Effervescent Victorians

Effervescent Victorians by ~Stagsleap on deviantART

Gaskell Ball April 2013

After missing the last three Gaskell Balls, it felt wonderful to finally get back on the dance floor last Saturday.
I had acquired a few new dresses from a theater sale last year, and since my first choice (a white dress) needed a new sash and some appropriate gloves, I settled upon a magenta/plum one. This particular dress doesn't stand out on the hanger, and might even be passed up as "tacky", but with a few petticoats, a good hairdoo, and a sleeve adjustment, it passes for a decent Victorian gown! It fits my torso snugly, and gives wonderful shape without a corset. The lightweight fabric makes it perfect for dancing. It's already one of my favorite dresses!

Had a great time at the ball chatting with old friends and dancing with new ones.

My friend, Ben, and I. We first met when he asked me to dance the Bohemian National Polka,  a dance that neither of us knew at the time. We pranced through the choreography filled to the brim with giggles and smiles. It was one of my favorite dances ever! 

Duke, looking dukish. 

Update, May 5th: New photos! Thank you to Anthony Argyriou for the images!

Taken during "The Galop", one of the most frightening social dances one can take part in. You rev up and gallop head-long at the other dancers, yelping, squealing, and oof-ing aplenty. 

First Day at Dickens - Sunday, Boystyle

"Why don't you go in civilian clothes?"

I was tired, anxious about school, worried about my sick Beau, and unwilling to commit to anything much. I almost didn't go to Dickens Fair at all on the first weekend. My mother and I had free passes (for that first weekend only) so I pushed my worries aside and decided to head out on Sunday.  My pink gown was not finished, and I felt like I didn't have any other appropriate dress to wear, so I decided I would dress "like a secular" and forgo historical clothing. The plan was to stay at the Fair for only a short time and view the shows, which I have often missed in past years.

So, I went into my closet to find "civilian clothes" and I came out looking like this...

I completely forgot my love of dressing like a boy. Oh my, how I had forgotten that sweet, liberating feeling! I felt more giddy and powerful than I had in a long time.

I accompanied my mother around the fair, nibbled at some Bangers and Mash (the food, not the band!), danced a wee bit, and went to Saucy French Postcards. It was a low-key day, but I was delighted to see nearly all of my fair friends!

Why you need to go to the Dickens Fair! A teaser!

http://dickensfair.com/

The weekends of November 23- December 23 (and the Friday after Thanksgiving).

10am - 7pm (stay all the way to the end for caroling!)

It will soon be time for my favorite holiday tradition - the Great Dickens Christmas Fair! If you live near the San Francisco Bay Area in California and have even a slight interest in history, I suggest you visit. Held in the cavernous stock barns of The Cow Palace, the streets of Victorian London are lovingly recreated and populated with hundreds of trained actors. They portray numerous characters from Dickens, historical figures, and various city folk and travelers. There is a wealth of delicious Victorian food, activities, shopping, shows, and entertainment. It's a truly immersive experience unlike anything that I can think of.

Think the Victorians are too "prude" for you? Oh boy, are you in for a surprise. You might just see Victorians (and history geeks!) in a very different light after visiting The Fair. Be sure to get tickets for "Naughty French Postcards"!

If you have never been, I wanted to give you a little teaser by showcasing some wonderful photos of the fair. Enjoy!

All of these wonderful photos are from various artists on Flickr. Flickr can make it difficult to share photos, so some are links instead of thumbnails. Show your appreciation for their work  by visiting their galleries and faving or commenting!

The parlor at The Adventurer's Club. Photo by marianme.

Mr. Dickens himself in the family parlor. Photo by maywong_photos

Victoria and Albert enjoy a reading from Mr. Edgar Allen Poe in the "Adventurer's Club". 

One of 'The Ruffles' at Mad Sal's.

Sketching an enchanting model with The Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood. 

The melancholy Edgar Allen Poe. Photo by tuna94544

A corner of "Le Legion Fantastique". 
Another little detail. 

The Can-Can Girls of Mad Sal's. Their show is delightful! Photo by tuna94544

Try as they might, their message is often ignored! Photo by tuna94544

Anyone who thinks these people are "lonely nerds" are wrong, wrong, WRONG. Dickens Fair is the site of some the bawdiest fun you'll ever see this holiday season. Photo by tuna94544

Fagin. Photo by tibchris.

One of the two living windows outside Dark Garden Corsetry. Photo by tibchris.

Live, genuine gentlemen. Yes, they still exist. Yes, they can be found in decently large quanities at Dickens Fair. Photo by tibchris.

Sir Mulberry Hawk from Nicholas Nickleby. Photo by tibchris

Chimney Sweep! Kiss them for good luck! Photo by tibchris.

I hope these photos have enticed you to visit this year!

Gaskell Ball - October 2012

Another fantastic, wondrous Gaskell Ball! The October Ball is always one of most exciting, and for good reason! It's a "Fancy Dress" ball, which references the Victorian practice of dressing up in fanciful, historic, and Shakespearean costumes. So, we spend the night dressing up as Victorians dressing up...

The ceiling...

Duke and I originally planned in going in Indian dress, but we still need more accessories before we can really do those outfits justice, so we wore our Lolita outfits. I wore my favorite Peach Dress, cream tights, character shoes (brand new!), and lace socks, while Duke wore his minty Nehru jacket, trousers, and expansive bow. I wore Victorian-style side curls with flower and rose clips. I had nice curls when I left the house, but sitting quietly in the car was enough to straighten them. I still can't get my curls to set!

We arrived right as the Grand March started, but I had to dress and apply makeup in the ladies lounge, so we started dancing halfway through the first set, starting with a Congress of Vienna (our favorite dance). It's a unique feeling to know a choreographed social dance like the Congress. I'm usually looking at my beau, but every so often I take a glance at the floor and the other dancers. To see a crowd of beautifully costumed dancers partaking in such a romantic tradition gives me a sense of security and satisfaction. Ah, everything might turn out all right. Civility, gentleness, and elegance still exists in the souls of these good people. With every step and gesture, we keep these practices alive.

 

Here's a video of the Galop from that night! There is usually only one Galop per night, and boy, that's enough! It's a fast, frightening, fun, slightly dangerous dance that is usually described as "Victorian Bumper-cars". You hold your partner close and charge  into the crowd, trying your best not to slam into anyone, but casual bumps are normal and fun. It's even better to charge at your friends! Some people try to cross the brass disk set into the center of the floor as many times as they can. You are at the will of your leader, and there is always lots of joyful yelps and woohoos. You can see Duke and I come into the center of the video at 0:04.

Turning into a puddingpuff in the lobby.

After singing our praises to the Queen (yes, we sing "God Save the Queen" after every ball), we headed off to Afters in Berkeley, where I had an apple torte, vegetable chili, and hot chocolate! Can't wait until next the next ball in December!

The Dandy Maker

http://www.dolldivine.com/dandy-maker.php

With artwork by famed dandy-loving artist, Ysa comes a new stylish doll-maker - The Dandy Maker!

Choose all sorts of frock coats, fabulously tight pants, ascots, vests, silky hair styles, seductive hooded eyes, leather boots, canes, and dandy accessories to create your ultimate lover boy. Top it all off with some truly lovely backgrounds and you're ready to print out and tack that sexy boy on your wall!

Olympics!

Wow. Opening ceremonies. I'm sure many people are totally fangirling over the crunking Victorian gentlemen and steampunkian nightmare carriages. A one hundred foot Lord Voldemort puppet? Kenneth F-ing Branagh? Bean?!
Duke and I, who are lucky enough to surround ourselves with true gentlemen, dance at stately Victorian balls, and enjoyably study history at the college level, were understandably giddy and awed by the first half of the ceremonies. A happy night of laugh and love between us. :)

However, I'm still disappointed that there is no sign of equestrian athletes in any of the commercials, intros, and other promotion material for the Olympics!

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair!

((Originally published in December of 2011))

Another holiday season, which means Dickens Fair!
For those who are not yet aware, "The Great Dickens Christmas Fair" is essentially a reenactment of mid-century Victorian London at Christmastime, and filled with the characters from Dickens' novels, as well as other historical figures. There are a myriad of shops, food stalls, stage shows, and games. There are numerous sets made to look like the interiors of Victorian houses and parlors. Everything is made to be as authentic and period as possible (this is not a Renaissance faire...), and all the actors and vendors go through an extensive workshop process to act, think, and speak like people of the era. It's an amazing production.
I spent four lovely days at the fair this year!

The 10th of December was Le Legion Fantastique's annual "Steam Explorers Consortium" and contest, which I had the pleasure of competing in and winning last year. It is the only day in which I will wear steampunk to the fair. My character is an adventurer and collector of specimens for the Royal British Museum.
I added a faux-leather vest bodice that my beau gave to me as a gift. It looks better in person than it does in the photos!
Taken inside the parlor of Le Legion Fantastque, here's a shot of myself and my beloved beau, Duke. He actually works the fair portraying the adult David Copperfield. The waistcoat he's sporting is from 1841!

We also met up with Duke's very good friend, Mr. T. This was T's very first Dickens Fair, and he did quite well in putting together an outfit for himself. He portrayed a scientist studying the possibilities of electricity.

On the 11th (my birthday!) I wore my La Sylphide costume. The ballet was created in 1832 or so, so it's very much in period! I wore my dead Russian Pointes and had a wonderful time silently flitting about and being a total ballerina. LOVE! Sadly, no pictures.

Next weekend I wore my pink gown, but the top had been completely redone as an evening bodice. I had originally bought this gown off The Bay of E, but it came with a rather hot and stuffy jacket. My mother was able to take it apart and create a sort of bodice to make it look a little more period and more comfortable for balls and dancing. It's not perfect, and at the time of these photos it was not entirely finished. Mum still plans to embellish the neckline and add a ribbon inside the sleeves to hold them up a bit more. I slept over at a friends, so I did not have the supplies (or the time!) to do my hair as nicely as I would have wanted.

With my friend, James...


Notice the cute purse that I just happened to find at TJ Maxx - it matches perfectly!


That Saturday we from Dickens in the day to The Gaskell Ball in the evening, which is like Fezziwig's warehouse on steroids. Held in the gorgeous Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland, a live band plays waltzes, polkas, mazurkas, scottisches, galops, and set dances. Most people come in historical attire.

A True Victorian Lifestyler!

I came across this link to a British news article on Facebook, and upon reading it, my jaw dropped in sheer happiness. Here's a woman who has done what I have always dreamed of doing...

How to live the Downton dream in a one-bed flat!

Julia Wood has created a plush and luxurious Victorian wonderland for herself. Her small flat in inner-city Leicester is the result of years of careful collecting and furnishing. From breakfast to bedtime, she is decked out in Victorian and Edwardian era-inspried clothing. This isn't just a visual preference, but her manners, morals, and beliefs accompany her tangible tastes. Her speaks of her wardrobe:

"Jeans? Never. To me they represent everything that is wrong with modern society. Everything is too casual these days. There is casual sex, casual talk. Everything is disposable — from microwave meals to morals. It’s all gone to pot really."

This true lady puts me to shame! I deeply agree with her, and her disillusion with the 21st century world  mirrors my own thoughts and feelings. However, she has had the drive and determination that many of us lack - she has gone and DONE IT by God! She has surrounded herself with what truly makes her happy, and created her own Victorian sanctuary.

I wouldn't be surprised if I end up in a similar situation when I grow older. In her interview she said that her fascination with the past began in her late teens, and her first piece of historical clothing was a pair of silk breeches that she would wear to school. I too used to wear knee-breeches and stockings to highschool as well! 

She speaks about how she bought her first velvet chaise when she got her first home, and the transformation began from there. This proves to be an important detail - if you want something so complete as a Victorian bedroom, one should consider resisting the urge to fill one's current bedroom with contemporary cheap crap. Just wait and save. If you know where to look, antique and recreation furniture is not hard to find or procure, and if you are diligent about not spending funds on the cheap stuff, you should have the money for it too. My own family owns quite a few nice pieces, and my Beau can attest to this principle as well - nearly his entire closet contains vintage and antique clothing. His modern wardrobe is miniscule yet hardworking.

This lady as set the bar, and I am willing to aim for it. Perhaps not right now, but certainly in the future. This seems like a relaxing and pampered way to age and live one's life - away from the endless crunch and clatter, whine and grind of this sloppy and angry century.