cat or something else less accurate). If the stuffed animal is not blue initially, a $5 box of fabric dye from the drug store will fix that quite quickly.
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by Marie | Sep 15, 2013 | Everyday Edwardian, Fashion & Costuming, Hair
People who love history enjoy challenging me on my love of the Edwardian Era (and the accompanying Art Noveau). While I have many reasons, I think one of my favourites is the unabashed Edwardian love of beauty.
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by Marie | Sep 7, 2013 | Everyday Edwardian, Fashion & Costuming, Hair
I have a confession to make… I dreamt I was on Downton Abbey last night. Yes, these are the sorts of things that I fantasize about. It was the best kind of dream because it was both convincing (despite my forehead being roughly 4” taller than usual, which really didn’t suit me at all), and about something I like (rather than work, which I have been dreaming about far too much as of late). Anyhow, I can remember ogling the fantastic décor, admiring everybody’s hairstyles and costumes, and discussing Edwardian footwear with Anna (because we don’t see much of it in the show and as Mary’s lady’s maid, she would know). You may call my dreams rather dull, but you should have seen the ornately carved wood panels on the walls. Sigh.
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