Special Occasion Gowns are a Lily Absinthe specialty…whether it be Bridal or Ballgown, it’s an invitation to share in my client’s joy ♡
Victorian Dress
Be The Fashion Card!!!
Be the Fashion Card on the Promenade in your new Lily Absinthe Gown! ♡
The M7 Convention Is Coming!!
We are happy to announce that on October 24, 2015, we will be giving a presentation on fashion as worn in the American West from 1870 to 1900 entitled: “The Victorian West: How The West Was Worn” at the Magnificent Seven (M7) Convention. The convention is scheduled for the weekend of October 24-25, 2015 and will feature various presentations and displays concerning the American West both in film and as it really was.
Cowboys from John Slaughter’s ranch, c. 1885
The focus of our presentation will be on Victorian fashion in the American West, both real and as depicted in film. We hope to give a broad overview and provide some interesting contrasts for people’s consideration. We had the pleasure of giving a presentation at M7 back in 2013 and we are really looking forward to returning. Come check us out- we look forward to seeing you out there!
Twice-Turned Dresses…
First day in Tombstone, only day as a tourist, the gown’s first version. We bought the house the next time we came to town!
“Twice turned” silk 1879 era gown with original figured lace, all from Paris that I made for the one (and only) day I was a tourist in Tombstone fourteen years ago. The silk was completely stained with mine tailings from the street, so it had to be taken apart and turned, then I remade it in the latest style.
Here are a couple of pictures of the process:
Deconstruction
Above is a deconstruction shot showing all the fading and dirt that I couldn’t get out. And now:
Reconstruction
Above is a reconstruction shot showing WHY I put dirt-colored silk pleats on the hem. Those are removable, by the way. 🙂
“Twice turned dresses” were a common practice in the 19th century, in a time where quality labor was cheap and textiles were expensive…the opposite of today! (One can easily find phrases in diaries like: “They were so poor they wore twice turned dresses”, etc.) Women (or their dressmakers) would pick apart their gowns, clean and press the pieces as best they could, then literally turn them over to expose the other side, flatline them to their foundation layers, and re-construct the gown, either in the same style, or to update their look.
The Dressmaker at Tombstone’s #11. Check out the “dirt” colored silk at the hem, this was intentional to mask the dirt and rocks that will inevitably trash the hem. Those are removable for cleaning.
My poor skirt had two generations of red silty mine tailings (sticky dust) that simply couldn’t be cleaned…so I did what all of the original ladies in Tombstone did…and turned the silk, et voila…New/Old gown, for 1879! Of course, we use original machines, and since our home in town was actually where one of the town’s original dressmaker/tailors lived and worked…it was a special experience. We like to think she’s still sewing there with me because one is never alone when you’re working at No. 11!
This is the front parlor at #11. I rolled the treadle machine in front of the window, I had a “moment”…it specifically “fell” into place. There were ruts in the original wood floors that EXACTLY matched my treadle irons!! That tells me that the lady who was the town’s dressmaker had her treadle here. I cried. I would love to think she smiles and sews with me.
Leaving Tombstone
Well, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and for us that means packing up the truck, closing the house down, and heading back to Los Angeles. It’s been a fun four days here but business is pressing back in LA we’ve got to get with it.
Karin leaving the house.
Today we arrived in town just in time for the Helldorado Parade and in contrast with past years, it was a long one- it seemed like just about every entity had a float or presentation entered in the parade. It was also nice to see that there were a lot of mounted units- it’s always fun to look at the horses, even if there were a few who clearly didn’t want to be there (from personal experience, we can tell you that sometimes riding a horse in a parade can be a tricky proposition). One of our most favorite groups to watch are the Shriners in their miniature cars:
They really tore it up, zipping around in circles and figure eight patterns as they made their way down Allen Street.
And then there was the Arizona Rangers:
Finally, here’s another shot of Karin on Allen Street just after the parade:
After the parade, we retired for a couple of drinks:
It was an excellent end to an excellent weekend and we look forward to returning. In the meantime, it’s back to LA and on to more adventures in design. 🙂