Rant: "I Love the Victorian Era!"

I've always considered myself an avid historic costume appreciator. It's something I've loved since I first got my hands on Phaidon's The Art Book, and it's been, easily, my most researched subject. I've got a little mental fashion time line in my head and I can identify most women's historical costume from 1780 to now within about 10 years accuracy; some eras I'm better at than others, but that's simply because of personal interest.
I have a lot of costuming related pet peeves, but my biggest is easily the Victorian era. more specifically when people say "I love Victorian fashion!" my initial response is always the same; irritation, and then the question, "which decade?"
The thing is, while the Victorian era covers a span of about 100 years, fashion changed considerably every decade. clothing from the 1840s is not even close to how it looked in the 1880s.
not to mention that fairly frequently, when I ask people to draw the silhouette of what they like or to point out a picture of their favorite Victorian era costume, it's not even Victorian.  I've actually seen people call a Rococo-era costume Victorian. To me, I can easily spot the differences in these two eras, and I think that if you're calling it your favorite historical costume, it might help to actually know when it was worn.
Now I do admit to having this sort of confusion when it comes to the renaissance, but I'm actively trying to remedy it so I don't have this problem. The Victorian era is easier to see the changes in, decade to decade because of the rise of photography and gratuitous use of fashion plates. The evolution of dress is obvious in the Victorian era because of these handy little illustrations.

Just like the 20th century, 19th century fashion evolves by decade. I think that's easy to forget, but that was kind of when the pace of change sped up. the mass production of clothing and accessories that began in the industrial revolution made it easier for the middle class to acquire the newest looks, or at least keep up a little with trends. Really, all I ask is that you google your favorite historical costume, just once, to make sure you're labeling it properly. it gives people like me who are passionate about costuming and accuracy a much better picture of what you're talking about and a little more respect for you for taking a couple of minutes to make sure you know what you're talking about and that you're properly getting across the idea that you're trying to convey.

1840s

1880s

both dresses fall under the Victorian era umbrella.

My Tumblr

So on Rose Rosier's suggestion, I started a Tumblr account.

http://shadyoaks.tumblr.com/

Portage Park

My sister and I took some awesome pictures this weekend in Portage Park. it was hard to pare down the best, but I think I did decently.
sorry the pictures are HUEG but I thought they looked best this way. This was more or less my first 'formal,' planned photoshoot.

Visiting

My mom is in town for the weekend! She's staying at my sister's house in Portage Park, so I went out there today after class to hang out. My mom and my sister really loved my new style, and my sister wants to have a little photoshoot on Saturday. I'm excited! I'll have a few nice pictures without the cardboard boxes behind me.
On a good note, my financial situation's straightened out, I can breathe easy again!

 

still workin' on a style! I also just adore this hat. This was inspired a little by the late 1910s, very early 1920s. 

The Elevator

I did indeed end up adding the vest, but I forgot to take a picture with it. I'll likely wear this coordinate again, so next time I do I'll be sure to add a photo.

I wore it to my U.S. History class this evening. In that class I'm not very friendly with anyone in particular, although there's a few people I chat with sometimes when we're waiting outside of class for our teacher.However, when we were on the elevator after class, one of my classmates (I want to call him Nate because he reminds me of a Nate I knew at AI, my old school) turned around and said "Your outfit is really cute by the way."
Then the girl I chat with sometimes, I think her name is Cara, said "Yeah! I meant to say something too, I was looking at you a lot during class and I was like, 'gee, I hope she doesn't think I'm a creep or something," and then suddenly, about 5 or 6 other voices (this was a packed elevator) piped up, going "yeah!" and "you look so cute!"
I was stunned, flattered and a little embarrassed. But I treasure that moment already, and I hope that if I'm ever reincarnated or or get Alzheimer's or otherwise forget everything from this life, that that moment is one of the things I remember.

Like a lot of people, I have some self esteem issues. but let this be a lesson to any of you who are shy or afraid to be yourself; people usually love individuality. Some cultures look down on it, I know, but in most places, the people who are worth listening to are the ones who can appreciate what you're doing.

if you know the source, let me know!

Mori Girl, Day One.

Having some serious money issues today. My grandpa is, rightly, freaking out about how much my loan will cost me but unless he goes with his idea of just sending me the money I need monthly, what else can I do?

However, I woke up this morning to a gentle thunderstorm...often, midwest thunderstorms can be loud and vicious, but this one was pleasant. Something about the rain and the orange-yellow leaves created this really beautiful light into my room and I just laid there for a while, enjoying it.
I pulled out my sweaters today too. it's starting to get chilly in Chicago. Oddly enough, I leafed through my closet with the inspiration of thousands of photos I saw and saved last night dancing though my head and realized most of my closet is very mori already.
I had a couple ideas, but I put together this one.

forgive my photoshop skills, they're a bit rusty. haha.

Shirt- Pay Half
Skirt- Dots, I think. I bought it when I lived in Connecticut.
Stockings- no idea, had them since high school. They're a faint pink with vertical stripes. I think vertical stripes are my favorite pattern ever.
Boots- Unique, a thrift store. Bought them with Sam and Greg, actually.
Crochet gloves-some Victorian clothing site, I can't remember which! I saw another mori picture with them yesterday and I couldn't stop laughing; such a mori-specific item that I was drawn to before I even knew what it was!
Hat- probably a craft store.

I considered wearing black flats with this as well but these are the boots I wear daily and there are still puddles from the storm, so...I need more socks and stockings with which to layer. In fact, I just remembered an oatmeal colored vest I have that I may have to add to this outfit. so many ideas!
I'd like to keep my waist accentuated, unlike a lot of the Japanese mori coordinates; I'm just as petite as they are but I'm a little self conscious of looking like a boy.

Have you been watching the miners in Chile come up? It's really inspiring. My roommate said it best when he said "the world needs something like this right now."

Mori Music

 If you mori girls don't know who Vashti Bunyan is...you need to hear these.

Come Wind, Come Rain

Rose Hip November

Diamond Day

Where I Like to Stand

A very brief overview of my 21 years.

I don't exactly know where to start.

So I'll just start at the very beginning.
When I was 7 years old, my mom, older sister and I moved 895 miles away from Connecticut; from everyone and everything we ever knew to start a new life in a tiny town called Fruitport, Michigan.

My sister and I in Connecticut, 1991

We lived in Michigan for ten years with my step-dad Jerry, whom I love as if he were my natural father. My house was surrounded on three sides by what seemed to be at least a mile of woods, and I spent countless hours frolicking there, listening to the pure silence of nature, punctuated only by the calls of cardinals, crows and robins, the wind through the leaves and branches and the occasional car passing on the empty road nearby.

Junior prom, 2006. That was my backyard!

When Jerry wasn't waiting for the railroad to call him (he drives trains!) he would teach me everything he could about the woods. Save for my family, I spent a lot of my time alone- drawing, crafting, reading, or just laying out in the yard watching the clouds go by.

When I graduated high school, my mother moved back to Connecticut. Not being entirely sure what I wanted to do with myself at that point, I went back with her.
I hated it.
My sister was living in Chicago, going to college. She convinced me to move into an apartment with her. I was only in Connecticut for three months, and in September of 2007 I began the next chapter of my life in Chicago.

For the first 2 years or so, I mostly hung out with my sister and her friends. I was studying Graphic Design so I figured I should be among other artists. But it never felt quite right. I felt I lacked the passion and drive that my peers had. Then I was required to take an Art History class.

I found that I already knew about or was at least familiar with most of the stuff we were being taught- I realized immediately I was in the wrong field. Looking at it now I go, "duh." I enjoy drawing but designing is completely different. And history has been a part of me from day one- I don't remember the first time I went to a museum because I was a baby. One of my most prized possessions is a blue scarab necklace I bought in a museum gift shop about 15 years ago. So I switched schools, switched majors, and the rest is...history. ^_^

I always was, and definitely still am, a nerd. From my earliest days I remember Sailor Moon being my idol, my ideal. The concepts of truth, love and beauty are deeply ingrained in my moral code, and I will always point to Sailor Moon as the source. In fact, I think Sailor Moon was a source of most of who I am today, but that is another story for another post. :)

Meeting my boyfriend Joe in January of 2009 really brought that part of me to the surface. Truth be told, I had only been on a few dates with other boys prior to him. I was really naive and very, very quiet. But he did something nobody had ever really done to me- he pushed me. He pushed me to try new things, taught me the immense value of experiencing the world for yourself, not through a proxy like books or the internet, like I'd done my whole life. I grew in leaps and bounds in the first 5 months or so of knowing him. And despite a rough spot in our relationship (rather, because of it), we're happier than ever. He continues to astonish and challenge me on a daily basis.

Meeting him also introduced me to the best friends I have ever had. Sam and Greg are the most intelligent, delightful and functional couple I know. They live in Utah while Sam goes for her Master's in Anthropology, and I miss them daily. but they'll be home soon enough.

I feel like I've written too much about myself, but I keep forgetting that that is the sole point of this blog. Myself. time to be a little narcissistic for once! Besides, it's purely for my amusement and my heart. I doubt anyone will ever really want to read this much about some stranger, but who knows?