I'm happy to say that instead of a rambling blog solely about the rare cataclysmic vocational events of my life I'm going to devote this blog to a passion of mine: Costume research. While I am most likely going to waver from what I'm saying in this blog the concept remains the same.
I have a skill for research--online, at the library--my brain just works. I can find things by taking a divergent route that no one else might think of as applicable. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything. The point is I have found on various occasions that this is helpful. Let's just say I've helped out a few friends.
On top of the influx of costume-related books I've received as birthday and christmas gifts I've found a number of amazing sites just in browsing the internet out of boredom and I'd like to share my finds...that and drool over pretty clothing.
I was thinking of compiling images and information in posts on various time periods--dedicating a week or a month to a decade, a trend, a period in fashion history. In this I'll site where I got the information--the website--the means of finding that website if it's more interesting than "I googled it," the library, in what section, etc. I'm really excited about this! I'm interested in broadening the limited information I've found in rather specific areas, such as American fashion vs. European fashion--specifics on the differences between colonists in the 18th century and the dress of the King's England. Ideally I'll be able to burrow through quite a few of these.
Obviously I've stated in previous posts that I'm employed. The next few days I'll be working a few 12/13's and generally more than 8 hours and in the evenings which as you can see tends to be my blogging time when I do it. While I hope this blog concept will mean I'll post more frequently, I am pretty busy these days. The first thing to do is to pick the first time period, but that's for the next post.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Boredom pays off.
Perhaps I should be sleeping, but I'm not. In a fit of boredom I randomly decided to look up evening wear from the 1860's. I spent the day today watching episodes of the Office while attempting facial studies of 18th and 19th century portraits, browsed through some of the books I got for my birthday--all on 18th and 19th century fashion, caught myself drooling over them.
Well--while there were a few more costume-related fragments involving reading a book on draping and wanting to attempt to re-create these gorgeous gowns, learn to make lace, and basically go on a book buying spree with money I don't have, my day ended (or is ending) with the random urge for internet research. In this spree I found (and don't get me wrong, I knew this site existed when in school and used it for quite a bit of research) The Costume Institute.
I felt like sharing a few of the gorgeous pieces the MET has in their collection.
Gorgeous isn't it? Looks like something a duchess would wear.
Modest colors and soft details in lace. It just makes me want to wear it (because that's a less strange equivalent to wanting to hug a piece of clothing, right?)
and
That search led me somehow to a few other sites. Antique Frock was the big one. I drooled quite a bit over some of their stock.
Sites that actually sell antique clothing. Of course these items are WAY out of my price range (over 1k for a dress like this). Vintage Textile is a similar site. Then as far as research goes I found a tumblr account called defunctfashion that has a wide variety of images from all sorts of time periods.
My father's girlfriend actually gave me antique clothing she found when cleaning out her father's house. I can't date it exactly. My guess is 19th century but quite honestly I don't want to get my hopes up with how old it is. it's in pretty good condition. There's lace in the cuffs which is deteriorating but otherwise the jacket is in magnificent shape. Of course I wouldn't dare estimate it worth what the lovely gown above is worth but it's fun to think about. I think if I ever strike it rich (how that would ever happen is beyond me) I would love to start a costume history museum. The only places I know that have a library of antique clothing are places that have plenty of other artwork to put up as well. They did a 200 years of fashion thing at the Peabody Historical Society that I missed and am still depressed by it. Then I heard about an exhibit of 40's fashion in a museum in the middle of nowhere but that's not easily accessible.
In my research this evening I also found the Chicago History Museum did a similar fashion history thing--something with Chic in the title but it's long over now.
On a completely different topic, I'm looking into starting my own Etsy account. I'm going to start out most likely with corsetry and then perhaps move into the extravagant provided I can find a market for it. I need to find a good place for american costume history research. It seems like around here (Massachusetts) the Revolutionary War is the big seller for reenactments and clothing for that era is VERY different from European styles which is sadly the majority of my collection of books. Then of course civil war is an option and I know that Cape May, New Jersey does Victorian week which I'm dying to go to. Beyond that I'm stumped.
Well--while there were a few more costume-related fragments involving reading a book on draping and wanting to attempt to re-create these gorgeous gowns, learn to make lace, and basically go on a book buying spree with money I don't have, my day ended (or is ending) with the random urge for internet research. In this spree I found (and don't get me wrong, I knew this site existed when in school and used it for quite a bit of research) The Costume Institute.
I felt like sharing a few of the gorgeous pieces the MET has in their collection.
and
My father's girlfriend actually gave me antique clothing she found when cleaning out her father's house. I can't date it exactly. My guess is 19th century but quite honestly I don't want to get my hopes up with how old it is. it's in pretty good condition. There's lace in the cuffs which is deteriorating but otherwise the jacket is in magnificent shape. Of course I wouldn't dare estimate it worth what the lovely gown above is worth but it's fun to think about. I think if I ever strike it rich (how that would ever happen is beyond me) I would love to start a costume history museum. The only places I know that have a library of antique clothing are places that have plenty of other artwork to put up as well. They did a 200 years of fashion thing at the Peabody Historical Society that I missed and am still depressed by it. Then I heard about an exhibit of 40's fashion in a museum in the middle of nowhere but that's not easily accessible.
In my research this evening I also found the Chicago History Museum did a similar fashion history thing--something with Chic in the title but it's long over now.
On a completely different topic, I'm looking into starting my own Etsy account. I'm going to start out most likely with corsetry and then perhaps move into the extravagant provided I can find a market for it. I need to find a good place for american costume history research. It seems like around here (Massachusetts) the Revolutionary War is the big seller for reenactments and clothing for that era is VERY different from European styles which is sadly the majority of my collection of books. Then of course civil war is an option and I know that Cape May, New Jersey does Victorian week which I'm dying to go to. Beyond that I'm stumped.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
On a More Menial Note
Two posts in a day...but I forgot to mention something completely unrelated to the previous post.
Last night my power cord on my mac died. This power cord was only 3 months old. I bought it for $75 in a panic because my last one kicked out during finals. Furious at Mac and afraid I was going to have to pay another 75 on a replacement cord I went to the Genius Bar at the apple store today. This cord was the new model and evidently it's been out for less than a year. Without a receipt the genius bar was able to track down my serial number and replace my failure of a cord with a brand new one for free.
My next errand of the day was to stop by Best Buy for a new video cable for my Cintiq. This same Cintiq I bought a year ago on ebay. What should have been 1k was approximately $200. Honestly for that price I can't complain that it came with the wrong cords...at least the power adapter while the right voltage was from an HP printer and not for a Wacom tablet. The video cable was also mis-matched, probably from an old monitor.
Well shortly into my time experimenting with my heavenly new piece of equipment the monitor tinted blue. I was afraid it might be because the actual tablet is a POS (pardon the expression). I was at school and very low on $$ so I held off on doing anything, hoping if I just replaced the wire all would be well. Finally today I did it. The past few days I went to a few stores to see if they had the official wire I need--pronged on both sides, larger at one end, smaller at the other, but to no avail. Finally I gave in and purchased a DVI cable and a converter. Just after my last post I sat down to plug in the wire to see if it solved the problem and I am thrilled to report that my screen is no longer tinted blue. Also the random line of red on the LCD screen has disappeared.
All in all, a very good day.
Freshly Graduated and Gainfully Employed
I finished college in March and a lot has happened since then. I now officially have a BFA in production design with a costume concentration--but I'm happy to say that my hard work paid off in more ways than just the one.
From March to May I interned at Boston Ballet while applying ferociously for jobs every morning before work. I enjoyed working with everyone there--got a taste of what a 9-5 job would be like working in a costume shop all day. It was a lot of work and I wish I had time to get to know my co-workers better. All in all I learned a ton and got a lot of construction experience. I made tights, sewed on notions, worked with various types of sewing machines.
When that ended I had a few weeks before returning to Georgia for graduation. My dad and I drove down and back up, I had a lot of fun despite wearing acrylic in 100 degree heat (graduation gown) and got to see my friends for the first time in months. I have a handful of friends I went to school with that I was literally pining for. They were my social life and when I went home everyone I knew was still in school.
In May I interviewed with Disney for an internship, with the Huntington Theatre for an internship and with the North Shore Music Theatre for a wardrobe position. I got the wardrobe job for two shows: Disney's Tarzan the Musical and Footloose the musical. Because of graduation my schedule conflicted for My Fair Lady. In late may I got a call from them however and spent 3 days working the show subbing for one of their dressers. I worked with Charles Shaunessy (the boss from The Nanny) as his dresser and absolutely loved everyone I worked with despite only knowing them for a short amount of time. I really forgot how much I enjoy doing wardrobe.
On top of that--instead of the internship with the Huntington Theatre I got a job for their production of Candide. I'll be working September and October there. The hope is that after the show I'll be able to pick up the rest of the season at the North Shore Music Theatre, but we'll see. I'm so excited. Last week I got my first paycheck. Right now I'm saving up for a car. Graduation money and paychecks are going straight into that. I'm scared out of my mind that I'm going to get a lemon though.
From March to May I interned at Boston Ballet while applying ferociously for jobs every morning before work. I enjoyed working with everyone there--got a taste of what a 9-5 job would be like working in a costume shop all day. It was a lot of work and I wish I had time to get to know my co-workers better. All in all I learned a ton and got a lot of construction experience. I made tights, sewed on notions, worked with various types of sewing machines.
When that ended I had a few weeks before returning to Georgia for graduation. My dad and I drove down and back up, I had a lot of fun despite wearing acrylic in 100 degree heat (graduation gown) and got to see my friends for the first time in months. I have a handful of friends I went to school with that I was literally pining for. They were my social life and when I went home everyone I knew was still in school.
In May I interviewed with Disney for an internship, with the Huntington Theatre for an internship and with the North Shore Music Theatre for a wardrobe position. I got the wardrobe job for two shows: Disney's Tarzan the Musical and Footloose the musical. Because of graduation my schedule conflicted for My Fair Lady. In late may I got a call from them however and spent 3 days working the show subbing for one of their dressers. I worked with Charles Shaunessy (the boss from The Nanny) as his dresser and absolutely loved everyone I worked with despite only knowing them for a short amount of time. I really forgot how much I enjoy doing wardrobe.
On top of that--instead of the internship with the Huntington Theatre I got a job for their production of Candide. I'll be working September and October there. The hope is that after the show I'll be able to pick up the rest of the season at the North Shore Music Theatre, but we'll see. I'm so excited. Last week I got my first paycheck. Right now I'm saving up for a car. Graduation money and paychecks are going straight into that. I'm scared out of my mind that I'm going to get a lemon though.
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