Playing Catch Up

Yikes, three weeks since posting here! Sorry about that. Since returning from my husband's and my anniversary trip last month, it's been nonstop busy, and while I've been online, this blog has been last priority. Of course, the trip was fantastic -- our fourth time to Jamaica, at the same resort where we honeymooned. Perfectly relaxing! TropiGoth FTW!

My blogging activity these days has been at Frock Flicks, where we're totally wrapped up in the PBS Masterpiece / BBC series "Wolf Hall," a new take on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. It is FANTASTIC! We've podcasted about it and have a series of articles (with more coming). I'm also watching a ton of newer series to blog about, including some gothic horror shows in Victorian settings, such as "Penny Dreadful" and "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles." Watch for reviews coming soon.

My free time has also been filled by performing with Bella Donna Historical Performers. We participated at the San Jose Fantasy Faire as pretty pretty princesses -- where I ran into the 10th Doctor and Chewbacca, which was a hoot.

This weekend, we're on stage at a brand-new event, Carnevale Fantastico, and I'm on stage as an evil queen (typecasting the goth? hah!). I have a great time with these folks, and I'm very excited about this Italian Renaissance-themed event.

I do have some CorpGoth outfits waiting to be blogged, so I'll try to get back on track. And hopefully next month, I'll have a CorpGoth Status Report theme too, if anyone's still hanging around with me!

*smack* read the FAQ

A long, long time ago, in an Internet far, far way (oh, about 1995), I assembled & maintained a FAQ for a group called alt.gothic.fashion. It was a little community on a thing known as Usenet, a quirky part of the Internet, back before social networking, before blogs even. It probably still exists, & no, I don't want to go find the sad, sorry remains. Because whatever left is nothing like what it was Back In The Day.

The place wasn't the only thing I'm nostalgic about. It was the FAQ itself. We needed a frequently asked questions file because newbies would pop up all the time asking the same old things -- where can I buy pointy boots? what's the best black eyeliner? how do I take care of velvet? The real heart of the FAQ was the resources section, the mail-order catalogs & precious few stores selling honest-to-darkness gothic clothing & accessories.

Years before Hot Topic, before Chanel's Vamp, before eBay even. Back then, places that sold pointy boots & corsets & pale foundation were rare & unique, so we had to round up every last name & share it with our fellow dark fashionistas. We sent away (by snail mail!) for printed catalogs (yes, on paper!) showing sketches & horribly dark photos of gothic clothes & fetish gear. We had to make a lot of stuff ourselves too. There were also fewer of us back then, so when someone reviewed a store or product, we could trust their opinion because we pretty much all knew each other.

Nowadays, the clothes are the easy part. Have you heard of this thing called Google? Yeah, gothic clothing is but a click away. It's everywhere online, it's in the malls across America. Even if you live in bumf**k  nowhere, you can log onto eBay & find a billion items to fill your closet & have new clothes delivered right to your door.

It's also a hell of a lot more diverse, which actually makes finding stuff easier. We used to mostly be RomantiGoths / AntiquityGoths who wore drippy velvet garb vaguely based on historical styles. MyLittlePony & CyberGoths started to invade, which vastly expanded the possible wardrobe selection. By the time Hot Topic made it big in the U.S., gothwear wasn't limited to black clothes anymore. These days, there's Goth Lolita, Steampunk, emo, & gawd knows what other varieties people call "goth."

The last version of the FAQ kind of lives on -- it's hosted by someone I don't know, with a date of 2009, here: http://www.orchidkiss.com/agf/ As she notes, broken links abound. But there's still some gems of wisdom. The DIY sections are still pretty awesome, & tips like "how to make really big hair" are timeless.

But kids today, they don't need my old FAQ. They don't ask questions, they just google things. Feh. *waves cane*

What I'm wearing: Black & white stripe knit dress, Nordstrom | Black ruffled bolero sweater, Kohl's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black patent heels, unknown brand | Gunmetal skull earrings, Walgreens

For Crown & Country

You should know by now that I'm a complete anglophile. My husband is too -- & he bought me these shoes for Christmas. I'm just sorry it's taken this long to get around to wearing & blogging them. They're surprisingly comfortable, especially considering they're faux leather & have a spindly little heel. Must wear these more often.

What I'm wearing:
Red shift dress, Target | Black cardigan, Chadwicks | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Union Jack shoes, Zappos | Sparkly crown brooch, random accessory store | Silver hoop earrings, random accessory store

The crown brooch has extra meaning. Not only does it fit with the Britannia theme, but recently at a Society for Creative Anachronism event, I was honored with the title of "Baroness." In the SCA, a court barony is a ceremonial title that carries a tiny modicum of prestige, no real responsibilities, & the opportunity to wear a coronet. I'm pretty pleased about that!

Red & Black Week: 18th Century Redingote

Finally, my piece de la resistance for Red & Black Week, my stripey redingote. Properly, a redingote is an 18th-century French woman's gown based on an English man's riding habit. I made this one in a not perfectly historical fashion, but took liberties in the cut & materials to suit my gothic aesthetic.

I found this black & red striped rayon fabric in the L.A. garment district at least 5 years ago & have been plotting something like this costume for quite a while. It's very loosely based on period fashion plates that show this style of single-breasted button-front bodice with a broad collar & buttoned cuffs. I designed the collar & cuffs with a batwing shape in black velvet hand-edged in black silk.

Ideally, I'd be wearing a large, tall hat too, but since this outfit was first worn on my recent France trip, I couldn't make it in time nor carry another item with me!

What I'm wearing (all made by me except where noted):
Black & red striped redingote with velvet collar & cuffs & vintage velvet buttons
Black silk fichu
Black silk petticoat
White satin under-petticoat
White twill bum pad
Black corset, made by Sarah
White cotton shift
Black stockings, Target
Black buckled shoes, Fugawee
"Hedgehog" style hairpiece
Jet earrings, random accessory store
Gunmetal & jet ring, random accessory store
Faux ruby ring, gift from Sarah
Black lace fan, eBayBlack velvet mouche (beauty patch)
Red lipstick, Sephora

More about how I made this outfit on my costume website here.

Red & Black Week: With Queen Elizabeth in France

A casual outfit featuring a quote from the indomitable Queen Elizabeth I. Also, bonus French chateau cannon & the Pyrenees in the background...

What I'm wearing:
Red T-shirt printed "There shall be but one mistress here and no master," bought at the National Portrait Gallery U.K | Black linen skirt, H&M | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black riding boots, Clark's | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store | Red lipstick, Sephora

 

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Vintage

I used to have & wear a lot of vintage clothing. In college, I worked at a second-hand clothing store, so I bought from the store's stock all the time. I had flirty little dresses, beaded sweaters, perky hats, & piles of jewelry. But over time, I've sold off the collection or it simply wore out

However, I do occasionally find vintage pieces I can wear for my costume events. They tend to be fragile, so I don't want to spend much money on the items, knowing I will only get one or two wears out of it before the item becomes a study piece. But it's fun to wear something with history.

In 2006, I wore this vintage 1930s dress to the Art Deco Society's Gatsby Picnic.

The same year, I wore this authentic 1914 evening gown to the Gala Ball at Costume College.

In everyday wear, I tend to only wear vintage jewelry, since clothing like this is either too extravagant for the office or just too delicate. But I love clothing with vintage styling details too.

 

Professor's Homework Assignment: Spring

What does "Spring" mean to me? That's actually a tough one, because I'm not much in tune with the natural seasons. I don't garden (I have a totally black thumb -- plants come to my house to die!), I don't eat with the seasons (frozen Lean Cuisines are a mainstay), & I only barely have to dress for the seasons since I live in temperate Northern California (snow is something we drive 4 hours to visit). So Spring as a time of year simply means that it's light when I finish my workday, & the rains are less likely.

But the calendar *does* effect my projects -- because from April through October, that is, the dry-weather times, it's costume-event season for me! About two weekends most months, I have some kind of historical reenactment event to attend, often a Society for Creative Anachronism tourney or renaissance faire but sometimes an 18th-century picnic or party. They all require complete historical costumes that I make or assemble for myself, from shoes to undergarments to gowns to wigs.

During the winter, I plan out what events I'm going to in the upcoming year and decide if I need new outfits or can repair/revamp old ones. I look through my fabric stash and make any purchases to fill gaps. By the time spring rolls around, I'm ready to rock 'n roll in the sewing room!

That's where I am right now, deep in Project Land. Spring means getting a jump on the year's costume to-do list, and this year's list is BIG. I'm essentially making a new 18th-century wardrobe for both myself and my husband because we have a big event coming up in May. I've drafted patterns, purchased materials and accessories, gotten help draping one gown, and even farmed out the sewing of a few items to a friend. My current progress is documented on my costume blog here. The deadline is May 1. Wish me luck!

Corp Costume

No new CorpGoth outfits, but I've been creating & planning a lot of costumes recently. I write about these on my costume blog, so I thought I'd cross-pollinate some of my recent adventures in fancy dress...

Last weekend, one of my best friends had a birthday party at a winery in a castle. OK, a reproduction castle, but it looks incredibly authentic! So we all dressed up in historical clothing, because that's what we do. While I have a ton of costumes in my closet already, I decided to make a new gown -- the weekend before. Yeah, a new dress in about 2 days, kinda crazy, but luckily my new sewing machine made it easy.

Photo by Sandra Linehan

Read more about how I made the dress, see more pix, & hear about the party on my costume blog.

Now I'm planning a ton more sewing for the year, & it's all 18th-century costumes, all the time. This is in preparation for a trip to France that my husband & I are taking with some friends. We're all renting an 18th-century chateau for two weeks, & every other day will be a costume event. This has been a long time in the works, lots of planning, lots of saving up. Hmmm, maybe I should have started sewing sooner? Well, at least two of the outfits are half-started things... Unlike this grand robe a la francaise that I want to make:

1781 fashion plate

Take a look at all my 18th-c. costume plans, including a new suit for my husband, over on my costume site.

Maybe *this* weekend I'll get to work on some of this stuff!

Gothidays 4 - Sentimental Favorites

More from the Professor's theme...

While I do goth-up most of my holiday decor, some things must remain the same as when I was a kid. Certain traditions, a few foods, but mostly, the special ornaments. I treasure my small collection of Christmas tree decorations made by my mom when I was little, way back in the early 1970s. She gave them to me when I moved out after college. Here are a couple faves...

A Winnie-the-Pooh decal Mom added to a blown egg. So fragile!
All the other egg ornaments she made have broken.

Totally psychedelic partridge in a pear tree.
I didn't even understand what this one was as a kid.

Slightly multicultural Santa Claus. It's because the wood was a dark color,
but, as a kid, I figured this was just our hip Santa.

Do you have sentimental favorite holiday decorations? Share the memories in the comments.

Someone Special

Sophistique Noir's theme this month is "someone special." It may be obvious, but I find it impossible to blog about anyone other than my beloved, my husband Thomas, for he is most special to me. I have dear, dear friends, & even our two cats are super-special, but Thomas is my best friend, my partner, my soulmate.

We've been together 20 years, married 12, we've had great ups & downs, we don't agree on everything, & we are constantly working on our relationship. But we care deeply about each other, & neither of us could imagine life without the other.

I always come back to these words I included in our wedding ceremony, paraphrased from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke:

A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.

That is, I believe, what we have. We are two unique wholes, different, separate, but sharing our lives completely & utterly together. That makes our relationship so terribly special to me.

And here we are at our wedding in 2000. We designed our outfits in a Victorian-gothic style & made them with the help of friends & family. They were taken by Erica Z. Connors, our professional photographer.

And then here we are doing what we love most -- travel. I'd only been to Canada before meeting Thomas, but together we have set foot on every continent including Antarctica. We're always planning another trip, whether to somewhere new or back to an old favorite haunt. And sometimes we combine my love of costume, our interest in history, & our passion for travel.

At a 16th-century manor house in England, 2010.

In New Zealand with the Remarkables mountains in the backgound, 2004.

In Florence, Italy, 2007.

At the Pergamon in Berlin, Germany, 2005.

At a cafe on Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, during Carnevale, 2009.

Back to the 21st Century

It's not much of a joke when I say in my bio that by day I'm a writer & editor at Yahoo! & on weekends I'm a historical aristocrat. Because a couple weekends each month, I portray mostly Lady Violet Ruthvene in the Society for Creative Anachronism and occasionally Lady Constance, Viscountess Mourdant of Avalon, in the Société des Lumières, or, starting this year, Faustina de Castello with Bella Donna Venetian Courtesans at various Renaissance faires.

Last weekend was the SCA's Beltane, perhaps the most lovely & enjoyable event of the year. I'm having a hard time settling back into the office grind after spending a few days in a green valley surrounded by friends, music, games, pageantry, good food & wine, all in fabulous costumes -- including a new gown for me (pictured below), made by my dear friend Sarah. The gown & hair are based on historical images, & I'll be tweaking the hairpieces I made to get an even-more historically accurate look.

Today's work outfit is strictly CorpGoth, to help force me back into the work world. Sleek grey with a touch of stripes. This is what it takes to slave away in the pixel mines!

What I'm wearing:
Grey sheath dress, Target | Black & white stripe sweater, Chadwicks
Black tights, unknown brand | Black & white peep-toe, ankle-strap pumps, Ross | Hand-painted skull pendant on black velvet ribbon, local artist | Black & white bead earrings, Kohl's | Erase Paste concealer by Benefit | Pressed powder by MAC | Black liquid eyeliner by Nars | "Fresh Linen" & "Vintage Violet" eyeshadows from Too Faced's Matte Collection | "Rosary" lipstick by Kat Von D

Lady Violet Ruthvene in a Venetian gown at Beltane

When Subcultures Are Co-Opted for Fashion

Me circa 1988

Sal of Already Pretty brought up a very relevant topic this week: What is the line between sartorial personae and poseur dressing? As goths, I'm sure we've all seen this happen ... from younger kids wearing band T-shirts but obviously not knowing anything about those bands to fashionable women wearing black nail polish because some magazine says black is the "in" color this season ... in the past 20 years, we've had goth co-opted by mainstream fashion. And there's nothing like a little cultural appropriation to get me in a ranty mood, so here ya go!*

If you're old enough to remember a time before Hot Topic stores were in every U.S. mall, you know how gothic fashion used to be a signifier of a weird little group of outcasts, kids who were picked on at school because we didn't like the same stuff as the popular kids, we listened to strange music from the U.K., we probably read a lot of odd books (maybe science-fiction & fantasy & horror, maybe Victorian novels too), some of us were queer, some of us were as misunderstood at home as at school. We wore black on the outside because we felt black on the inside (TM). And we had to work pretty hard to get that black -- we scoured thrift stores & clearance racks for velvet & lace, we safety-pinned patches on our jackets, we even sewed our own clothes, & if we saved up the cash, we ordered pointy boots from England, & we could only get black nail polish & lipstick at Halloween.

OK, enough nostalgia! My point is that subcultures start somewhere in the distant past & are slowly brought into the mainstream (that would be cultural assimilation, for the non-academics still reading). Today, you can hop to the mall or jump online & buy everything from dark makeup not intended for goths but that looks incredibly gothic to hardcore PVC & chains oh-my-goth gothic clothes. All you need is a credit card.

And how do we, who claim to be goth in some respect, feel about that?

Symbols matter

Look, I don't tart myself up in anything remotely uber-goth anymore. I have no time, place, nor real inclination to do so. But since I was about 16, I've considered myself goth at heart, & that has not changed no matter my clothes nor anything else about me. As many have said, it's about more than the clothes -- but, crucially, the clothes are the symbol, the outward manifestation of what's on the inside.

The studded cockring on my left wrist is a signifier of where I've been, what I've experienced, the pain, the joy, the people, the memories, it carries a little bit of everything that being goth means to me. I wear it with every single outfit I wear, every day, aside from historical costumes (& only then because I'm a stickler for accuracy; yeah, I take off my glasses too).

PerkyCorpGoth 2012

I'm of two minds when goth fashion is co-opted by the mainstream. I'm annoyed by Them taking away something that has Meaning to Me. But then again, I'll buy the damn makeup & clothes because, well, I'm old & I have a frickin' credit card now. My inner 16-year-old is giggling with glee to be able to dress up so nice for a change!

Of course, someone else could wear this stuff & look entirely not goth, not even try, not even want to. It's when someone puts the black dress & the black boots & the black nail polish together & says "I'm going goth today, hee hee!" that I roll my eyes. As if our history, outlook, & culture are merely a costume that you can play dress-up with. Thanks for the dehumanization.

How do you feel? Do you care one way or the other?

Related links:

• What Do Clothes Mean? Do Clothes Matter? -- For anyone who says "it's just fashion, it doesn't matter," this is a nice, simple reminder that, duh, of course what you wear has meaning.
• What Subcultures & Fashion Teach Business -- A brief, yet highly relevant essay about how the business world (not just fashion) uses & assimilates subcultures.
• The Death & Life of Punk: The Last Subculture -- From The Post-Subcultures Reader, a fascinating, disturbing thesis that commodification killed the whole concept of an authentic subculture.
• But Why Can't I Wear Hipster Headdresses? -- From Native Appropriations, about feathered & beaded headdresses being worn as "fashion." Fantastic Q&A about why ethnic garb should be treated respectfully & not just considered cool, hip, or ironic.
• Some Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation -- From The Vintage Traveler, a look at the history of cultural appropriation & assimilation.

*Note: For any snippy non-goths reading, yes, I know this may not be cultural appropriation on the level of Native Americans being used as sports team mascots (offensive & tired) or supposedly ethnic clothing lines at chain stores (offensive & commercialized)  or the vast number of sexy "insert racial stereotype here" Halloween costumes (offensive & stupid). But every time the mainstream gets away with another episode of this scott-free, the more likely it will continue to happen bigger & badder. And if you're still feeling snippy, check out the f-yeah cultural appropriation tumbler :-)

CorpGoth at 12th Night

Lady Violet Ruthvene, a photo by TrystBat on Flickr.

For those curious about my latest costume creation, it's finally done & I have pictures!

Last weekend was the Society for Creative Anachronism West Kingdom 12th Night, where I wore this gown. I'm rather pleased as it both looked good & felt good. Nothing I'd really change except for one accessory that didn't work out. More details & photos here.

Back to normal workaday outfits tomorrow.

Plummy

Feeling all matchy-matchy yesterday, plus I needed something cozy & warm. Temperature dropped nearly to freezing overnight, & it was rather frosty out this morning.

Not sure about tying this scarf into a bow -- it looks rather 1980s-era Dianne Feinstein to me. Who, as a person, I admire, but she's not exactly a style icon. My mom used to wear those floppy bows with suits too during the '80s, it was so "I'm all business, but still a woman!" Not sure if it looks pretty or dowdy on me, tho' I do like how it breaks up all the purple.

What I'm wearing:
Plum sweater, April Cornell, gift from Lisa
Black T-shirt, Target
Plum crushed velvet skirt, NY & Company
Black & white gothic-print silk scarf, Target
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black tall boots, Clarks
Pewter square earrings, made by a local artist
Silver & garnet poison ring, eBay

Lacey Costume Review

The Sophistique Noir monthly theme for October is lace, and I realized I don't have much in my everyday wardrobe with lace. A bit of trim here and there, nothing dramatic or terribly interesting. However, I love to use lace in my costumes. Also, on October 1, I'll be away from the computer at a costume event, so it seems appropriate to post about a few lace-decked costumes!

One of my favorite uses of lace was in this stripey 18th-century polonaise with a decidedly goth flair. I trimmed the neckline with a deep lace flounce (edged in velvet ribbon) and gave the sleeves lace ruffles. More photos are here and you can follow the complete dress diary by scrolling back thru here.

This era really lends itself to lace. Here's an 18th-century anglaise made of embroidered silk, made by my dear friend Sarah, which I trimmed in coordinating silk ruches, velvet ribbon, and huge black lace sleeve flounces. More photos here.

Those sleeve ruffles used scraps from another project -- they were leftover from the layered lace skirt over a purple silk hoopskirt I made to portray the Marquise de la Tour-Maubourg in the Franz Xavier Winterhalter portrait of "Empress Eugenie Surrounded by her Maids of Honor" with a group of friends. Here's the portrait gown...

 

 And here's my recreation. Our group won "Best in Show" for our costumes and presentation at Costume-Con 26 in 2008 (which is kinda like winning an Emmy or an Oscar for costume hobbyists!).

More photos, including ones of the whole group, are here.  The dress diary, con write-up, and a video of our performance are here.

I also like to use lace on accessories. For my 16th-century garb, lace is the crowning touch on ruffs, like this heavily starched 1590s ruff. The dress diary his here.

Finally, a photo of some lace in my fabric stash! I hope to use this on a really extravagant ruff in the future. I bought 10 yards in the L.A. garment district.

Can't wait to see the rest of this month's lace extravaganzas!