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In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats



Summer is ending, although you'd never know here in Nor Cal. I thought before it came to a close I'd do a little something on straw hats.

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats

I have a number of them of all different kinds. Including a red one I am over-making right now and you will get a DIY blog on eventually. Here is a small sample.

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats

I know, they all seem to fall in the same color pallet, don't they? Huh. Anyway, the up side of straw is that it's cool, the downside is that the can catch and mess up the hair.

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats

So, anyway, in honor of summer I present to you this little retrospective on straw hats. I'll be off the radar, I think, until Monday, so please enjoy.

Vintage straw hats . . .


In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1760-1770 via The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1910 via The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1914-1917 via The Cincinnati Art Museum; 1914-1920 via The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1930 cold comfort farm; 1934 tea for two; 1938 hold that kiss

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1940 Sally Victor

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1950 Lillian Bassman; 1954 Dior; 1954 Otto Lucas straw hat

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1955 Christian Dior via The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1956 Cover

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsIn Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
1956 Dior June; 1958 Day

And now, I must leave you. Have wonderful weekends all, and I hope you are afforded the opportunity to don a straw hat!

In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw Hats
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.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths


I have this multi-strand stacked mock pearl necklace that I bought on a whim from a retro fair and wear all the flipping time.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths 

Here's your names for the different lengths...

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
via antique-royals tumblr

Collar, choker, princess lengths are my favorites. I will occasionally wear a rope. The other two don't work with the Rack. Not on me, anyway.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths

This kind of stacking has been around a long time.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
Queen Margherita of Italy via antique-royals tumblr

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
1840 antique-royals tumblr

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
1870 fawnvelveteen tumblr stacked pearls

Mine I'll wear for daytime or evening because of the style of bead.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace LengthsPearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths

Although in the past with real pearls it does tend to be MAJOR formal events.

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh then Grand Duchess of Russia

After the Turn of the Century

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
1925  Christie’s

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
via sala66- Clara Bow, 1927

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
Christian Dior 1948 Hat, Philippe Pottier, Fashion Photography  (Source- hprints.com)

Pearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace Lengths
 “More is More” Hilary Rhoda by Roe Ethridge for W Special Edition May 2014
via Glamorous Vintage Soul tumblr


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 Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s


I'm kinda obsessed with felted hats. Sadly, Fashionable Reader, I usually can't wear them (wool allergy). I love a vintage felted and folded cloche and I do tend to associate this kind of hat with the 1920s-1940s. Yes I am aware they hung around.

I have a couple pretty nifty ones from the 1950s.


Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s

Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s

Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s

I suppose I knew they must have felted hats in the Victorian era but I don't often encounter elaborate folded versions in my fashion wanderings. So you can imagine my delight when I saw this little beauty at a recent exhibit!

Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s
Image taken by Gail Carriger, do not share without attribution
Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s
Image taken by Gail Carriger, do not share without attribution

Gail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890s

Isn't it just fabulous?


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...

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm


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

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
Walking Dress  1893  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Primrose

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
1895  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

For Gail

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
Ensemble  Utility, 1942  The Victoria & Albert Museum

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
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.

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
Cold Comfort Farm


Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm


Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm

And here is a fun new bit of merch!

Gail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm
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.

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories


Hello Fashionable Reader!

Here's my most recent event outfit. I went to Borderlands for their Mass Signing 20th Birthday Celebration!

(And then stayed for the Sponsor Social.)

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories

The funny thing about this outfit is that I was having such a hard time deciding what to wear, I had Twitter vote on it.

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories

Here's the break down of what they chose and how I put it together.

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories

The velvet blouse is part of a 1940s suit (the skirt is no more). Like all black velvet, it photographs poorly, but it has tons of lovely little details like buttons and cuffs. You'll just have to trust me that they are there.

The bag, gloves and shoes are all modern but I bought them 10 years ago. The bag came from a thrift store, the shoes are aerosoles, and the gloves H&M.

However, still available are...


Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories
Next to the amazing Katherine Kerr (I was a little star struck). 


Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories
I'm afraid, since it was at night, the light wasn't awesome
 
Finally here I am in my special Borderlands Sponsor sweatshirt...

Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories

Take a good hard look, this is the only time you will ever see Gail Carriger IN A HOODIE.
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.

Then & Now ~ Old Gold Gown


Then

Then & Now ~ Old Gold Gown
1949 Venus  Christian Dior  The Metropolitan Museum of Art


Now

Then & Now ~ Old Gold Gown
2013 Fall Gold


Matched Merch


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.

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

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It


My book, Prudence, is currently on sale for only $4.99 (ebook USA). In honor of that, Fashionable reader, I'm posting a fun thing I used to do a lot - outfits that match the cover!

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With ItPrudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It

I had to put this image first, because it is such a perfect match to the colors of the cover. It's an 1870s  dress from Kerry Taylor Auctions. I'm not sure which of my characters might wear something so exotic, this period would place it during the Parasol Protectorate series. So perhaps Ivy?

And now, looking at the cover here's some more picks...

For Alexia in the Parasol Protectorate series...


Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
Suite  1830s  Christie’s

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
Afternoon Dress  Charles Fredrick Worth, 1872  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For Countess Nadasdy...


Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
1883  Musée Galleira de la Mode de la Ville de Paris

For Primrose in the Custard Protocol series...


Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
 Pingat afternoon dress ca. 1896  From the De Young Museum
Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
1895 Cufflinks  Tiffany & Co., Sotheby’s

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
1890s  Augusta Auctions

For Gail...


Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
Madame Grès, 1945  Kerry Taylor Auctions

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
1950s  Whitaker Auctions

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
2000 Gianni Versace  The Frock

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
2015 Katrin Langer floral brocade clutch at modaoperandi.com

Prudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It
2015 Nicholas Kirkwood purple suede Mary Jane

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

Gail Carriger Purple Flower Top & Vintage 1970s Cream Knit Skirt at ConFusion, Detroit 2017


For the second day of Confusion I wore a few old favorites.

 Gail Carriger Purple Flower Top & Vintage 1970s Cream Knit Skirt at ConFusion, Detroit 2017

My favorite grey facinator (now in black and red $15ea), a vintage 1940s cream jacket (it looks better buttoned), a silky flower print purple blouse from J.C. Penny (years ago), and the skirt part of my 1950s cream knit suit, with black ballet flats (similar $15). I try to wear flats the second day of a con to give my feet a rest and because Saturday is almost always my busiest day rushing from panel to panel.

 Gail Carriger Purple Flower Top & Vintage 1970s Cream Knit Skirt at ConFusion, Detroit 2017

The choker was a gift from the BFF, it's made of tiny little silver roses. I've never seen anything else like it out there. Those are my favorite earrings made from fountain pen nibs. Mine are silver but I did find these brass ones for $24, and I'm sure the silver are all over Etsy.

 Gail Carriger Purple Flower Top & Vintage 1970s Cream Knit Skirt at ConFusion, Detroit 2017


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

1940s Air Hostess Uniforms with Gail Carriger


There was a great display (at the International Terminal of SFO before we left for Singapore) on airline uniforms through the ages. I was particularly taken with this one:

1940s Air Hostess Uniforms with Gail Carriger

It's the 1939 uniform for United Airlines. Isn't it adorable?

1940s Air Hostess Uniforms with Gail Carriger
With Parasols! And look at the shoes!

Although, that said, I got mighty addlepated over the current Singapore Air hostess uniforms, because OH MY GOD. I nearly bought one for myself (you can in Little India) and then realized I am not an incredibly stunning Asian woman and it would look ridiculous on me.

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

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat


So for the next day at WorldCon I wore this old favorite yellow skirt with black dots. It's Max Studio and if I had to buy a new one I'd get something like this instead $20 white with black dots, high waisted. I think it'd fit better in my wardrobe. 

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat

The shirt actually started life as a vintage 1960s black linen pencil dress and I cannibalized it into a peplum blouse. Dress looked a lot like this originally. 

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat
Maggy Rouff  1950s  Vintage Fashion INC

I'm wearing these two pieces with steampunk earrings (similar $20), pen necklace (here $18), and flat aerosole sandals to save my feet (here $40). I also added a tilted teardrop hat. You can follow my adventure dyeing this hat here

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat

I love this hat but it is hard to travel with so you don't see me in it often. Here's a bit of a sample of other tilted hats...

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat
1872  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat
1943  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat
2014 Ralph-Russo

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.
Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I gets a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.
In Which Gail Carriger Talks About Her Love Affaire With Straw HatsPearls: Gail Carriger Talks Multiple Strand Faux Pearl Necklace & The Names of Necklace LengthsGail Carriger Discusses Felted Hat from the 1890sGail Carriger Loves Tweed & Cold Comfort Farm Gail Carriger in Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Top and a Red Trumpet Skirt with Leopard Accessories Then & Now ~ Old Gold GownPrudence Cover & The Fashion To Go With It Gail Carriger Purple Flower Top & Vintage 1970s Cream Knit Skirt at ConFusion, Detroit 20171940s Air Hostess Uniforms with Gail CarrigerGail Carriger Retro 1940s Black Velvet Top and Polkadotted Skirt and Tilted Hat

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