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Outings

Little White Regency Dress
*, 19th Century, Historical Fashion, Outings, pattern, Regency

Little White Regency Dress

When I was writing up my post about my green Regency spencer, I wanted to link to a post about my Little White Regency Dress, but realized I had started it but never published it! oops. 🙂

I have wanted a white Regency dress for years and years, and last year finally got around to making one. I love having basic pieces that can be styled different ways, and I think I’ve maximized this one to the utmost!

I used Past Patterns #031, and it definitely lived up to the hype. This is such a good style, and I see why the pattern is so popular. It goes together well, is comfortable, and flattering on just about everyone.

Saundra Ros Altman’s Past Patterns #031: Circa 1796-1806 Lewis & Clark Era: Empire Gown

My version is made with rayon, which is a little drapey but is nice and lightweight. Not HA, but I’ve never yet had anyone comment that the fiber isn’t accurate to the period. It’s hard to tell in these photos, but it’s a white on white stripe, which gives it a little character without being distracting.

  • Jane Austen Evening, Pasadena, January 2018
  • Costume College Friday Social, July 2018
  • Jane Austen Assembly, South Pasadena, March 2019
  • Jane Austen Assembly, South Pasadena, March 2019

You can see now why I wanted a little white dress! Just by changing up my accessories, I can have a dramatically different look. It’s a perfect blank canvas for all kinds of styles, for daytime or evening.

Costumer’s Guild West Holiday Tea
Historical Fashion, Holidays, Outings

Costumer’s Guild West Holiday Tea

A couple weeks ago I had an opportunity to wear my new Teens outfit again to the Costumer’s Guild West Holiday Tea. The unofficial theme was 19th Century, but that means it’s a bit of a free-for-all in terms of time period. It’s just a nice excuse to get dressed up and meet up with friends! I carpooled with my friend Laura, and she was very gracious that I made us late for the event. I’m not used to anyone in L.A. being punctual, so I was very surprised to be among the last to arrive!

Beth and Laura, wearing 1910s and 1950s

I don’t have a “proper” hat for this outfit yet, but since the main event was afternoon tea, I decided to throw on a little knit beret. It’s a bit small for the period, but if I have to do it wrong, I figure I might as well err on the side of being more chic! I realize now that I did miss out on the chance to add some nutty pom-poms onto it, though.

A properly-sized Teens Tam!

“Tam-o’-shanters have a new place owing to the popularity of skating and sweaters”
The Delineator for December, 1919, page 125

The tea spread!
Photo by Val LaBore

The Great LA Air Raid – 2013
Air Raid of 1942, Ft. MacArthur, Outings, Vintage Lifestyle

The Great LA Air Raid – 2013

Forgive me as I’m still catching up on events from last month! February was a short month, but a busy one. A couple weeks ago we attended my favorite event of the whole year – the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 at Ft. MacArthur. As you can see from the line up of sunglasses below, this year was especially gorgeous – I didn’t even wear my 1938 coat because it was so warm, darn it.
I wore an oldie but a goodie – I made my dress a few years ago for the Air Raid, and I think I’ve worn it at least 3 times to the event but never got any really good photos. It’s wool crepe with long sleeves, so it keeps me warm on the beach in February, but is too warm to wear to anything else.
I had a bit of a panic attack over my hair, which is too short and cut wrong for 40’s (First World Problems, I know). I got a beret, slapped some feathers and a brooch on it, and did some curl fluff around the ears – turned out rather okay! whew.
Rachel, Ashley, Lauren, me, Cait, Rusty
Overlooking the Bluff

With Cait

Michael and Cait – I had more fun editing this photo than any others. Aren’t they smashing?
the always adorable Rachel
This star was only about 2 feet off the ground, so getting the photo was pretty funny. 🙂 The boys nearby thought I was crazy when I announced I “needed a picture with my head in the star”.
Another Los Angeles landmark, the Griffith Observatory.

Me and Netta

Katharina – www.Facebook.com/GoForKatMakeup
Jealous…that’s all I got… 😉
Chris was running around, getting ready for a dance performance, 
but I grabbed him for a couple photos throughout the event
5pm Flyover
Morgan in his grandfather’s uniform

with Sharlene and Heather, a couple of my amazing dance girlfriends
Before and After
View from the Dance Floor

IndyGear 2012 – Adventure Day

As promised, here are the photos from last weekend’s event – Chris and I tagged along with friends at Ft. MacArthur for the annual IndyGear Adventure Day. I may not be interested in dressing up for Halloween, but I make up for it the rest of the year! 
The day is full of running and digging in fields and tunnels, so I put together a rough and tumble outfit from some modern pieces in my closet, topped off with a $5 hat from downtown LA that I trimmed to look vaguely like a pith helmet. It was a very pithy day!
WWII reenactors made the fort into a British base, and we were tasked with excavating an archeological site in the midst of a warzone. I think we did pretty well, even with tea being on ration!
Photos by Lauren & me – see more of her photos here
Clockwise from Top: 1. WWII Reenactors guarding the base 
2. IndyGear member cataloging artifacts found at the dig 3. Cleaning an artifact
Clockwise from Top Left: 1. Examining a bomb site for archeological treasures.
2. Lauren driving our team to safety 3. A team of Nancy Drews exploring the tunnels (since it’s make-believe we ALL get to be Nancy, and no one has to be Bess!) 
4. Dealing with Military Bureaucracy

Clockwise from Top: 1. It’ll be less bumpy if you look where you’re driving!
2. Tunnel Hunters 3.Santa Catalina in the distance 4. Chris digging for treasure.


Costume College 2012

Costume College! This post is extremely picture heavy, but I know you don’t want it any other way.
For more photo goodness, visit my Flickr page. (still working on learning Lightroom, but I’m getting slightly faster!)
This is my second year attending Costume College, and I had a blast. Last year I mostly took limited classes (hands on workshops) but this year I attended more lectures. The number one thing I’m excited about now? Hat blocking! I’m on the hunt for a 21 1/2″ basic block so that I can make fabulous cloches.
This year’s track theme was “Golden Age of Hollywood”, but a lot of my vintage and repros just feel like everyday clothes to me, so I opted to rewear some of my projects from the past year instead.
Thursday night they had a Carmen Miranda meet-and-greet cocktail party, and low and behold, in the garage I had a pretty awesome Halloween costume I made a few years back. (You might recognize the top from my Maharaja costume.) This was definitely my shiniest costume for the weekend, even if I did forget my maracas! I built the turban/headpiece over a knit ski hat, which keeps it secure on my head.
Tutti-Frutti with Lauren (Wearing History)
Ginger in a killer 30’s chenille bathing cape (Scene in the Past)
Friday night was the ice-cream social – the theme was Medieval, which our group all flagrantly disregarded.
Lauren in her a-maz-ing plaid bustle dress
Ginger, in Regency
Stephanie and I both wore Edwardian and Castle bobs
Rachel, looking like a Vogue cover in her perfectly coordinated ensemble. 
Everyone tried to steal her hat!
Saturday night is the Gala, where you wear your most spectacular outfit, and walk down the “red carpet” – there are quite a few onlookers who come out to see the show! Too many great costumes to even remember – I only captured a few!
My favorite photo of the weekend – love the deep colors of all the outfits! In case you’re wondering, my husband and Lauren’s husband are hamming it up on the other side of the camera, cracking us up.
Another Blogger photo! This time adding “American Duchess” Lauren into the mix. 🙂
The Nevada ladies all wore their state colors – they were so impressive!
All I can say is – Lauren’s lucky we’re different sizes. But the cape is ripe for stealing!
Which her husband promptly did!
Icing on the cake – Ginger’s recreation of Olivia de Havilland’s costume from Robin Hood (1938).
Ginger’s entourage arranging the publicity photo.

Birthday Tea Party 2012

Like all of my posts, this one from my birthday is long overdue – my birthday was over a month ago! But we’ve been busy with all sorts of dance camps, Costume College, weddings (plus going to work!) – and for my birthday Chris bought me the fancy-pants photo editing software Lightroom, and I was determined to at least learn the basics and use it for my most recent photos, which took a while.
I’m also running low on my free space for photos through Blogger, so I started a new Flickr account. Hopefully all these new tools will makes things easier and more streamlined, but there’s definitely a learning curve with them!
For my birthday this year, I wanted to have a girl’s day out – a group of girlfriends joined me at the Orange Circle in Orange, CA for afternoon tea and vintage shopping. It was lovely but HOT walking around in the middle of the day! People wearing shorts and tanks thought we were crazy, but I’m glad my friends are such good sports.
And even though we brought fancy-pant cameras and I spent hours with my new software, the best photo of the day is the one I took with my iPhone and Instagrammed. Argh! 😉
Lauren and Cait both bought their hats on our outing – 
Lauren’s hat came from the estate of Dixie Lee, Bing Crosby’s first wife. How cool is that!

I didn’t need to buy a hat, because I already had one with a rhinestone shrimp on it!
Delphine, me, and Cait at the Orange Circle fountain. 
So many shadows – noon is not the best time for photos!
Vintage girl with her vintage iPhone.
A local friend tipped me off to this cute Orange mural.
Delphine – fantastic dancer and newly married lady!
Lauren made her outfit, and has awesome stripe matching skillz.
Teatime! We went to Paris in a Cup, which is delightful and rather touristy, down to the fake French on the menu. Delphine, our Parisian transplant, had a good giggle at that.
Petit fours and edible orchids – it tasted kind of like lettuce.
Poor photography skills, but it shows the cute room!
And of course Charlie Cat had to sneak into the
 photoshoot at the end of the day. What a ham!