Vintage Costume Fashion Show
I love costumes. From my early years I’ve been hoarding feathered hats and antique prom dresses, gloves and beaded purses, cat-eye glasses and rhinestone costume jewelry. I hounded garage and estate sales looking for fabulous dress-ups. Playing make-believe was my very favorite pastime growing up, using my fertile imagination to create characters, faraway places, adventures and misadventures. I didn’t play house – I solved robberies as FBI detective Holly, survived stranded in the jungle by building tree-houses with jungle vines, and saved the dreamland from the monsters that go bump in the night as a Crystal Castle Princess.
It’s been years since I played make-believe or graced the wicked stage, but my love of creating stories has evolved to writing them down (finally!). My love of costumes found an outlet this week when I volunteered to model for a Vintage Costume Fashion Show and had my first fitting. It was fabulous!
Lynn Gough runs Supercalifragilistic Hat & Fashion Shows: Vintage Fashions Presented with Flair. Historic costumes are her passion, and she has one hell of a dress-up collection. Lynn presents at non-profit events, retirement homes, wedding showers, and more. She also works with the Goodwill Vintage Fashion Collection presenting shows to raise money for their many wonderful programs. The photo at left is a wedding picture of Lynn’s grandparents with the reproduction hat that Lynn has. She owns the original wedding dress, though her grandmother removed the fancy jabot and expanded it so that she could wear it again after her wedding.
My debut will be May 1st as I kick off the show modeling a Victorian wedding gown. Lynn was very excited by my narrow feet – I fit into old shoes. I’m wearing black Victorian heels with pointy toes, a black petticoat with ruffle, and a black skirt. On top I’m wearing a Victorian blouse with Chantilly lace sleeves, black gloves, and an opera jacket with Edwardian lace and silk bobbles. I can’t remember the details of my hat, though it has a fun feather. My pince-nez glasses belonged to Lynn’s grandmother and the walking parasol is also a family heirloom. I’m carrying a beaded black purse. I will also model a blue silk chinese pajama set from the 1930’s, a wedding dress from the 1920s and one from the 1960s.
So what does this have to do with romance novels and writing? Historical costume research. It would also be an awesome event to have during, say, a luncheon at the Emerald City Writers Conference. nudge nudge, wink wink.
Contact Info:
Supercalifragilistic Hat & Fashion Shows
Vintage Fashions Presented with Flair
Lynn Gough
brianlynn2@msn.com
Phone: 206-783-9372
Tags: Costume, Lynn Gough, Victorian Fashion, Vintage fashion, Vintage Fashion Show
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April 23, 2008 at 10:38 am
OH how awesome is that? I loved playing dress up and make believe and hell I still do it now. (Just not in public so much) Glad you were able to model I bet that is loads of fun!! Let us know how the show goes