Retro Rack: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Gail Carriger in a Blue & Cream Vintage 1950s Day Dress

For the first night of WorldCon I wore my new purple dress from the previous blog. But for the first offical day of the convention I wore this favorite vintage 1950s blue and white day dress.

It has a cute little jacket too, but I didn't get a picture of it at this event. Here it is at Comic Con, 4 years ago pre-reack-reduction.

Believe it or not I weigh less in these Comic Con photos, just goes to show what a little less boob will do for a girl's figure. Now where was I?

So I am wearing it with a little flower hair band (similar $18), faux pearl set (similar $10), vintage white leather gloves (similar $29), and some Mia nomad flats (discontinued, similar $23).

A Historical Retrospective on Blue & White

For Lord Akeldama

1760s The Victoria & Albert Museum

For Sophronia

1853-1854 Blue FLower The FIDM Museu

For Monique

c.1860 United States MET

For Dimity

Bodice 1865-1866 Musée Galliera de la Mode de la Ville de Paris

For Agatha

1868 Robe à Transformation Kerry Taylor Auctions2

For Ivy

1872 The Kyoto Costume Institute

For Prudence

Afternoon Dress 1903 s Jacques Doucet The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Primrose

1905 Summer Day Dress The Victoria & Albert Museum

For Gail

Clip Brooches Raymond Yard, 1935 Christie’s

Glamorous 1950’s Dress. Glamorous❤Vintage❤Soul tumblr

2013 Elie-Saab-Couture-Oblivion-Moscow-Premiere

"A great variety of bright colours is only suited to a carpet. For a dress, two are quite sufficient."
~ The Ladies' Guide to True Politeness and Perfect Manners or, Miss Leslie's Behaviour Book
by Eliza Leslie (1864)

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1960s Purple Dress & Eyeball Necklace ~ Imprudence Tour Outfit & WorldCon

I picked up this purple chiffon pleated day dress on a whim from a local vintage shop for $30, Fashionable Reader. Already it has proved itself a very good investment.

It's super light and thin and packs beautifully. I'm guessing 1970s from the fabric and the way the flowers are sprinkled over it.

On Book Tour

On Instagram

On tour I wore it without a hair clip because I forgot the flower back in my hotel room however I remembered the matched eye of Suaron jewelry set that I got at WorldCon in London (from Etsy shop Hibernacula ~ worst most impossible to remember name EVER but boy do I love their stuff, here's their actual website), tobacco skinny belt (vintage, similar $10) and Guess tobacco wedge sandals (similar $30).

with Hope via Facebook

via Jennifer on Facebook

At WorldCon

I paired it with cream instead.

That's the same necklace (I REALLY love it), the belt is a modern one (similar reversible $34), the shoes are these kind of patterned scaled Via Spiga peeps with blue heals from yonks ago (similar $46), and that's a vintage bag (similar $44) with a vintage octopus broach pinned to it (similar $19 or here $12).

The scarf, upon which I got many compliments, is here for $14. I love it. I find 32" square is the perfect size both for packing (see this blog post on how to roll vintage) and for doing more elaborate hair scarf ties. There is something about the colors in this particular one that I find goes with most of my wardrobe, and I get tons of complements. (The makers have a whole range of different patterns.)

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Gail Carriger at an Edwardian Picnic Costuming Report

The one weekend I was home in August I went to an Edwardian Picnic in the East Bay.

This is not a time for which I have any specifically period accurate attire. Or better put, I have one late Edwardian costume but it's an indoor only evening gown with a long train that needs repairs. So I put this outfit together from bits and bobs. The hat is from an old (now defunct) walking dress outfit. The shirt is actually a 1970s peignoir, the skirt is actually the underskirt for the above mentioned evening gown and the vest I picked up at a thrift ages eyes ago and only now fits me (after the Rack Reduction, although it's still a bit tight in the boobs). Those are 1950s vintage leather gloves and that's a modern parasol. (I got the parasol from Lace Parasols Online, my favorite parasol purveyor. This is their Penelope and it's not lace, but broderie anglaise, which is why I like it so much. Everyone has the lace ones these days.)

Here you can see the hat a bit more. That's what happens to hats when left alone too long with me and a glue gun. I'm not wearing my standard glasses or lippy, and I've a ton of fake hair pinned on. How Gail looks incognito.

Here's the hat close up:

And here are the shoes:

These are super old I found them at a thrift store in the 90s. But the brown ribbon in myself, now I think I'll switch to gold or cream so I can wear them with more stuff.

The picnic was quite lovely with everyone under the trees stylishly dressed. We had delicious nibbled and lovely tea.

Here are a few more outfits that caught my eye...

All in all a lovely little interlude over a busy weekend. Hope you all had lovely times too.

Costuming tip! Hat Trick: Instant Edwardian Glamour Using a Wreath and Wide Straw Hat
via The Pragmatic Costumer

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Gail Carriger Retro 1950's eShakti Coral Pink Lace with Brown in Chicago & New York (Imprudence Tour Outfits)

For my events in Chicago and Brooklyn I wore some old favorite pink lace dresses.

Chicago with Kristin (via @kristinbriney on Twitter)

This coral number is from eShakti and is one of the few of my custom eShakti pieces to survive the Rack Reduction. I'm wearing it with a golden tan fascinator that I love because it travels flat and then can be puffed up (find it here for $15), steampunk earrings (gift from a fan, similar $20), my Bumbersnoot necklace (find it here $29), and Guess tan wedge sandals (similar $30).

sorry, reference lost

In Brooklyn I wore this modern bring pink lace cocktail dress with a full skirt. I got it on uber sale at Nordstrom Rack. I don't often go for sleeveless but I do love this dress's keyhole back (although I need to fix the clasp). I wore it with a match pink flower hair clip, no idea where I got that (similar $10) and the same shoes as the day before in Chicago (or possibly the gold ones, can't remember). It was REALLY HOT.

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Gail Carriger Retro Red Top & Black & White Check Pedal Pushers (Imprudence Tour Outfit) ~ Denver

I've claimed to dislike capris in the past, and I still hold to it, Gentle Reader. You have to be so careful with cropped pants. They really do foreshorten most people and conversely make the very tall just look like their got the wrong size trousers. There are some who claim I myself have legs that start at the knee, because of my extreme preference for skirts. You know I didn't wear jeans until high school?

with Veronica (via Veronica on Facebook)

Anyway, sometimes, I make exceptions. In this case I made it for these high-wasted black and white check petal pushers that is got at T.J. Max (similar $16), which I wore with red stilettos and a red top.

Katrina Erickson‎ via The Parasol Protectorate Group

I've a black & while head scarf over my hair as the heat and humidity were playing hell with it, this one is vintage. The shirt is from H&M and while I love it, it may be on its way out. It's getting awfully thin and worn. The earrings are little black & white bows from Ruby Blackbird. And I had an earring twin the audience!

* As always the shoes didn't make the pictures. I've found, over the years, that unless I get very uppity or the photographer has some fashion training the lower half of the body is inevitably cut off. I've learned this is one of the best ways to tell an amateur from a professional photographer. Just FYI for those of you what want to "pass."

** No insult intended, just an observation.

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Gail Carriger's Imprudence Tour Outfit ~ San Diego Polka Dots

For my visit to San Diego I planned to wear this polka dot black & white dress with red accessories. Thank heavens I did, because what with layovers and delays I ended up having to change in a plane restroom and run through SDCC. This is one of my few dresses that can take that kind of abuse and still come out looking fresh the other end. My dear old friend Polly Ester. Can't remember where I got it but I'm thinking something strange like Burlington Coat Factory or Ross Junior or what have you. I've had it forever. Hard to let something go that packs so well and goes with everything. (Similar $25, similar sleeveless $30 lots of options, and similar plus size $27.)

At Mysterious Galaxy, me giving strict instructions to "get the shoes."

For both events I paired it with a headband that's black with red dots (modern, similar $14), red beaded necklace set (vintage, similar strand $13, similar earrings $8), obligatory pen necklace (modern replica, $18), and a pair of Via Spiga suede sandals that I got about 10 years ago (no longer available, similar pumps $20-50). The gloves are much treasured red leather vintage, gift from a friend, (similar $30).

In the booth signing at Comic Con. Proof I was there if only for 2 hours.

Gifted along the way on this tour (possibly in Portland?) was a scarf very similar to this one, grey background with big ladybugs. I love it! You'll see me wearing it often.

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Gail Carriger's Imprudence Tour Outfit ~ Red Trumpet Skirt in Texas

For the first two stops of my Imprudence Book tour I wore my new red trumpet skirt. I know, the same skirt, 2x in a row! But you see, Fashionable Reader, 10 stops in 10 days, carry-on only, will limit even my choices of outfit, especially with the impossible heat.

Sorry I didn't note the source, but I think it was on Instagram.

with Valerie & Shannon (via Valerie on FB)

For both Texas events I wore my new red Power Broker- 30s Vintage Style Retro Double Button Skirt $30 (also comes in black). I own the size small (and I run size 4-6 on my lower half). It fits beautifully. This was its first major outing and it was GREAT. It travels like a dream, hardly any wrinkles (taking it into the steamy bathroom while I showered dealt with those). It also washed well out the other side (cold water delicate and a line dry and it looked as good as new).

For both events I paired it with a tiny red bow headband (modern, dying, can't find a good replacement but I'm thinking of something like this), red beaded necklace set (one is vintage the other modern, similar single strand $13, similar earrings $8, similar set $24), obligatory pen necklace (modern replica, $18), and a pair of Via Spiga suede sandals that I got about 10 years ago (no longer available, similar pumps $20-50).

In Houston I paired it with a stretch velvet 1940s style sleeveless top. This was originally a dress from Ross but I cannibalized it into a blouse and I wear it all the time. I adore it. It looks better in person.

In Austin I wore the red skirt with my cherry top. I got this one overseas, I want to say Germany or France, although I think it's a UK brand. Paid too much for it but I've certainly got my money's worth. Here's something in the same pattern if not cut, $34.