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Pictures from Frome Steampunk Extravaganza II

Not particularly lagenlook (though they do include some pieces that I wear as part of lagenlook outfits) but a quite layered and covered-up interpretation of steampunk. I had a blast at the event, and I really recommend it to everyone with even a passing interest in steampunk. Everyone was very friendly, and I came home with lots of treasures from the market.
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15 April 2014: spring!

Spring has arrived with a bang here in Cornwall, with everything that looked like dry sticks a fortnight ago suddenly bursting out in green leaves. I don’t think I’ve had such an appreciation of ‘huh, grape hyacinths come after daffodils but before primroses. Who knew?’ since I was about five years old and all of this was going on much nearer my eye level. I wouldn’t be surprised if my washing line suddenly turned out to be a hibernating Triffid.
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5 April 2014: adventures in denim.

I’ve been reading one of those ‘how to dress’ books that makes me occasionally look up, blink as if my brain is refreshing, and think ‘Wow, this lady’s brain does not work like mine’ or occasionally ‘Wow, this lady does not live in the world I do.’

It’s one of those doctrinaire books which tell you what to purchase each season, such as ‘white blouse’ or ‘belted trench coat’ [1] or ‘nude heels’, and which has cute little diagrams beside each. And this is where I first part company with the writer, because she lives in a world where things are obviously A Blouse or A Dress or A Cardigan and most of my wardrobe consists of Things.

A Pinafore Thing, for example, that might be a dress or a top depending on how long it is and what I feel like wearing underneath it, or An Asymmetrical Thing which more or less covers the top of one’s body and has an additional flap of cloth that might be a third sleeve or some kind of snood, or A Skirt Thing With A Smocked Top that might be a sundress or a skirt depending on how I feel like wearing it. The only things I own that are certain in their purpose are leggings, and this is not the kind of book that approves of those.

Anyway, the first outfit is inspired by a suggestion in her book involving a striped top, a denim jacket and a scarf. It’s come out a bit boring. I went and had a look at some photos of the author and I find her style a bit boring too, which probably explains it. Excuse sandals, I would probably wear boots if I was actually going outside the house in this.
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23 March 2014: a post about shape

This is not a post about how humans are shaped. This is a post about how clothes are shaped. I absolutely 100% copper-bottomed promise you that my blog will never be home to the ‘Dress for your shape’ article.

You know the ‘Dress for your shape’ article? The one that purports to be on your side, and to assure you that anyone can wear the latest trends, and then goes off into minutiae of how to disguise your bulging whatever until you get to the bottom of the page and feel like going out into the street and yelling ‘Yeah, so I have larger than average ankles! Eff you!’ at confused passers-by? This is not that.

This is about how even if you’re selling that generally dreary plus-size staple, the embellished jersey top, you can make it interesting and wearable and if you do I will buy it.
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22 March 2014: welcome to Cornwall, luv

This morning it was clear and sunny enough that I thought it was worth hanging out washing. This afternoon it hailed with such force that as I was shoving the clothes back into the basket, they were turning into a sort of hail lasagna. My hair was dry when I went out there, and look at me when I came in. As I look out of the window it’s turning sunny again. I swear the weather around here is managed by three-year-olds.

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Kernow a’gas dynergh, maid.

(Made in the 80s t-shirt, from Torrid back in the late 90s or early 2000s: cookbooks in the background, property of my husband)