Back in May, my friend Elizabeth and I attended the Greater Bay Area Costumers’ Guild picnic in honor of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday! Austen’s my favorite writer (my pinup name is an allusion to the heroine of Northanger Abbey), and I really like Regency historic fashions, so of course we had to go!
Like the Persuasion event our group sponsored three years ago in honor of Austen’s novel, this picnic took place at McNears Beach in San Rafael. The park at McNears is the former site of a 19th century bayside resort, so the views are lovely and there are a lot of weird old palms dotted picturesquely throughout the lawn areas.
More after the jump…
Elizabeth made us both new dresses for the event. Mine’s a drawstring-waist and -neckline turn-of-the-18th-to-19th century number made from a cream-colored cotton with a small red dot pattern. She also made me a new silk bonnet-hat that’s reminiscent of 18th century silk market hats with the soft, poofy crowns.
The dress was a little big in the shoulders, but we can adjust it later. I completed my outfit with stuff from my collection: silk Regency parasol, a cotton fichu and red silk sassy bow (“sassy bow” is not a historical term, BTW, but it probably should be), my American Duchess Hartfield boots (suitable for late 1790s into the early 1800s), clocked silk stockings, period-correct jewelry, a velvet reticule, and a red wool Indian shawl from The Bohemian Belle.
I did typical early 1800s Grecian hair with my Jenny Lafleur curly bangs and natural makeup. Some of it is period-correct.
No, I didn’t wear my more “historical” frames because I need to update the prescription in those. Yes, I’m wearing period-correct stays, a chemise, a petticoat, and a tiny little bum roll.
