Marianne's new dress: Italian, Italian, or Italian?

[janestarz]

Boy, have I ever a good excuse to start on that Italian. I've been pining to make a Venetian, and now I'm starting to slowly get there. Marianne has possibly got some money to spare for a good dress, even if she doesn't sell that diary she has got her hands on, and both she and Victor will need new things. Victor will be working on some armour,

Comments

[steelweaver]

Look at Jen's research gallery if you need more pics

[janestarz]

Hmm ok. So the purple is a bit much, you think? I was thinking if I combined it with black velvet trim (as in the second portrait) it wouldn't be too eye-searing. It's hard enough to find purple wool in a lovely hue, and this definitely counts as a HUE!!!

The girly froofy things are great, but really not what I had my eye on. Cranach might be an option, but I'm afraid of killer boobies in *that*.

I've been stewing over it for a few hours now (this entry took way too long to write), and basically, I think if I add black trim like the 1515s Florentine, but with a front opening, it'll be allright. If I add a black sash and black trim at the hem as well, the purple will be at least somewhat broken. I can always add a black Moroni gown over it. (Lined in PINK!). Right?

I might even commit a certain amount of blasphemy by adding my Victorian corset as an underlayer as a sneaky murderer. It's a LOT more comfortable than stays. I remember the feeling of my midriff, and it wasn't pretty.

[steelweaver]

I'm still voting for a dark pink (not fuchsia, just peachypink 'oudroze'). A bit like the da Brescia skirt. And 3 mts is pretty skimpy for a good, froofy skirt for a girl our length. And tweed may be too coarse IRL.

Purple just doesn't feel very Marianne to me. Of course, you know her better, but from what I've seen, purple gives away too much. I'd make her look girly and harmless, not commanding and severe. I'm not saying you can't wear it, but you can't change the char to fit the costume (well, not after you've started playing her). She needs a hatsie with a feather, and a fan.

[steelweaver]

oh, and if you want to incorporate knarnun colours, make it your guarding and maybe your sleeves. Purple on pink is stylish!

If you want to make holes in anything, I'd suggest pinking as opposed to cutwork. Whacking fabric with a chisel is very therapeutic.

[virginiadear]

You've asked for input

[janestarz]

I probably should have stated this at the beginning of the entry, but er... this'll be a LARP dress. I like historical stuff, but when it comes to accuracy I can hardly ever be bothered to go about it as a nazi. Even the carrotapple dress was mostly put together by serger, sewing machine and blood

[nathan_h]

From a 'looks good' viewpoint, I vote for number 2. Personal taste maybe. I'd be tempted to simplify the sleeves a bit, maybe make them like the sleeves in no.1, but less baggy. I'd also change the thick double stripe to the same colour as the sleeves, for a stronger two-colour look.

[janestarz]

Thanks! I have been pondering some more during the course of the evening, and I really love those dark contrasts. Black velvet on purple wool will work fine, I think, especially with those gold-toned eyelets.

The sleeves...are a problem for later. They really are terribly difficult to decide upon!

[absintheskiss]

Firstly, it's nice to see the ladies in the first two pictures are not sticks, but wonderfully womanly in their softness. For that reason alone I love those gowns as they give a better idea on how they would look an a lady who loves life just that little too much

[janestarz]

Thanks for your wonderful comment!
Marianne is the character I played last weekend. She used to be a schizophrenic religious fanatic. Now she's a religious fantatic and a priestess! Colour of her God is purple, and purple suits me fine. I have a darker hair colour in these two photo's (of the same dress which was rather hard to photograph). One Two.
Of course I am wearing make up to make me look as pale as a vampire, so you'll just have to take my word for it ;-)

As for "out of my comfort zone"... this is out of my comfort zone! Anything white will make me squirm. Very recent picture, hate the blotchy face but my hair colour is real.

Like Nathan suggested: two colours is probably the best way to go about it. Black velvet is calling my name... and that website you plugged is not helping. I see paned sleeves or perhaps sleeves with diagonal trim...
So many cool ideas, and I'm still stuck on the phase of how to make the silhouette I want!

[absintheskiss]

Obviously being a larper, when I see the lovely white and gold ensemble, I think 'oh, she's put those ears on well'.

Two colour will work fine. I will think on the underpinning issue though. Rigeline just doesn't cut it really.

[janestarz]

The Admiral took that picture and gimmicked some in photoshop and voila! Perfect elf ears. I'm pretty good, but not that good. ;)

Rigilene, reeds and hemp rope have been tried and have all failed (in different garments). I am now at the stage where I will want to try a seperate support garment underneath. For shaping, I should probably go with an effigy or a pair of stays with steel boning. For comfort and laziness, I'm very much considering wearing my Victorian midbust underneath and putting a corset cover in front of it, as has been tried in this Venetian (only she used stays appropriate for the period). I know I am sinning by using a corset from a different period, but my stays were bloody doom and hellfire after a few hours and I know I can wear a Victorian corset for longer periods of time.

So I guess the next steps are to drape a bodice over my corset and see what silhouette it gives me.
One more question: should I make it a dress diary?

[muizenstaartje]

Are my eyes tricking me or is there a tiny piece of string in dress nr. 2 that is attached to the corners of the bodice? It looks like there are two bits of white string dangling there.

[janestarz]

Your eyes are not tricking you! Well-spotted. In the larger image it is even more visible. I think they are the tassels of the camicia and seem to come from the gathers at the neckline.

I scaled the image down as it was huuuuuuge.

[janestarz]

Oh! I just thought of something! In the 1700s, I think, it was accepted to hook your dress up to your stays at the front opening. Do you think this could have been done with this dress as well?

[muizenstaartje]

Then it's not part of the dress. I have no idea how the bodice stays up. XD