Gail Carriger discusses her Year in Outfits! Vintage and Retro Style

Without further ado, Fashionable Reader, here are the outfits I wore in 2017!

In Detroit, I went pretty low key and practical. I also was starting to test some of my clothes to see if I really wanted to keep them. Both this skirt and skirt have now gone on to new homes so this is the last time I wore them.

I love this outfit (although this is the cold weather variation). I'm really getting into steampunk pin-up as a look.

Resurrecting an old favorite dress and remembering how much I love it.

Changing up the way I wear my corsets now that I have the reduced rack and modified corsetry.

A new corset with an old dress, another one that I decided not to keep (the dress, not the corset).

More playing with corsets and day dresses. Just swinging up my steampunk style.

I resurrected this dress to see if it still fit. And it did! It's pretty outrageous, does not pack well, and I don't wear it often so I am not sure how much longer it will stay in my wardrobe. But for now, still here.

All the outfits I wore for San Diego Comic Con. Battling heat and crowds made this a bit of a challenge, and always does. But I was happy with the results, and the AB was with me to take photos.

Borderlands events ended my year, making this red skirt my most frequently worn piece for 2017. Money well spent if you ask me.

There were a few other events in there where I didn't get a good outfit shot. I'm bad about remembering to ask someone to take a photo.

I did one major crating project in 2017, which was painting this corset. Other than that no sewing or tailoring or anything. Just some basic repairs.

Reminder! 

Next Week Might Be the Best Thrift Store Shopping of the Year

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

You can shop my recommendations via the following lists:
Steampunk, Retro Jewelry, Makeup, Retro Clothes, Lifestyle

Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I get a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.

Gail Carriger Bids Goodbye to Vintage Searsucker, Velvet, eShakti & More ~ Let the 2017 Closet Purge Commence

I went through this massive purge recently, frankly I've changed shape quite a bit since my surgery and not everything fits well anymore. Plus I really just want to slim down my wardrobe, I have too much clothing. Some of these I haven't worn in several years.

Modern Made Retro Dresses

I got this dress from Nordstrom Rack, it's not vintage. I like it but the slip under is too short, it doesn't fit well in the waist and it's sleeveless (I'm not into sleeveless these days). I also already have a 1930s style dress in this color that I tend to reach for if I'm wanting bright pink.

This one also came from Rack years ago, here it is in a steampunk style. The sleeves are now too tight and I find it a bit too short for my taste. I requires a slip which negates any advantage on a hot day.  And I just have to admit blush isn't a super flattering color on my skin tone.

 Cream lace dress, another Rack find. It is easy to get on, travels well, and packs beautifully, but I just don't wear it. It's slightly the wrong length for my taste and it's sleeveless. Which I'm just moving away from.

This ruched black dress. It's great, it hides a million sins, it packs. But... it's a little black dress. I have too many already. This one is not quite stretchy enough to show off my waist and (say it with me) it's sleeveless.

Vintage Dresses

1960s vintage teal velvet last worn for the Waistcoats & Weaponry book tour. I love this dress, it's flattering on but without my epic Rack it's just too big. It's so well made with lining and tucks and such that it simply can't be taken in, either. Here's hoping some lovely size 8-10 finds it and falls in love.

1950s striped seersucker makes me very happy, and I love this material. But the dress has never really fit me well and now it's just gone all pear shaped. Or perhaps that's me? I just don't love it anymore. And it doesn't have pockets.

1970s knitted set, shirt & skirt, both are a nubby cream acrylic knit. I think I like the idea of knitted sets more than the execution. I thought this set would both be so versatile and serviceable but frankly, I barely wear either the top or the skirt. Too warm, slightly scratchy. I'm also getting rid of the purple blouse shown with the skirt of this set. The third picture is of me right before I bought it (I'm wearing it over other clothes) but still, see the former rack? Whoa.

This black and white skirt. Massive sentimental value and great memories and affection ~ ask me at a signing some time and I will tell you the story, but it doesn't fit right anymore. It's time to let it go.

Goodbye Eshakti

These dresses served me well and brilliantly, and opened my eyes to the joys of eShakti. But after my surgery they are just way too big in the chest and that's just an area it's impossible to easily tailor. So I pass them on in the hopes they go on to find an equally well endowed young lady who, I hope, will be surprised and delighted to find something that actually fits.

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

You can shop my recommendations via the following lists:
Steampunk, Retro Jewelry, Makeup, Retro Clothes, Lifestyle

Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I get a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.

Gail Carriger is Purging... Gloves? All About Vintage Gloves

I have a vast glove collection, Fashionable Reader. My hands are just small enough to wear vintage gloves (well, some of them) and I adore gloves. I wear them for all my events.

I have perpetually cold hands, you see. Even if it's warm out, my hands tend to be cold. I come by my bad circulation naturally, thank you very much.

Anyhoo, I also believe that gloves keep me from getting sick from glad-handing at events. So you will almost always see me wearing them.

Recently, I decided it was time to sort through the collection. I find I wear leather way more frequently than other materials of glove. Also, I was just using some gloves more than others. So I decided it was time to get rid of a few. (I'm on a big purge kick at the moment.)

Here are some of the ones I've decided to get rid of. They will be part of goodie boxes via the Chirrup.

As you can see, both the green one I'm wearing in the first picture and the white ones in the second are on the chopping block.

I'll be giving them away inside various Chirrup goodie boxes over the next year or so. You have to join to enter.

"Never put on another person's gloves."
~ The Ladies' Guide to True Politeness and Perfect Manners or, Miss Leslie's Behaviour Book
by Eliza Leslie (American 1864)

And now, a retrospective on gloves...

For Mrs Loontwill in her debut days...

1800-1810  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Monique in the Finishing School series...

Evening Gloves  1830-1835  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Ivy in the Parasol Protectorate series...

Evening Gloves  1880-1900  The Victoria & Albert Museum

For Primrose in the Custard Protocol series...

1895-1900  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg2

For Gail...

1955  The Philadelphia Museum of Art

"It is not admissible to try on kid gloves in a store. After buying a pair, ask for the glove-stretcher, (which they keep in all good shops, for the convenience of customers,) and then stretch the gloves upon it, unless you have a glove-stretcher at home. This will render them easy to put on when you take them into wear."
~ The Ladies' Guide to True Politeness and Perfect Manners or, Miss Leslie's Behaviour Book
by Eliza Leslie (American 1864)

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

You can shop my recommendations via the following lists:
Steampunk, Retro Jewelry, Makeup, Retro Clothes, Lifestyle

Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I get a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm

I love tweed, Fashionable Reader, here I am in a tweed pencil skirt in 2013, early on in my career as a public speaking authorbeast...

Today I made a big decision and got rid of this tweed pencil skirt. I've been doing a lot of purging recently and I just wasn't wearing it enough. (I still have that shirt.) It's sad really, it was one of the last tweed items in my closet.

Symptom of begin a California girl, I suppose. Not much use for tweed.

Still in honor of its demise I though I would post a few tweed-related images:

For Prudence

Walking Dress  1893  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Primrose

1895  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

For Gail

Ensemble  Utility, 1942  The Victoria & Albert Museum

Suzy Parker; photo by Nina Leen, 1951

If you want to be inspired by tweed I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the movie Cold Comfort Farm. This is hands down one of my favorite movies of all time and I want every single one of her outfits.

Cold Comfort Farm

And here is a fun new bit of merch!

Teapot in an Octopus Cameo Steampunk T-Shirt

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

You can shop my recommendations via the following lists:
Steampunk, Retro Jewelry, Makeup, Retro Clothes, Lifestyle

Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I get a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.