New Year’s Day is traditionally a day of rest for us and we usually sleep in, foregoing the joys of watching the Rose Parade and such. Our morning was greeted by Mac, our creative consultant, who had a new idea for us:

We believe that he was commenting on the need for dog coats, no doubt in response to the cold. However, after raising the heat a bit, Mac decided that he would settle for barking at the dogs next door, no doubt pitching his new idea for a dog coat. While Mac pitched his idea, we enjoyed a small breakfast accompanied with a lot of coffee.

After breakfast, we proceeded to put some finishing touches on our wardrobe for the day. We traditionally always dress up and go into town on New Year’s Day and this year was no different. So what did we decide to wear?

For Karin, we decided to renovate and improve upon an old 1890s suit:

This is an suit constructed from a deep sea coral-colored silk dupioni trimmed with black antique soutache net and silk fringe. The skirt was a tailored cut in the late 1890s style and it had a hem of dyed-to-match silk velvet. Karin wore it twice in ten years and was now bored with it- tastes change and time moves on.

Karin wanted a new dress but did not have the time to make a new one so she decided to modify this existing dress. First, she decided to make a completely new skirt from some new-old stock fabric from circa 1900. The fabric itself is a crape embossed design and after testing the fabric, determined that it was most likely a silk-wool combination (the smell given off when she steamed it was a definite giveaway).

The new skirt itself is designed with heavy hem facings to ensure durability and that it hangs correctly, thus proving the ideal silhouette and movement. This skirt is intended to facilitate easy movement. Also, there is a brush braid located at the very bottom of the skirt where it hits the ground which also gives the skirt snap as you walk.

Turning to the bodice, it did not need to be re-tailored but rather simply refashioned. First Karin cut off the mandarin collar. Next, she fashioned black silk velvet lapels and cuffs and attached these to the bodice. Finally, she added a Medici collar of plain undyed silk organza. Below is the final product:

Here is the new outfit, rejuvenated and ready to provide more years of service and incorporating the latest construction techniques. An original fur muff completes the look and it functioned as a practical accessory, protecting the hands from the cold wind.

For myself, my outfit was a bit improvised since I do not have a proper winter sack suit so I combined a pair of riding breeches with an old sack coat:

We arrived in town and proceeded to take in the sights. Of course, we had to start with a picture by the town Christmas tree:

The weather was cold, crisp, and a bit windy and our outfits were the perfect answer. 🙂

We then proceeded to our most favorite spot in Tombstone, the Birdcage Theater:

Next, we made out way to that legendary place in Western history, the OK Corral where we took our pictures in the restored CS Fly Photo Studio:

By this time, we were feeling the effects of the cold so we retired to Big Nose Kate’s for refreshments:

 

And finally, we made our way home…

Overall, it was an excellent day and it was a lot of fun making our way around town and enjoying the first day of the new year. Stay tuned for more adventures! 🙂