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Retro Looks Where History Never Gets OldBy Quail Bell Fashionista QuailBellMagazine.com In August 2012, downtown Fredericksburg's Beaucoup Vintage and Madeline Ruth made an important decision and, in October that year, had a baby (okay, they "merged." Business speak, whatever.) That baby was Forage Consignment & Vintage—and we might never have discovered these digs had it not been for Northern Virginia Magazine's recent tip-off. Forage is earthier than Rumors in Richmond and preppier, too, without being D.C.'s Secondi. Looking to downsize rather than fill your closet? Unload your fantastic vintage collection on Forage and make some money. Just read their 'wants' first.
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Wearing a Beautiful WareRaquel Lynne: Hello Carolyn! I am very excited about catching up with you; your art work has captured something quite unique. So tell me a bit about your work. Carolyn Becker: Raquel, I am so happy that you are interested in my work! My current body of work contends with ideas of self-portraiture, as it relates to fashion, and the body. I have always been in love with designer and vintage fashion, but I have also had a weird relationship with it. Because I am so petite, (4’9") I never have been able to wear the clothing that I really want to wear. This has always frustrated me. Despite my challenges, I have been able to make do. Somehow I have been able to find and alter clothing to fit my body type. Through my work, I tackle my interests and struggles with fashion in a new way. My current extra-small collages and extra-large oil paintings are essentially fragmented “self-portraits” that are composed of images I find attractive from magazines, fabric scraps from my closet, broken jewelry, glitter, and pictures of clothing from my closet. Although my face is not literally depicted in my works, the works still function as portraits because everything in my collages, and collaged painting represent me. I work with extreme sizes of my work, to further contend with the idea of my height and my physical capabilities. In all my work, I use as much bright color as I can. Since I was young, I rarely used the color black in my work; I want to make my paintings as bright and saturated as possible. Raquel Lynne: That is really quite exciting. Your art is amazing. Tell me how it is you use fashion in your art work? Why fashion? Fashion has always been a part of me, and who I am, partly because of my struggle with it. Because I have this struggle to find clothing that fits, I am even more motivated to conquer my issues, critique, and celebrate the subject. Raquel Lynne: Oh, lovely! So, tell me. I noticed a pair of jeans you designed, it is captured on the Urban Art Syndicate website—on each pant leg you had painted a leg. I want them!! Tell me more about this piece. Oh, yes! I made this piece ages ago! I can’t believe you found it! Even so, this piece still relates to my interest in clothing, and my body type. I have always felt uncomfortable with my legs, and pants never fit me. In this piece, I painted my legs, as they would normally fit into a pair of pants. The painted legs are shorter than the lengths of the legs of the pants. I did a series of three of this work, to play with different sizes of pants and see how my legs fit in each pair. Raquel Lynne: Oh my, tell me more…
Yes! I haven’t thought about this piece in a while actually, so I am glad you brought it up. I might play with this idea in the future, but only until my interest is collage and painting the collage is exhausted! Raquel Lynne: Who would you say has influenced you the most, and where could we see that influence? My interests include vintage and designer fashion designers such as Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Etro, Marni, Miu Miu, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, and countless others. I love the colors and patterns that you can see in these designers' collections. You can see this appreciation in the large-scale collage-based paintings that is my current body of work. My paintings have tons of color, shape, and pattern. In terms of artists and their works, I love Matisse’s cut-outs, Rosenquist’s paintings, and Mickalene Thomas’s rhinestone-embellished paintings. Raquel Lynne: Is there anything else you want the reader to know that we haven’t touched on? The reader should know that I have a show up at Tabula Rasa called “Petite Chic,” on Capitol Hill! It is open through the month of November on Tuesdays and by private appointment. I can give personal tours. Also, don’t let size dictate what you wear. Wear whatever you want. There’s a way to make it fit. And for aspiring artists, make what you want and who cares what other people think? You got to have passion. Raquel Lynne: Well, thank you Carolyn, it has been lovely to hear a bit about your journey and have some of your insights. If you have been inspired by Carolyn Becker’s work, please find her online at CarolynBeckerArt.com. ***This post was originally published on Adonia Prada | The Skinny and was re-posted with permission.*** The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Tell me again, was it love at first sight?By Eden Haney QuailBellMagazine.com I went exploring Annandale, Virginia this weekend and came across the itty bitty Fairfax Hills Park with a lovely little creek going right through the middle. It was the perfect spot for a shoot. While I was photographing, a few deer came down to the creek to stare at me. I can only imagine what they were thinking—I mean, what kind of weird person takes pictures in the middle of their home wearing almost nothing in near freezing temperatures? Probably hasn't happened that often in the past. She must be nuts, thought the deer. I'm kicking myself now for not getting pictures of the hoofed critters, but you'll have to take my word for it: The whole experience was magical. Top: Lace Bustier Skirt: American Apparel (chiffon) Necklace: Vintage Earrings: Indie designer, Steampunk style "The deer my mother swears to God we never saw, -From "Deer" by Helen Mort
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Jewelry for Your WordsIf you could rename Black Friday—a bizarre & uniquely American cultural phenomenon—what would you call it? Tell us here and you could win these fairy earrings designed by Red Lintu—one for you and one for a friend! Just comment on this post and like Quail Bell Magazine on Facebook for a chance to win! Winner will be announced December 1st. Please share this post, and happy holidays!
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Not Smoke and Mirrors--Skulls and MirrorsBy Sidney Shuman QuailBellMagazine.com Here are three imaginary, nostalgic, and otherworldly fashion trends the mainstream retail world snatched from the now diseased but forever remembered designer, Alexander McQueen: 1. Skull Accessories: All of the scarves, rings, hats, gloves, and dresses that you see with skulls scattered about are inspired by the late Alexander McQueen’s dark aesthetic. He not only created a dark, romantic image for his couture designs, but designed scarves for mainstream fashion. 2. Mirrored prints: This trend has been spotted in many designers’ collections and has now trickled down to mainstream stores such as Target, H&M, and Forever 21. The first to do it, however, was McQueen. Many of his mirrored prints were shown in the Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011 and have inspired many designers since. 3. Victorian and military inspired jackets:
Meshing the structure of a military jacket with that of a Victorian corset brings about beautiful fashion that was first displayed in couture by McQueen and has trickled into mainstream fashion to be worn with anything from a well-made dress to denim shorts. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Autumn SweaterBy Eden Haney QuailBellMagazine.com Old Town Alexandria's Waterfront Park has captured the imagination of many Washingtonians. It beckons you with its sparkling marina and sweet, eclectic shops and restaurants for neighbors. And maybe because it's older than most of the District or maybe because it's on the Virginia side of the Potomac, everything there moves just a little slower, though still at Northern Virginia's head-swirling pace. Eden Haney put together this casual, thrifted look by stealing a cue from the Plus Size department. Just because you're not a 2XL doesn't mean you can't wear a 2XL sweater. Big means comfy and, in this case, elegant. -CS We could slip away Wouldn't that be better? Me with nothing to say and you in your autumn sweater -Yo La Tengo
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Win Yourself New Seahorse BaublesRed Lintu offers jewelry made from natural stone, freshwater pearls, and repurposed vintage materials—and, fledglings, it can be yours. See these seahorse earrings? They're made from nickel-free brass and pale labradorite stones. Now imagine them dangling from your earlobes. Just "like" Red Lintu's Facebook page and share the above photo (also on their Facebook wall) for a chance to win! The winner's name will be drawn at random on November 27th. Give yourself something other than turkey for Thanksgiving.
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My Crush with EyelinerBy Eden Haney QuailBellMagazine.com 218 acres of freshwater + dammed on South Run + 4.5 miles of fishing shoreline = the first facts you glean from the Wikipedia page about Burke Lake in Fairfax, Virginia. But what about those intangibles? What about that 33rd Annual Ghost Train the park just hosted a couple of weeks ago? What about those super-secret bass hiding out in the reservoir? Or what about this awesome fairy punk outfit veterinary assistant Eden Haney styled and photographed herself right on site at Northern Virginia's hottest* lake? Take a gander at her look and visit the park yourself for your fair share of fall foliage. Maybe trudge through the mud in some Tims, with a Canon T3i in hand. -CS
*figuratively. No environmental finger wagging this time, please. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Puppy Love at the 17th Street Farmers MarketProducers and Stylists: Sidney Shuman, Shannon Minor, Amy Gatewood, and Lindsey Story Photographer: Jasmine Thompson Model: Monika Burbridge Fashion Designer: Mariah Harrison Make-up Artist: Deniz Ataman QuailBellMagazine.com "RVA style" means many things to long-timers and newcomers alike, but today our fashion shoot producers and stylists decided that it meant Mod for our model, Monika. Monika is wearing a parasol-print dress by designer and VCUarts student, Mariah Harrison. And where is her cobblestoned location, you ask? None other than Richmond, Virginia's Historic 17th Street Farmers Market, a place where beer-lovers convened on November 3rd for the 3rd Annual Bottom Brew Festival. And like any good Virginian, she has a pup in tow. -CS
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Pinterest, Cardies, and Bargain ShoppingI am a huge Pinterest fan. And a lot of the time, I find things I'd love to own but can't afford. Like hundred dollar boots, or a gorgeous dress I'd probably wear only twice. But sometimes, I come across something I know I can find cheaper elsewhere. Something not identical, but close enough that it would be difficult to tell which is which. My favorite piece in the fall and winter (okay, maybe spring and summer, too) is the cardigan. I feel naked without one. So naturally, I fall in love with nearly every one I find. But lately, I'm attracted to these tribal-inspired sweaters and I sowant to find a decently priced one. This one is absolutely gorgeous, right? I love the colors and how comfy it looks. I would honestly wear this every day if I could. But it's a hefty $68. If I had plenty of money, I'd splurge on this bad boy. But I don't. So I found the next best thing. This one, however, is under $22. I love how the sleeves are baggier around the arms, and the colors still intrigue me. This one is on Ebay.com, and although it won't be there forever, you can still find so many others every day. It's definitely a great place to check, anyway, rather than spend almost $100 on a style you love. Just remember next time you go shopping: That really expensive item in the window has an inexpensive counterpart somewhere else. You just have to hunt! Quail Bell Food for Thought: Is this a good or bad example of cultural appropriation? Why? The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
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Exploring the Decades through the Dwarf LadyAs a fashion historian, I find that an interesting aspect of Disney is how the animated features serve as records of the visual culture of their day. The Disney Princesses, a successful sub-franchise launched by Disney in the late 1990s, are everywhere these days. They have not been without controversy, but they are certainly popular. They are also records of changing standards of beauty for women in the 20th century. Case Study No. 1: Disney's Snow White. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is a landmark moment in the history of film. It was the first full length animated feature produced by Walt Disney, and is one of the top ten performers at the North American box office. Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, it tells the story of an evil queen who is jealous of Snow White's superior beauty and orders her murder. After a huntsman, Snow White's would-be murderer, shows mercy, Snow White begins a life of hiding in the woods and befriends seven dwarfs. Furious that Snow White is still alive the evil queen disguises herself and visits Snow White in her woodland cottage giving her a poisoned apple. Snow White takes a bite and seems to die but is ultimately awoken and rescued by the kiss of a handsome prince. And they all lived happily ever after. (But you knew all that already.) But how does Snow White's appearance reflect the aesthetics of the 1930's? Simply look at fashion illustrations from the period and you'll see that Snow White fits right in with the illustrated fashion models. Fashion illustrations are a great source for looking at ideals of beauty because a drawing can convey ideal aesthetics in a way a real human body cannot. Furthermore, fashion illustration also takes a cue from dominant artistic trends of the period, showing broader visual influences.
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The Bad Kitties of WashingtonBy Kromatic Photography QuailBellMagazine.com With the federal government shutdown, Washingtonians remembered to play over Columbus Day Weekend, a.k.a. D.C. Fetish Weekend. Here's the photographic evidence: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Evolution Behind the LensesBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com One of my signature identifiers in middle and high school was my pair of unflatteringly large granny glasses. They were not an ironic fashion statement, but a life necessity. Without them, I would literally walk into poles. Once, in fifth grade, not long after I had begun wearing glasses, I tried to pretend I didn't need them and ended up walking into the huge storage bin behind the kickball field. I stumbled back to class in a daze. I reluctantly put on my glasses when the teacher started writing on the chalkboard. To my chagrin, she called on me to solve a math problem before the class. My parade of predictable, dorky awkwardness had commenced. Ditching my glasses when boys came around (in true sitcom style, of course) was not an option. It makes me shudder to think I risked my personal safety and comfort to even try it, but I also know it's normal. Plenty of teenage girls risk their safety, comfort, and even dignity for the attention of boys. It is one of the tragedies of our society. Sometimes I wish someone older and wiser had just told me to be myself, glasses and all. When I look back at photos of myself from high school, I droop a little. Like many teen girls, I didn't see how pretty I was. Though I didn't conform in plenty of other ways—proud of my thrift shop clothes, weird music, and aversion to drugs—I couldn't stand being different for my ugly glasses.
For all kinds of reasons, I did not wear contacts until my senior year of school, when my swan transformation took place. Until then, I loathed my looks. As I trudged from class to class, I adverted the gaze of others, convinced I was hideous. I was Velma in a sea of Daphnes. Once during a high school summer camp, a boy my age plainly asked me, “Why do you hate men?” Confused, I said I did not hate men, and asked him why he thought I did. He said, “Because you never smile.” I rarely smiled because I didn't like how the skin around my eyes crinkled, making them look smaller behind my glasses. But I didn't tell him that. In fact, I don't remember what I said. I only remember feeling flustered and frustrated afterwards. I hated that my thoughts about my appearance affected my confidence and, at times, my ability to be articulate. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Profile of a Bohemian Fashion DesignerJoin us for a closer look into the creation of a fashion line with Angela Bacskocky and her line, Nest.
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Revive Spring Sparkles for Gray Fall DaysBy Doe Deere QuailBellMagazine.com There's no need to weep as you relinquish your summer wardrobe for one that will keep you cozy this fall. This Easter outfit styled by the self-proclaimed Unicorn Queen, Doe Deere, shows how you can keep it light this autumn. Button up in a pastel palette. Colder days don't have to mean dreary ones! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Don't stand up straight.Oh, times are tough in the middle ages. All the decent young men are fighting in crusades or dying of plague. I mean what's a girl got to do to get a date? Bend over backwards? Well...yes, actually. BUH DUM CHING!!!! As the Black Plague killed off millions and millions of people, those remaining alive had the task of repopulation. Thus to be fertile was to be beautiful. To project her fertility, a lady would bend back and stick our her abdomen, mimicking how it looks to be pregnant. This body posture has been called the 'gothic slouch.' Even as the plague finished doing what it does best, the fertile look continued to be popular. Here (left) is the famous Arnolfini Portrait from the 15th century. The woman in the portrait isn't pregnant, but she is holding up some of the extra fabric in her dress to simulate a pregnant belly, symbolizing that she is fertile and will soon give her new husband many sons who will carry on the grand Arnolfini pimp-hat-wearing tradition. In an age where life expectancy was extremely short and most of your children would die before adulthood, the best thing a woman could be was very fertile. Marriages weren't necessarily about finding someone you love or even someone you vaguely get along with, although that was great if that happened. Marriage was most importantly about procreation. The family name had to be carried on, and that meant at least one son who lived to adulthood and have children of his own. That also meant surviving multiple pregnancies (even just having the child could very easily kill you), and your chances of survival would be greater if there was more fat around your lower body. By sticking out your abdomen, you give the illusion of a plump lower body which will help you survive many childbirths. Compare this to today, where any sign of belly fat is abhorred. With the improvement of medical technology, childbirth is not nearly as dangerous and most children live into adulthood. Therefore a woman does not need to show that she has enough belly fat to survive childbirth, because these days she doesn't need that. And because weight doesn't have as much effect over the ability to survive multiple childbirths, signs of fertility are not tied up in how much belly fat a woman has. Furthermore, many couples choose not to have any children at all, society having developed to a point where having many children is no longer an absolute requirement. (Mothers desiring grandchildren, however, are another matter entirely). Marriage has become mainly about finding someone you love, someone who makes you happy, and someone who, in some ways, makes life easier. So now the ideal for a woman is to stand up straight and suck it in. Unless you're Paris Hilton. She doesn't have bad posture. She's just trying to bring back the gothic slouch! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Your Dose of Kooky High FashionBy Sidney Shuman QuailBellMagazine.com Last week, New York Fashion Week set the stage for Spring 2014 Ready to Wear. The ten strangest looks I saw at New York Fashion Week 2013 came for four different brands: Honor, Jeremy Scott, Nicholas K., and Zac Posen. These four designers bring very different inspirations and messages, but their commonality is their overall strangeness: Honor Creative Director Giovanna Randall’s fairytale and folklore inspiration of this line produced many beautiful looks within Honor’s Spring 2014 collection, but this look was a strange combination of fit issues and a strange balance of negative space within the textile pattern.
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I'd like to see you slather some BBQ sauce on that.Myth: Did some Victorian women really have their lower ribs removed in order to have a smaller waist? Short Answer: No. Long Answer: The idea of using extreme surgery to fix some unsatisfactory part of one's physical appearance is extremely new. Unnecessary surgery is only possible with highly developed, modern surgical practices. In the early 19th century, surgery was mainly confined to amputations and the removal of external problems. Anesthesia of any kind was first used around the 1840's, which allowed surgeons to start fixing internal problems. The risk of infection was also extremely high, with the germ theory of disease first being applied to surgery by Joseph Lister around the 1870's. However, it would take quite some time for surgery to become as sterile as we know it today. Instruments were just beginning to be sterilized, but there were still plenty of ways for bacteria to enter the body. Antibiotics were only just starting to be discovered around the same time, but the science wouldn't really take off until the 20th century. Eakins' famous painting, "The Gross Clinic" (1875), shows a typical Victorian surgical scene. The surgery is performed in an open auditorium with several spectators, and the doctors themselves are wearing street clothes and working with their bare hands. Even if the instruments were sterilized, it would still be extremely easy for an infection to take hold and the poor man being operated on would die.
If you survived all of that risk, there would still be the pain that comes post surgery. Painkillers as we know them today didn't really exist in the Victorian period, so for pain control a person had to turn to some sort of drug that was probably not very safe. For a point of comparison, remember when you had your wisdom teeth out? I recently had mine taken out, and even with my sophisticated, modern pain medication I was still pretty miserable for a few days afterwards. Now imagine an operation that didn't use modern surgical practices, and didn't involve modern painkillers to control post-operative pain. No one in their right mind in the 19th century would voluntarily go under the knife unless it was absolutely necessary for their survival. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Because We Are Not T-Bone SteaksBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com By now you've probably read Ferret Steinmetz's viral essay, “Dear Daughter: I Hope You Have Some Fucking Awesome Sex,” and, if I'm lucky, my response to it. If not, put this heartwarmer on your reading list. Renew your faith in humanity and throw away your chastity belt (the literal, physical object, not your vow of chastity if you so choose to keep it.) I gravitated toward this essay not only for its feminist themes and damn good writing, but also because it's a prime example of how parents should communicate with their children: honestly. For those of us who plan to procreate one day, we shouldn't aspire to be Calvin's dad in “Calvin and Hobbes.” Because if we keep up that act long enough, eventually our kids will start to see us the way Dilbert sees his boss—ridiculous pointy hair and all. More importantly than that, lying to our kids affects what sort of character they develop. Now I'd like to respond to a new favorite of mine, “Seeing a Woman: A Conversation between a father and son,” an essay by Nate Pyle on his blog, From One Degree to Another. The blog is about Pyle's struggles to follow Christ. Though Pyle is a paster living in Indiana, his posts do not read like many 'holier than thou, you lowly pagan' blogs. Pyle admits, “I have found that following Jesus is not a black and white, cut and dry endeavor. It is not simple as so many have made it out to be. At times it is confusing, difficult, and unnerving. But it is always exciting.” I'm excited about Pyle's essay, “Seeing a Woman,” because it is black and white about a topic that's too often and unnecessarily debated: Men, not women, are responsible for how men see and treat women, regardless of how women dress. My favorite quotes:
and
I have complicated feelings about clothes. I love clothes and yet I hate clothes—and the latter does not make me a closet nudist. I love clothes because of that ray of self-esteem that illuminates my mind when I look in the mirror, confident that I look attractive. I love clothes because of the fun and creativity that goes into making a “perfect” outfit. But I hate clothes because clothes have in many ways oppressed women. Too often clothes have been tied to shame and submission.
There's a tale from the 12th century authoress, Marie de France, called “Guigemar.” This love lais tells the plight of Guigemar, a man incapable of falling in love. While hunting one day, he wounds a white doe, wounding himself in the act, too. The doe curses him before dying, saying that his wound shall only heal when he suffers for a woman and she for him. Shortly thereafter, Guigemar stumbles upon a magic boat without a crew. When he boards the boat, it takes him to a land where a jealous king hides his wife from the rest of the world. The imprisoned queen may only have contact with her servant and a priest. Though most of her prison is walled, all that separates the queen from the sea is her garden. One day, Guigemar's boat docks by the garden, where the queen and her servant find him. They tend to him, putting him up in a gilded cage, and that's when Guigemar and the queen begin to fall in love. Neither one knows if the feelings are reciprocated, but the queen's servant acts as Cupid and the couple eventually consummates their love. When the king's chamberlain rats them out about a year and a half later, the king banishes Guigemar. Before he leaves, the queen ties a knot in Guigemar's shirt that only she can untie and he gives her a belt with a knot only he can untie. (Thanks for the refresher, Wikipedia. And that's not the end to the story, in case you're curious.) The tale resonated with me when I first read it back in college because it's rooted in equality. This is not just another tale of the all-sacrificing, starry-eyed female killing herself to remain beautiful in her lover's eyes. Guigemar has to wear the goofy knot, too! That point, of course, brings me back to Pyle and his point that if you love a person, “you do not reduce them to an object” because doing so means “you give up your humanity.” You do not force a woman to bind her feet or wear stays, unless you plan on suffering with her. And when's the last time you saw a man endure painful or embarrassing fashion as an act of love and devotion toward his wife or girlfriend? The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bonded From Wearing Grandma's Dresses The first time I wore Grandmother Edna’s dresses, it was summer. I was about ten years old when we spent hours every day at the playhouse my father built—a small building in the backyard with green shingles on the roof and openings for windows Dad never finished. My mother told me: “Here, go and play with Grandmother Edna’s dresses and her Votes for Women sashes.” I dug into the box. My brothers and younger sister weren’t all that interested in dressing up, so I had the cardboard box to myself with its musty-smelling thin fabric, lace, and flowing long skirts. I marched in imaginary New York City suffrage parades and wrecked the dresses, tearing and dragging them through mud. They’d been stored since Grandmother Edna’s death in 1934—remaining unwashed after she wore them. The sensation of dressing up like Edna never left me. Throughout life I’ve always loved high collars, long skirts, petticoats, and broaches worn at the neckline. BONDED THROUGH WEARING EDNA’S CLOTHES When my grandmother’s clothes touched me, we bonded. I confided to Grandmother Edna Kearns in whispers, became convinced she worried about me and protected my secrets. My friends heard every story my mother told me about Edna’s horse-drawn wagon, the “Spirit of 1776,” how she wrote articles for New York City and Long Island newspapers, and marched in Votes for Women parades, especially the big one down in Washington, DC in 1913. Edna’s archives fell into my hands in 1982. They’d been stored for years upstairs in my Aunt Serena’s closet. My mother and I sorted newspaper clippings and letters in an attempt to make sense of all this suffrage history. There were names of organizations I’d never heard of, plus events and speaking engagements spanning more than a decade from about 1911 through 1920. GRASSROOTS ACTIVIST AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY Only years later did I recognize that Grandmother Edna's archive was one of a grassroots suffrage activist at the turn of the 20th century. And then it became much more than that. I learned about organizing for a cause as I sorted through Edna’s archives. Edna covered every inch of Long Island. In her free time, she participated in or organized events in New York City, such as a pageant at the Armory or being part of a suffrage program at the Metropolitan Opera. Though I’d never read Grandmother Edna’s writings all the years of storage in Aunt Serena’s closet, I was surprised to discover my own writing at the newspaper where I worked was almost identical in style to Edna’s. More than one person among my friends and family says I have Grandmother Edna in my DNA. And it all began with playing dress-up. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Trapped—literally and figurativelyThe cage crinoline first appeared in the mid 1850's and would continue to be popular until the 1870's, when it transformed into the bustle. At this time in history, women had very few rights and were generally second-class citizens. They were seen as delicate, frivolous, submissive, and intellectually inferior to men. A woman was an ornament for her father or husband to show off. Women dressed in more colorful and decorative clothing (as opposed to men who wore dark, plain suits) to display their male guardian's wealth. This stifling atmosphere did its best to confine a woman to the role of dutiful daughter and eventually dutiful wife, leaving little room for any other aspirations. You probably see where I'm going with this. Women were metaphorically caged by society, just as their bodies were literally caged by a cage crinoline. Modern fashion historians aren't the only ones who picked up on the idea of the cage crinoline as a literal cage. Here a cartoonist from the period shows how useful this cage can be for men. Just as this was a period of female intellectual and social repression, it was also a period of sexual repression (although sexual repression was a hallmark of Victorian society as a whole, not just for the women of the period). With the crinoline covering the lower half of the body, a woman's sexuality was literally in a cage, inaccessible to anyone except her husband in the privacy of the home. Interestingly, historically men weren't seen as the more sexual beings. Women were considered the sexually rapacious gender, and men were simply poor victims lured in by those pesky horny females. Thus, the crinoline can be seen as a cage confining a woman's sexuality for the protection of men, just as one would put a ravenous animal in a cage for the protection of the people around it. Interestingly, with all of its symbols of female repression, many men thought the crinoline was incredibly stupid. It was way too big, taking up all of the room in carriages and making it that much harder to get close to a woman. Which leads to the other side of the social symbolism. In an increasingly industrialized society, cities were overcrowded and with any large city comes a large crime rate. Wearing a giant cage can be seen as a form of protection against the hundreds and thousands of suspicious strangers a woman might come into contact with walking down the street. Furthermore, caging a woman's sexuality can be seen from another angle. By putting her genitals behind a cage, a woman is at least symbolically protecting herself from sexual predators. In addition to this social protection, the cage crinoline offered health benefits. Before its invention, women achieved the fashionably wide-skirted silhouette by wearing many layers of heavy petticoats. This was not only uncomfortable but unhealthy and often led to a lifestyle low on exercise and heavy on fainting. The cage crinoline offered a much better alternative. It was significantly lighter, wasn't nearly as hot, and allowed for a greater range of movement. So on the one hand the crinoline symbolized female repression, but on the other it provided a sort of female liberation. It's all relative, huh? I'm no expert on gender studies, but these are just some of my thoughts on the possible symbolism of the cage crinoline. What do you all think? Is it a greater symbol of repression? Of liberation? A combination of both? Let me hear your thoughts!
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Dark Florals and Other Witchy ThingsBy The Fashion Fairy QuailBellMagazine.com Double, double, toil and trouble. Summer has culturally, if not scientifically, ended. What's that stirring in our Quail Bell cauldron? Why the perfect potion of deliciously wicked fall fashion! Here are our top picks for this season's gothy trends: 1. Dark florals Floral playsuit, Topshop Floral combat boots, Francesca's Collection Flower Power leggings, Forever 21
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Bluer than velvet was the night{{ Outfit: 1960's blue velvet mini dress; old Chuck Taylors; mysterious fishnets }} The weather here went all crisp 'n' cool a couple of weeks ago, but I'm still in a summer mood. My one (cold) comfort is the luxe textiles I can pull out now; velvet is certainly the most dreamy fabric in the world! I'm afraid my camera lens was pretty dirty when I snapped these. If you can live with the spectral effects, so can I.
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MythBusters: Fashion History EditionMyth: Only lewd women wore underwear before the 20th century. Well, it depends on what you consider underwear. If this is what you consider underwear: Then no, women didn't wear underwear like that before the 20th century. But if this is what you consider underwear: 1830s Undergarments from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Then, yes, women have been wearing underwear for thousands of years! Before industrialization and mass production, clothing was extremely expensive. Not only was fabric time-consuming to produce, the making of the garments themselves was a time-consuming process. People didn't have a million pieces of clothing like we do today. (That's why folks didn't have walk-in closets way back when, if at all!) Colorfast dyes, i.e., dyes that won't wash away, are a relatively new invention, having only been around for a couple hundred years. So clothing was not washed very often to preserve the color, and also to save the textile from too much wear. Furthermore, clothes had to be protected from the grime of the human body. Something needed to be worn directly against the skin, something that would absorb sweat and oils and could be washed regularly. And, after shaped silhouettes came in style, women needed something to mold their outerwear into the correct, fashionable shape. Thus, underwear was very important. Undergarments were almost always white, and could be washed and changed regularly. Underwear changed through the ages. Ancient women tied bands of cloth around their breasts for support, a very (very) early form of the bra. The base garment for all women since the Middle Ages has been, until fairly recently, the chemise or shift, a plainly cut, white garment that fit close to the body. The historic equivalent of an undershirt, really. At various times, women have also had bloomer-like garments, which fit around each leg and connected around the waist. It's important to note, though, that these garments were always crotchless to make going to the bathroom easier. As the years went by, women started adding petticoats and shaping garments and padding in order to achieve the "correct" silhouette of the era. In fact, the most important part of an historic garment is the underwear, as that is what gives the garment the correct shape. That's why today's women love Spanx! |
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