Retro Rack

So Fashionable Reader,

Nor Cal just did that thing that Nor Cal does when faced with the progression of the year. Which is to say, it looked at the calendar, threw its proverbial hands up into the air, and exclaimed,

 "Oh! Is it Fall? It must be Fall. Quick everyone, Fall!"

And in the space of very few days indeed we have rushed from ridiculously hot to that intermittent gray overcast 55-60 that is Nor Cal when it's not hot or raining, e.g. most of the year.

This is all fine with me. 

Being, well, Rack-ish, summer is a great trial of staying cool yet not looking like a stripper or a Real Housewife with granola tenancies.

The rest of the year, here in Old Golden, is made for tights, boots, cute retro dresses, and . . . knitwear!


I am a girl who truly loves the knit top. I apologize to those of you still slaving under summer suns, I'm breaking out the sweaters, and it's time to blog about them.


Ah, hem. Pardon me. Sitting on The Throne, you know how it goes.

Where was I?

Oh yes, knit tops.

Today's blog covers the plain knit top, and I am preparing another blog for later on the subject of patterned knit tops.

I have my own personal list of wardrobe staples for the curvy girl and this is one of them. In fact, I would replace the "white menswear inspired button down" of most everyone else's list, with the cute neutral colored knit top. Mine's cream but I think grey, black, brown, or even a nice pastel would suit most needs.


In addition to the cream, I've managed to find two modern knit tops with a retro feel ~ they have cap sleeves, but what can you do? (I have a theory on cap sleeves ~ much easier to sew than regular sleeves and these days manufactures are cutting corners and getting lazy. Cap sleeves seem to be everywhere and look good on pretty much no one.)  The pink is actually a cardy (I sewed it closed up the front) from H&M and the teal is a Jean Paul Richard from Three Sister's Consignment Shop in Sonoma. Now, back to vintage knitwear . . .


So, for this outfit, for Reno WorldCon, I paired a modern pinstriped pencil skirt (part of a suit) with black Aerosole peep toes shoes (many years ago $40), vintage leather gloves (gift from the Brother's K), a little velvet hat (gift from Rachel of Ruby Blackbird), and a vintage knit top (origin forgotten).


 I love it because it is very light weight, cotton (I have a wool allergy), and has a very small tight pattern. I do tend to hold that those of us over-endowed on the top should be careful with wearing white, but fit is everything, and this one fits well.


 Now what do we wear under cream or white tops, ladies?

Miss Gail ~ I hope I hear you say ~ always nude/skin-tone bras and nude/skin-tone tanks or undershirts. Never white!

Very good. I like microfiber shapers and I get mine at Ross.

What I love most about vintage knitwear from the late 1930s through the mid 1960s ~ it ends at or just bellow the natural waist! And it is shaped to fit a curvy girl. And it usually has some kind of sleeves.  These are necessary details the modern world of knitwear seems to have forgotten about.


Why end at the natural waist? Because it makes your legs look longer. Why a small tight pattern? Because it doesn't stretch over the Rack (thus highlighting it). Why sleeves? Because this isn't a darn vest! Why fitted? Because it is a truth universally acknowledged that not matter what your size, tailored and fitted clothing will always look better and make you look smaller ~ or at least the size you actually are and no bigger.



I'm a particular fan of this kind of 1930's knit top. The pattern at the neck and decolletage area draws attention up to the face, and away from the bust, and the slight butterfly to the sleeve makes the arm look more narrow because it floats away (no sausage casing issues).



The 1940s sees more emphasis on a strong shoulder and some silly sleeve action. If you already have big shoulders, like me, this can make you look a little like a linebacker. (And please be certain to pair a 1940s top with other retro items or you'll harken 80s in a bad way).  I'll still go for this style (and I have a terrible weakness for very silly sleeves) because once again it draws attention away from the rack and I don't mind a super strong shoulder, but I'll often pair with a full skirt, for balance, or I look top heavy.


Speaking of silly sleeves . . . (Tassels! Tassels on the sleeves. Love it!) Here are few 1950s options. As you can see the knit is getting tighter to the torso, tucked in, and belted (blame Dior). This is a bit more Marilyn va-va-voom but I think, if paired with a suitably conservative skirt, it edges into sexy-librarian in the right way.


While we are on the subject of knitwear, here are few not to do if you have a Rack.


The first is too thick and too short, over a larger breasted gal it'll look like she's smuggling melons across enemy lines. The second is too fuzzy. I adore cashmere, I have a real weakness for it, but one must be careful not to chose a yarn with too much of a hallo, it adds bulk, as on a long haired cat.

Saffron, Marigold, Yellow Gold, Bright Mustard, whatever you wish to call it this is a dress that only 5 or so years ago I would never have purchased. I was very much against yellow and orange, but particularly yellow. For no good reason, Fashionable Reader, I just was. I have a rather sallow complexion and I tend to feel that yellow makes me look jaundiced. In fact, this particular shade tends to make me a little on the pink side. Shocking in a freckled individual who can not blush.


Don't tell, but possibly the most shocking thing about this dress as that due to the nature of the scoop neckline, I cannot wear a bra with it. But the bodice is well lined, stiff, and structured, so I like to hope you can't tell. Initially I am very self conscious in such a condition, with a Rack like mine, braless is a near sacrilegious term. But it works.


This dress has become one of my very favorite. It's one of those on the long list of "save if from fire!" I can't remember where I bought it or how much I paid (knowing me, no ore that $50) and it has no label, but my guess would be late 1950s early 60s from the silhouette and pleating. However, the length of the skirt might push it back in time.


Of course, I have discussed gold previously, but this dress is such a different tone and style from the Flobért. Here is a little retrospective on the this color . . .



I like to pair mine with cream, and a little faus fur cape I picked up from H&M for $15 a few years back.


Here I am boosing it up at Reno (and a suggested scent for the occasion, Manderine Tea Perfume). It was Saturday party night so I went a little eccentric and paired the dress with my orange plaid glasses, yes, you read that right, and a velvet shell decorated evening hat my mother purchased for me from an auction for my birthday last year.


The peachy orange velvet is not a color that I have in my wardrobe, but it went well enough and I wanted to wear something a little outrageous for the big party night. Back to the cape. Adding it gives the dress a particularly reto feel.


 Especially as, right now, this kind of cut (only shorter) is considered quite modern and the color is very on trend.




So, what to read with the marigold dress?


Sharon Green's Hellhound Magic, is the second book in her Far Side of Forever series. Sadly, the series was never finished (so far as I can tell) but this book has a satisfactory ending. It is written from the first person perspective of Laciel, one of the most powerful sorceress in existence, who is a bit of an unreliable narrator. Like many of Green's books the complex fantasy world (or, in this case, worlds) is interwoven with an equally complex love affair. It can get frustrating – if the two only communicated once in a while! – but I can't help but adore Rik and root for this shape-changer to win over his stubborn all-powerful love. You all know I have a weakness for big gruff shape-changers and the stubborn women they adore. I'm not saying my adoration of this trope is sourced in Green, but she certainly colored my formative High School years.

I never considered green one of my colors, but I was never offended by it either. I spent many years violently opposed to pink, yellow, and orange and simply not wearing green. But a few years ago I picked up this green dress.


I tend to call it my Pea Green, but during Reno the boys dragged me to All You Can Eat Sushi at which it was decided it was really Wasabi green.


I can't remember where I got it or how much I paid for it, possibly 23 Skidoo for about $25. For Reno I paired it with cream, and wore it with flats. Again, me and the swingy skirt rule (flats with a full skit, heels with a pencil). And I donned my crochet gloves and cream hat with the magnetic attachment allowing for a blue and green flower.


In the past I have paired this dress with black. It's amazing how different the dress looks with just a switch in accessories. Here I am at Literary Orange at UC Irvine with the Kollin brothers.


Green, particularly a nice bright green like this, is another one of those colors I would urge you not to be frightened of. There usually is a tone to suit any complexion. It has a lovely cheerfulness about it without being as cheerful as yellow, as aggressive as red, as cutie as pink, or as safe as blue.


As you can see (above middle) this bright green is sometimes paired with red. I'm not certain I would have the courage to do that. I tend to be rather safe with my accessories and go for neutrals with a bright main, only pairing red accessories with neutral dresses.


Green, it's not just for redheads anymore . . . Joan on madman sports green relatively frequently.


And now, back to work with me.

So, on Saturday night at Reno WorldCon, Fashionable Reader, I wore my Fashioned By Flobért gold robe dress.


It actually has a bit of a train, in that the front is shorter than the back, showing off the shoes. I was going to wear it with t-strap dark brown shoes, to highlight the 1940's feel, but these sandals were more comfortable with my blisters from the first day of WorldCon.


I call it a robe dress even though it doesn't have the requisite sash tye, mainly because of the length and the sleves, which remind me of a bathrobe. To me it has a very 1940's feel, but I'm not certain that is the correct time period, it might be more early 1950s.



I paired it with my favorite tarantella brown netted hat and a vintage brown bag from Hubba Hubba and some retro drop golden pearl earrings.


This style of dress is pretty flattering on more figures. And it has been around a long time, since the 1930s. I tend to feel pairing it with chocolate brown tones down the over-the top glamor of the gold.


 This tone of gold, the more muted rose gold or old gold is more versatile to different complexions. I think anyone from pale blonde to brunette to red head to African American to Asian to . . . . can wear this color and look very very elegant. It's a great alternative to a boring old black evening dress.

What to read when you are wearing your gold gown?


The equally elegant and incomparably well-written Freedom's Choice by Anne McCaffrey. This is the second book in her series started with Freedom's Landing. The series is not about the invasion and conquering of Earth. Like Douglas Adams, McCaffrey essentially blows up Earth in chapter one (well not completely, but Earth is basically irrelevant). The point is, a group of earthlings and other conquered sentients are dumped on an alien world to see if it is habitable, in other words, to survive to be conquered again or die. The main character is a brilliant tough Nordic lass and her hero a disgraced member of the conquering aliens. The books are fun space opera but in a Land of the Lost survivalist vein, with a wonderful romantic element and great alien species. I adore them. Next time I have a real vacation this series is coming with me for a reread. I think there are 4 books total, but you can stop after the 3rd.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, Fashionable Reader, the day-by-day outfit log from Reno. I'll do a breakdown of outfits as soon as more photos start to filter in, and I did miss photographing one dress from the first night, but all-in-all I remembered to pigeon-hole someone to take a full body picture ~ hat to stilettos ~ every time. Of which I am inordinately proud. I have learned that it is best to ask a female to do it (remembers the shoes) or when someone approaches me to photograph for themselves to thrust my camera upon them.


Sorry for the blurry. Red dress with white acessories, photographed by Francesca Myman of Locus Magazine with senior editor Liza Trombi photo-bombing me ~ much to general giggles. I like to start out a convention with red, it makes a nice powerful impression. However, the shoes were a mistake, especially without stockings. I had blisters to baby for the rest of the con. Sigh, always go with leather.


Briefly put in an appearance at the Girl Genius ball, mostly to play homage to Phil & Kaja.


Switched out what I had planned to wear as these are my most comfortable shoes when blisters are in play (yes, better than flats), and because I was going to be interviewed for SF Book Club. Red pattern reads better on film than white knit, particularly on The Rack.


For the parties I slipped on my 1940's robe dress. I substituted my favorite sandals for the dark brown 40's style T-straps, again because of the blisters. The dress was a little warm for the parties, but they weren't all that crowded, so it worked out fine.


I tend to call this my pea green dress, but we realized that night it was actually wasabi green. I opted for flats, as this was my busiest day, which I really will only do for dresses with full skirts.


This is one of my favorite dresses of all time. It's a little tight over the rack and requires I go (gasp) bra-less, but sometimes a girl's got to sacrifice for such a rich color and amazing cut. I didn't wear this to the Hugos, but I wanted to put my best foot forward on the last night of parties.


This is a modern skirt, nice because it's synthetic and doesn't wrinkle. Skirts I can buy modern, it's tops and dresses that never fit me. This one has a faint blue pinstripe. While it is a little boring, I keep it in the closet because it travels so well and has a matched jacket and pants, all of which fit! The knit top is vintage.


As I did in the above outfit, you can fasten your blouse to the waistband of the skirt (from the inside, of course) at the seams of both sides with safety pins. Then you don't have to spend all day tugging and rearranging.

I'm still in Reno, Fashionable Reader, and about to set out but I thought I might say a little word on the subject of shoes. 

I learned the lesson at the Denver WordCon that I should have both flats and heels in all accessory colors. That way, I wear flats to walk to the convention center and then heels once I have a arrive. I have one of those little collapsible totes so I can carry the heels there, then I fold up the tote and the flats. I buy flats small enough to fit into my handbags and handbags large enough to hold both the flats and one mass market paperback.

I arrived in good time and wore red with white accessories all day Thursday. Unfortunately, I did not take into account the fact that it was so warm I did not wear stockings. This, even with flats, results in blisters when the shoes are not leather. It's hard to find good white patent leather.
I suppose this is basically a defense of stockings. I ended up spending the rest of the weekend in them, despite the heat, and also blister band-aid (which I buy in bulk). The secret, by the way, is to cover the blister band-aid with an industrial strength fabric band-aid.

Some have asked me before but I don't wear vintage shoes as a rule. They tend to be in very poor condition and, unlike clothing, that's not something I have the skill to do anything about. I do modify my shoes though, with attachments and dyeing, expect a future blog on the subject.

Pictures of the Reno outfits to come, I promise. I remembered to take a full length shot of all six! I'm ridiculously proud of this accomplishment. Trust me, I can barely remember my brain at a convention. I left my room key in my room three times! Taking a photo of each outfit (for which I have to pigeonhole some unsuspecting patsy once I hit the convention) is like presenting a dissertation it's so complicated.