Tag: friends

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Hell Bunny Halter Dresses = Springtime YAY!

Hell Bunny Olive Dress
Hell Bunny Olive Dress in vibrant mint green.

I was impressed by the adorable Hell Bunny brand sundresses some of my friends were sharing on Facebook, so I decided to buy one three of my own!

Since a wide selection of Hell Bunny clothing isn’t readily available in my neck of the woods (California), I purchased my dresses from Sirens & Starlets, a UK Ebay Store that came recommended by a fellow pin-up style fan in New Zealand. Even from far across the pond, S&S delivered promptly (within ten days) and with excellent service.

Best of all, the dresses fit perfectly and look amazingly cute! I purchased the Olive (mint green), Vanity (black, white, and red), and Motley (black and white) in UK 18/2x, as that is what seemed to best suit my 44-33.5-49″ measurements. Since these styles all feature an elasticized back, there was some concern that they might be too big in the bust.

Hell Bunny Vanity Dress
Hell Bunny Vanity Dress.

While I could probably size down without trouble (my waist measurement matches the xl size according to the fitting charts), it wasn’t necessary. For the Hell Bunny dresses that don’t come in plus sizes (I’m looking at you, Kiki dress!), it’s comforting to know that the XL size is there for me to try.

My next Hell Bunny purchases will be the Kiki dress – a black tropical-print halter – and the turquoise May Day dress.

The cotton fabric is light and crisp, perfect for warm springs and hot summers. I’m planning on wearing these three in Las Vegas come April, which should be pretty warm! Even though it’s still February, north-central California’s weather has been mild enough for me to wear two of my new dresses with cardigans!

Hell Bunny Motley Dress
Hell Bunny Motley Dress in black.
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Fashionable Emma Woodhouse: Costuming Austen’s Emma Adapted

Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma
Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, costumed by Academy Award nominee Ruth Myers.

Fashionable Emma Woodhouse: Costuming Austen’s Emma Adapted

Before the 2009-2010 BBC Emma miniseries came out – and before I’d even started this blog – my friends Vic and Laurel Ann of Jane Austen Today kindly asked me to do a quick piece about costuming in the three previous major adaptations of the novel: the 1971 BBC tv miniseries starring Dorin Godwin, the 1996 Miramax theatrical release starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and the 1996-1997 A&E/ITV movie starring Kate Beckinsale.

It’s based on a previous article on Emma costuming I prepared for Ellie Farrell’s excellent Celluloid Wrappers site, which is dedicated to film costume. Eventually, I’ll be adding a section on the Romola Garai Emma to that article.

 

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Pinup Persuasion: The Online World of Pinup Shopping

Fellow Pinup Girl Clothing fan Jessica M. has launched a really useful blog dedicated to informing midcentury-retro shoppers about their options – Pinup Persuasion! She reviews pinup products and retailers of all stripes, everything from shapewear to kitchenware!

Her latest review features Pinup Girl Clothing, and includes a great video testimonial that she prepared last summer for PUG (as it’s affectionately called) to use at an upcoming trade show. I did a testimonial, too, but I’m way too shy to share it here!

Excellent work, Jess! I’m looking forward to your posts.

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Historic Costume: Greco-Roman Chiton and Lady Emma Hamilton’s Attitudes

Kali as Emma Hamilton
Me! In Ionic chiton, performing one of Lady Emma Hamilton’s Attitudes (I forgot to take off my glasses!). In some printings of Friedrich Rehberg’s sketches engraved, this is called “Cleopatra Seduttrice.” It is probably based on artistic rendrings of Agrippina offering libations at the tomb of Germanicus (suggested by John Wilton-Ely and confirmed by me). There is a priestess statue from the macellum (marketplace) shrine in Pompeii that strongly informs this pose and in its restored state includes a libation bowl in one hand. It is sometimes referred to as Agrippina.

Because I love Greco-Roman antiquity, I needed to make myself a chiton. Because I’ve performed Lady Emma Hamilton’s famous, classically-inspired tableaux vivants twice in the last twelve years, I needed to make myself a chiton. Because chitons are awesome and I like them, I needed a chiton.

By this point in the blog post, you might be asking yourself, “What the heck is a chiton? Who is Lady Hamilton? And those “tableaux” thingies?” I know it sounds like a strange combination of ideas, but it’s honestly not as complicated as it seems. In fact, the chiton – a very simple women’s  (and men’s!) garment originating in ancient Greece and widely used as a basic dress or underdress for women in Roman eras – is extremely easy to make and wear. But I’ll get to that in a second.

Emma, My Inspiration

Cleopatra Seduttrice
Rehberg’s drawing of Lady Emma’s “Cleopatra Seduttrice” attitude, likely influenced by both Roman and modern (as in, Renaissance onward) renderings of Agrippina (or others) offering libations to the gods.

First, the Lady Emma part of the explanation. Our English Regency society puts on various events dealing with events and culture from the late Georgian period of British history. In the course of preparations for a ball honoring the great naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson, I somehow got roped into playing a role. And not just any role; I would be recreating Lady Emma Hamilton’s famous “attitudes.” Lady Emma performed these silent tableaux from 1787 through the 1790s and into the early 19th century, sparking several high-profile imitations and influencing modern dance and other forms of performance art over a hundred years later. Now, this was 1999 and I was crazy busy trying to finish my last year of law school. The last thing I probably needed on my plate was a performance of some sort, but for Emma Hamilton I made an exception.

Priestess from Macellum in Pompeii
Restored priestess sculpture from the macellum (marketplace) shrine in Pompeii. Sometimes referred to as Agrippina, her pose is similar to Rehberg’s drawing of Emma.

Continue reading “Historic Costume: Greco-Roman Chiton and Lady Emma Hamilton’s Attitudes”

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Outfit of the Day: New Year’s Eve Fashion!

Grace Dress action shot!
Grace Dress action shot!

So I thought I’d share my new favorite dress, which I happen to be wearing right now for New Year’s Eve festivities! It’s the Grace Dress from Laura Byrnes Black Label/Pinup Girl Clothing. Yes, I buy and wear a lot of Pinup Girl Clothing items. No, they aren’t paying me to pimp out their stuff. I just love their clothes!

Anyway, Grace features a well-constructed fitted bodice, a superfull circle skirt, and a really sumptuous red sateen fabric textured with a midcentury black flocked pattern. This one’s size xl, and it fits just right! More images after the jump…

Continue reading “Outfit of the Day: New Year’s Eve Fashion!”

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Happy New Year: Updates and Bloggy-dos and an Outfit of the Week!

So a few months ago I set out a list of blogging goals. Like many ENFP personality types, I tend to be very long on ideas and very short on attention span and time. To make matters worse, this past semester was one of my all-time busiest work periods, a frustrating reality further exacerbated by a bunch of extra life demands (some fun, like period balls, some not-so-fun, like expensive car repairs) that required time and money. My 2012 New Years’ resolution is to spend more time on my websites – particularly this blog, as it is both a way for me to reduce my rambling ideas into tangible goals AND an impetus for following through on those goals so I can share the results with you!

Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Pinup Couture Evelyn dress in green satin.

I’m still plugging away on my to-do list from this past fall, and  I’m logging my goal progress to keep me honest! But before I bring you in on that, a goodwill gesture to prove that I’m working on it – an Outfit of the Week!

This is my Christmas Eve ensemble: Evelyn dress in green satin with reversible black velvet shrug from Pinup Couture, new Dian Von Furstenburg frames, homemade hairflower, and black suede-and-patent heels from Sofft Shoes.

Seriously, this dress is ace: rich satin sheen and Christmas green color, super-cute ruched bodice with adorable black velvet bow, and tremendous fit. When it comes to the Pinup Girl Clothing house brands, I usually hover around xl-2x; this one’s a 2x. There’s extra room in the waist (My inch measurements are 44-33.5-49), but it’s not baggy or ill-fitting. And the length is perfect for my 5’8″+ frame.

So if you’re plus or curvy or simply looking for a kick-butt, retro-style, made-in-the-USA clothing company, give Pinup Girl Clothing a shot!

Okay, now on to the rest of it. Click the link below to come out on the other side of the jump…

Continue reading “Happy New Year: Updates and Bloggy-dos and an Outfit of the Week!”

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Odds ‘n’ Ends!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Now that I’m almost done with my teaching semester, I can get back to the business of blogging. Kind of. I have some pretty outfits and new-old jewelry to show you. Stay tuned! 😀

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Music Collection: A Christmas Music Box is BACK!

A Christmas Music Box "cover" art
A Christmas Music Box “cover” art.

As of Christmas, 2018, this collection’s moved to the YOOTUBEZ! Full info in this UPDATED POST.

Continue reading “Music Collection: A Christmas Music Box is BACK!”