Has it really been a month already? The holiday season has bumped up the activity level and I'm of course getting behind, but it's time to regroup & evaluate what's coming.
But first, a word on books (in time for gift giving!): Latest find at the Barnes & Noble bargain book table is a small-format version of Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. $19.99 and it's been reported at this price in Portland and Seattle stores so I bet if you poke around you'll find it somewhere. For the fashion lover or the period costumer this is an awesome book packed with color photos (aka eye candy) of the extant stuff in their extensive collection. You have a friend who wants it, or perhaps you can hint to them to get it for you.
For a bigger budget bite, take a look at Fashion The Definitive History of Costume and Style. This is a coffee table sized book done by Smithsonian/DK that's a timeline of silhouettes with vignettes about who you might have heard about that wore them, photo details of random extant examples, construction notes and bits of history. If you need a quick reference to show other people historical examples to get the point across, this is the best I've seen and it's a fun read about costume history. I expect it to become one of my most-used very quickly.
I'm feeling very inspired by all the positive feedback after wearing the turquoise Venice gown to Swashbuckler's Ball (which was a nice ball indeed! ~so many lovely pirates). I must find time to do another and I've joined an 18th C stitch & bitch group to see if that can keep me on task. Oh look! Squirrel!
The holiday costume season began yesterday with the santas and bananas descending en-masse on NoPo and kept on last night with the Krampusnacht Ball. I sincerely WISH that promoters would stop slapping "ball" on the name of every event because it devalues the ones that really are balls and gives folks the idea that a ball is a place where jeans and a T shirt are OK. A BALL IS A BIG DEAL REQUIRING APPROPRIATE DRESS. It's not just another bar gig with DJs. Lady Raven has it figured out, wonder why none of the other promoters can hit the spot?
12th Night is coming on fast and I'm still staring at pieces of Eleanora but she's now joined by the rebuild of last year's Vespertine gown (Ralph Lauren fabric embroidered in pearls & silver thread!) and fabrics I've been accumulating for something pewter colored and inspired by that last 3 Musketeers movie. There's a red satin prom dress looming on the horizon so I need to get my plate cleaned up a bit. This is going to be one crazy busy holiday season!
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