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Vintage Style In A Modern World

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Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

In keeping with the Win an ARC contest over on my other blog today I present to you, Fashionable Reader, outfits inspired by the cover of my forthcoming book, Etiquette & Espionage the first of my new YA Finishing School series.

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

First, a couple of gowns that might be worn by the characters in these books . . .


Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
  1860s skating costume

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
1866-1868  The Philadelphia Museum of Art

And something for Primrose to wear in the forthcoming Parasol Protectorate Abroad series.

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
1890-1895  The Victoria & Albert Museum

 Some vintage picks for the Rack:

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1914 Dinner Dress  The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1925  Raymond C. Yard  Christie’s

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail CarrigerBook Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1938 Evening Suit  Elsa Schiaparelli  The Arizona Costume Institute; 1938-1939Suit  Elsa Schiaparelli,   The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1940 Elsa Schiaparelli  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail CarrigerBook Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1940 Schiaparelli ensemble; 1943 Sally Victor  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1945 Evening Gown  Elizabeth Hawes  Augusta Auctions

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1954 Cocktail Dress  Christian Dior  The Chicago History Museum

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1955 Norman Norell  The Indianapolis Museum of Art

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1958 Jacques Fath  The McCord Museum

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
 1959 Cristobal Balenciaga  The Henry Ford Costume Collection

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Joan on Mad Men c. early 1960s look

Book Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger


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

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Black Pencil Skirt, mid length, kick pleated back, black & white lining.
Cashmere poly blend, Tahari, Nordstrom's Rack $75.

The infamous black pencil skirt.

I know, it's wrinkled in the picture, but trust me, this skirt is great. I am a huge advocate of the black pencil skirt. In fact, I would say it is almost more important to a wardrobe than the Little Black Dress. If you are of the pear shape and self conscious about a pencil, then by all means go for an A-line instead (I have one of those too, future blog in the works).

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
World Fantasy San Jose, Soulless Launch Party, 2009.

So perhaps this skirt is a little tight. But my goodness I love it. And honestly, I'm in my 30's I've made peace with the dreaded girl tum. Frankly, I'm a chick and I'm curvy and I have a tum because I'm not an airbrushed model. Besides, I don't want to be one of those crazy razor sharp Hollywood women who do 800 sit-ups a day and look like they not only live on endives but might actually turn into an endive at any moment.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Gail & Marilyn, real women with girl tums. A model who is not.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Katy Perry with Girl Tum

 So while I can still zip up the darn thing, I'm going to wear it. For World Fantasy in 2009 I paired it with a pink blouse (which I no longer own) to match the cover of Soulless, and some Irregular Choice shoes.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Jet tassel necklace from Dark Garden at Dickens Fair, $30; matched earrings $10 PantheaCon dealers room; black simulated leather opera gloves, inherited from Grandma; Irregular Choice shoes, Haight Street San Francisco, gift.

Irregular Choice makes the most wonderful looking shoes on the planet . . . and possibly the most painful. Mine are wedges (unlike the ones above) and I love them, but I can't wear them for more than a few hours even with inserts. Sadness.

However, Fashionable Reader, this is meant to be a WorldCon retrospective and so here I am, in the black pencil skirt at WorldCon 2008 . . .

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Gail and Lawrence Person in the Con Suite.

This time I wore it with a gray silk sailor blouse and gray spectator pumps.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Vintage gray blouse, possibly 1940s Thrifted $15, Via Spiga spectators, gift

I have several other black pencil skirts but this one sits apart because of the length. Normally, I do not go for a mid length skirt, in this case several inches below the knee. Nor do I recommend it for any but the very tall. For that reason I always wear this skirt with the highest heals possible.


Vintage wise, this length is best suited to a 1940's Dior look. That said, the black pencil is a staple that always seems to show up on the fall/winter runways and this year was no exception. I even spotted a few in this, a more vintage, length.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt
Fall 2011 runway; Sarah Jessica Parker in Marc Jacobs; Christina Ricci

More on the black skirt in future, I have several different versions and I intend to go into the relative merits of each.

Gail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil Skirt

Gail Carriger Announces the Winnah of the Heartless Fashion and Tea Give Away

Sorry this blog is a tad delayed, Fashionable Reader. I had to turn in some important notes to New York before 2 pm today which rather derailed the normal synchronicity of my online day, I'm sure you understand.

I was reading your comments for the contest and I actually said out loud into the empty room "You are all so cute!"

Thank you so much both for your positive encouragement and for your thoughts. I have taken them all under advisement. Some of the suggestions were for blogs I already have in the works (I often wait until enough good imagery has come my way before posting). Some will be applied as twists to future blogs (more on accessorizing, for example). Still others are entirely new fodder (plus size vintage has already occurred).


However, while I get all my leopards in a row (not just for this blog but for major edits on Finishing School and preparations for Reno WorldCon) I have prepped a six blog retrospectives on past WorldCons that I hope you will enjoy.

Gail Carriger Announces the Winnah of the Heartless Fashion and Tea Give Away

I'm going delve a little further into the matter of accessories (as per requests) as well as the dresses themselves. I hope you enjoy this series.

Gail Carriger Announces the Winnah of the Heartless Fashion and Tea Give Away

Rest assured that in the background I am conducting other DIY projects. Before Reno's WorldCon, for example, I must repair three hats, add veils to two, and turn plain oxfords into spectators (not to mention, you know, that crazy writing thang). I also want to finish my new steampunk outfit for the Girl Genius Ball. I'm documenting it all for you!

Gail Carriger Announces the Winnah of the Heartless Fashion and Tea Give Away

 And now, as you have waded patiently through the blog I give you . . . the winnah!

MissSnarkerson!

If the lovely Miss would please email me at gail at gailcarriger dot com with snail mail details or drop me a calling card I'll pop the books in the mail post haste!

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

One of the fun things about being an author is developing relationships with people all over the globe. One of my foreign language translators who consults with me the most (read: at all) is my Japanese translator. We have a sporadic back and forth on the subject of certain idioms and the meaning of Victorian phrases which I really enjoy. It forces me to stop and think about language as separate from story, which reminds me of my academic days.

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

In one of those crazy coincidences, right after returning for New Orleans and lamenting my lack of fan, I received the following in the mail from my Japanese translator!

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

These are cute tiny very light little fans, perfect for fitting into any handbag and the right combination of colors to match almost any outfit I have. Then the next day, on one of the fashion blogs I follow, this broach popped up which looked just like one of the fans! Coincidence if far more common that we think.

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch
 Lucien Gaillard plaque de cou ca. 1900 via Christie’s

So next time I visit New Orleans I shall be ready!

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book LaunchGail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book LaunchGail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

Also, I promised pictures of Octavia. Here she is. She has grand ambitions to be an octomaton (note the gears) but is being distracted by sniffing flowers.

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

And here are a few more from Friday's event in San Francisco.

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

Sadly, I did not have a photographer (AKA the AB) present at the Kepler's event last Thursday in Menlo Park, so I have no additional pictures but it was great fun. I am delighted to report people came even though it was the premiere of the new Harry Potter movie and the day before George R.R. Martin's signing! Also I was given tribute: delicious Japanese Gummy candy, exciting new tea to try, teeny tiny fake food (oddly, foreshadowing of a scene in Etiquette & Espionage: Finishing School Book the First), and octopuses!

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

A random moment of pantyhose!

And, just because I feel like it, I've decided to give away the following three books. It is a combination which, if you follow this blog, might appeal just to you.

Gail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book LaunchGail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book LaunchGail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch
A signed copy of the UK edition of Heartless by self, Fashion by Christopher Breward, & Tea Wisdom by Aaron Fisher and possibly a few other bits and bobs of cuteness I have lying about.

To enter, simply leave a comment below. You don't have to say anything of import but I am interested in your views on Retro Rack so far. Is there anything you would like to see more/less of? Which kinds of entries interest you the most and which do you skip? Any other thoughts?

The winner will be chose by random number generator, and the contest will end next Tuesday, July 26. I'll announce the winner in this blog, along with the first in an eight part retrospective on the fashions I've worn to WorldCons of old (leading up to Reno 2011).

Have a lovely weekend, Fashionable Reader, and if you are visiting San Diego ComicCon I want a Fashion Report! Pretty please?
CLOSED Gail Carriger: Let's Play A Rousing Game of Spot That Outfit! Win Gail Carriger Signed Books, Swag, & MoreBook Inspiration ~ Etiquette & Espionage by Gail CarrigerGail Carriger WorldCon 2010 Retrospective: 1940s Black Pencil SkirtGail Carriger Announces the Winnah of the Heartless Fashion and Tea Give AwayGail Carriger Talks ABout The Outfits She Wore Fot Her Heartless Book Launch

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