Musing on Pre-Raphaelite Muses

I have been fascinated by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood since I read Suzanne Fragence Cooper's biography on Effie Grey (a truly wonderful read)
After completing this book, I had a sudden desire to research everything Pre-Raphaelite. As I researched through the form of books, online journals, and blogs, I learned what I thought being a Pre-Raph beauty was.

By that I mean the term, Rosetti coined early in his career:

"Stunner"

The word to mean, embodied Pre-Raphaelite beauty.

(Yep, google even has a definition for this word which is pretty cool if you ask me!)

This simple word became an obsession. As a teenage girl living in 2017, me (and all other young adults) have a tendency to remark and critique their every flaw. But unlike other girls, I didn't want to look like a photoshopped model created by a marketing team.
I wanted to look like a "stunner"
 I wanted to have Jane Morris' hair, Lizzie's ethereal look, and Fanny Cornforth's eyes. I wanted to emulate what Rosetti (and all the other Pre-Raphaelite's deemed beautiful) I had somehow formed the idea that the only way I could be attractive was by emulating what a group of dead male artists thought was pretty. Even so, I wanted more than the superficial aspects of being a muse. I dreamed of inspiring some of the greatest paintings of the Victorian era. I imagined my hair painted in thick curly trestles and my velvet dress made of jewel-toned emeralds and azures.

 I told myself that my hair wasn't pretty because it had no hint of Lizzie's signature copper red. Whenever I tried to imitate her etheral look, by curling my hair or coating my lips in a deep shade of burgundy, I only felt myself dig deeper into the despair of not being good enough. But one-day things changed when I came across a quote from the blog The Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood that made cracks in my foundation of insecurity:

"What we perceive as Pre-Raphaelite beauty is an amalgamation. The Pre-Raphaelite's were a varied group of and their induvial perceptions of what was ascetically pleasing have combined together into something beautiful and bold. And it holds possibilities. It tells us that we are each Pre-Raphaelite stunners. It took several types of women to develop the Pre-Raphaelite ideal; it takes women of all types to make up our world. Resist the narrow definitions that society uses to define us. Embrace what you feel are your strengths and silence the negative voice that finds faults. Look in the mirror, strike a pose and know you are a Beauty personified." 

I might not have Jane Morris' hair, Lizzie's ethereal look, or Fanny Cornforth's eyes but I do have my hair, my look, and my eyes. 

I misunderstood what the root of being a "stunner" was. It was not meant to bring women down but was meant to bring women up. Being a "stunner" was more than external beauty. The term was intended to empower all types of women with confidence. 

The Pre-Raphaelite's beauty ideals were developed and based on a group of amazing women who were all beauties in their own right. The Pre-Raph's considered women who, at the time did not fit into the Victorian era's ideals, gorgeous. They transformed these women from ugly ducklings in the eyes of the public into striking swans. Not just externally, but internally.

What Makes Someone A Gibson Girl?

The Gibson Girl was essentially a beauty ideal during the turn of the century which developed from Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations of perfect women. The Gibson Girl was like today's photoshopped model, unrealistic, beautiful, stylish and feminine. The Gibson Girl style made a big impression on women of the day. Although the Gibson Girl wasn't just pen and ink, muses like Evelyn Nesbit, Irene Langhorne Gibson, and Camille Clifford are a few examples of real "Gibson Girls"

That's Camile Clifford! (I know, who knew she was in such an iconic image)

The hourglass figure, effortless bouffant, and perfect clothing didn't only make impressions on Americans, the style traveled and became idealized abroad too.

In my opinion, the "Gibson Girl" is still what we strive for today. All we have from the Victorian era are leftover remnants of people's lives, but I guess this one, tiny thing stayed with us.

No matter what time period you live in, we are all human. Trends and beauty ideals don't have timelines. In the end, the beauty standards we strive for in 2017 are the same as they did in the Victorian era. Sometimes that's hard to see but once you look deep enough, you'll notice it everywhere. 

Why I Sympathize with Marie Antoinette AKA a Somewhat Short History of The Young Queen Part 1

Marie Antoinette, that name alone stirs up an endless pit of opinions. The most popular being that she was a ruthless, horrible, extravagant, superficial tyrant. Every class on the French Revolution talks about Marie Antoinette like she's a cardboard box, like she's only a dusty, stuffy old portrait.

I want to shed some light on the ill-fated queen's life from a different angle. I personally do not believe that she was horrible or a tyrant. I will try to be as honest and neutral as I can considering that my opinions on this topic are quite strong.

First of all, Marie Antoinette never said "let them eat cake" and it makes me really sad that this is what defines her today. The term "let them eat cake" existed long before Marie Antoinette was queen. The phrase had been pinned on nobility before Marie Antoinette was rumored to have said the famous phrase.

Another misconception is that Marie Antoinette was responsible for the revolution and France's suffering.
Think about this, can one person really spend so much that they make a country broke? No, that is crazy, ridiculous and unrealistic! France was penniless before Marie Antoinette even arrived.

A really important thing to remember when studying any history, especially the French Revolution is that history is always written by the winners, every single court and courtier in the 18th-century spent extravagantly, some even more than Marie Antoinette.

Essentially, Marie Antoinette was an accessible status symbol, a scapegoat, she was only trying to be a good queen and didn't exactly know how to. She was doing the best that she could.

Marie Antoinette left her family in Austria at the tender age of fourteen to become the queen of France. She was married to a stranger and was taken to a new, foreign land. What awaited her were courtiers and townspeople that would scrutinize everything she did and every move that she made. Marie Antoinette could do nothing right. 

In France's defense, the people adored Marie Antoinette when she first arrived, she a fresh new face, she was a symbol of the future. France was in decline, they were broke and struggling to stay a super power. Marie Antoinette was the future. (Talk about a lot of pressure!)

Before Marie Antoinette even reaches Versailles, the young dauphine had to take part in the handover ceremony at the border between Austria and France. The handover ceremony consisted of Marie Antoinette being stripped naked, her Austrian clothes taken away and dressed in French clothing. In addition, Marie Antoinette had to say goodbye to her attendants and her beloved dog Mops. Marie Antoinette cried at the handover ceremony.

Finally, Marie Antoinette reached her new home and was expected to consummate her marriage. Long story short, this never happened for seven years. The young queen's marriage became the punchline of jokes which was embarrassing as well as worrisome. An unconsummated marriage meant that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's claim to the throne was in jeopardy.

One of the biggest underlying issues was what an unconsummated marriage truly meant: if Marie Antoinette couldn't produce an heir, who would be the next king of France when her husband was gone?

Essentially, the marriage was a wreck! Louis XVI was awkward and more concerned with hunting and metalwork than his wife. Meanwhile, the revolution was growing and France was in decline.

To keep this post at a reasonable length, I'm going to put this post into parts, this post obviously being part 1!

I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this post, I absolutely loved writing it since I am obsessed with Marie Antoinette and her life. Feel free to share your own opinions on the queen in the comments, I really would love to hear them!
-Abigal

Books For The Obsessive Historical Costumer

As a historical costumer myself, I know how crazy it can be, getting fabric, researching, sewing and putting your blood, sweat, and tears into making a dress that only sort of meets your standards. But even through it all (and I mean all) you wouldn't give up your hobby for the world. But, there is one thing that makes you feel better on even the most frustrating historical costuming days: books! Paperback, hardcover, big or small, books are one of the best parts of historical costuming and also is one of my favorite parts. Without further ado, here are the books on historical costuming/the history of fashion you need in your life:

Fashion Victims: Dress at the Court of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell

I have personally read this book and give it all the stars! It provides a rich and descriptive history of fashion from the 18th century. With images galore and the most stunning cover, this book could not better if you want to understand and elaborate on your fashion history knowledge. If your an 18th-century girl like myself, you will adore this book.

 Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold

I just recently bought books 1 and 2 and although I am super, super only a little confused about how the patterns work, I really do use these books (mostly for trim and not patterns) Although, I know that as my sewing skills expand that making a dress from one of these patterns won't be as confusing and daunting (hopefully soon enough!)

Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

Okay, so this might not technically be sewing related but Georgina Cavendish is a very famous fashion icon who also has a fascinating story. I believe that most historical costumers are interested in history (at least I hope so!) and would find this book really entertaining if they have not already read it. I personally have read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is really clear while reading the book that Amanda Foreman spent a lot of time and effort writing this book. 

-Abigal

Making of: My (Sort of) First Ever Robe a L'anglaise

Hello, world! Today I will talking about my first ever historical 18th-century dress! (Okay, third. Lets just not talk about the first two.)

I finished the mockup and am using the amazing J.P. Ryan robe a l'anglaise pattern. I only added one sleeve to practice putting on sleeves the 18th century way. (I used this wonderful tutorial to learn how)

I think it fits pretty well and am really proud of myself. I am just waiting for some fabric swatches so that I can decide on the fashion fabric for the dress as well as the lining. I only had to make a few minor alteration to get the mockup to fit.

I got my inspiration from these wonderful resources:

Stylish Saturdays: Franz Xaver Winterhalter's Paintings

Hello! I am starting a new segment on my blog where I will post something stylish from history every Saturday. This week is Franz Xaver Winterhalter's paintings and his deception of the most gorgeous victorian dresses like the ones below. Stylish Saturday's are not to share information on the history of clothing or artists but just to admire fashion of the past.

So many beautiful dresses, they just take your breath away! 

Comment:

Which dress is your favorite?

Top 7 Things To Love About Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette

 I am going to tell you the top seven things I love about Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette movie because this movie is my everything!

In no particular order, here I go!

1) Mops the dog (who was actually a real life dog) I mean, just look, he is too cute!

And below is the real Mops:

2) The costumes! They are historically accurate and full of bright silks and printed cottons. 

3) The soundtrack is amazing and although some people hate it (why?) it makes the movie real. This wasn't "just history" back then.

4) Marie's relationship with Louis, so accurate

5) The handover ceremony, I have no words, it was so perfect!

6) The fans, necklaces, and silks

7) How they really filmed in Versailles, the real Versailles!

Happy Valentines Day,

Abigal