Retro Rack

I enjoy writing little odes to my long lost closet items, Fashionable Reader.



It is a way of remembering them, and chronicling my relationship with them. But it also reminds me why I got rid of them. Since occasionally I will get into a mode where I think back on on outfit with too much affection, and wonder why was so silly as to get rid of it.

Since I did a major closet purge recently, I'll be blogging a few of these outfits and dresses forthwith.

Today I'm looking with affection on this outrageous

1960s Floral Pink Maxi Dress

I believe this dress started life as a bridesmaid dress. I can't imagine any other reason for this specific design with the train. It's just not quite right to be a prom dress or something along those lines.

I do love this particular style of evening gown from the 1960s, and I managed to find a few images of similar dresses.

Pink: Hubert de Givenchy, 1965  The Metropolitan Museum of Art; B&W: 1960s via shewhoworshipscarlin tumblr

Here is Audrey Hepburn wearing one of the style of dress.

This particular style with the body is a completely different color from the skirt part of the dress is very indicative of the early to mid-1960s. I find it particularly flattering, because the darker top and busy or lighter colored skirt is flattering on those of us who are top-heavy.

Also the plates at the waist line and the slightly poof out of the skirt, disguises all manner of sins in terms of the girl tum.

So it is with great sadness that I been this pretty goodbye, but we have had fun times together.


What? 
Maxi dress with chiffon top with tiny pink bows and train, linen skirt with hand painted flowers. Probably bridesmaid.
Why? 
Too tight in torso, requires assistance to get into, linen doesn't travel.

Something for Felicity from the Parasol Protectorate Series?

1886-1887 Evening Dress  Charles Fredrick Worth, The Philadelphia Museum of Art

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.

I was recently in Denver at RWA. Oof, I forgot how hot Denver could get so I was delighted I'd packed this new acquisition of mine...


I've gotten really into maxi dresses these days.

Honestly? Because I don't have to shave my legs. But also they have this tall drink of water feeling, and I don't have to wear high heels with them. Which means I'm not really that tall, but I feel like I look that way in a maxi dress. Make sense?

Anyway this one came from Nordstrom Rack, and I'm not usually one for the Shoulder peek, but it had a 1930's thing going for it, so I couldn't resist.

Here's something similar that has that breezy see-through thing...


Sorry the original dress is no longer available.

So what else am I wearing?

Outfit Breakdown! 

Cream embellished turban - $15
White gloves - similar $10
Octopus earrings - similar $22
Teapot bag - Etsy $69

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.

I recently did a Business of Writing presentation. I don't do this often, but I feel like I'm getting to the point in my career where I should pay it forward. A kind of, "Let me tell you what I have learned from my mistakes so you don't have to."

Anyway, this is what I chose to wear for my presentation:

I always think of red and black as power colors. 

I'm not sure there is any scientific reality to my assumption, or if, instead it's just that I feel more powerful when I'm wearing them. I blame Star Trek. Red makes me feel in command.

Also this is a pretty comfortable and cool outfit, it's light weight and simple, and doesn't wrinkle easily. It's one of my go to outfits in general, and for autumn in particular, I think, because of the color profile.

Wearing this dress at a convention before I promptly ripped the jacket. 

I love this dress because it feels faintly Spanish influenced and it reminds me of this one on Joan in Madmen:

I keep waiting for eShakti to do a run on this style of dress but I suspect the fabric is hard to come by as is, and no one wants to do that kind of applique anymore!

I'm wild about this swim suit:

For the characters!

For Mrs Barnaclegoose in the Finishing School series...

Countess Nadasdy in the Parasol Protectorate series...

And the countess later in Romancing the Inventor...

Vintage velvet hat with applique leaves (gift), vintage glasses (gift from a reader) with my prescription, necklace vintage heirloom, dress & jacket 1950s, modern CK wedge sandals from several seasons ago (similar $15-30).

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.