fashion for faith in four colors: red accessories

Comic Con Outfit Special Bonus ~ DIY Silly Hat

fashion style 12:20 PM

So when I was in Portland on book tour a little while ago, I had two signings back-to-back in the same location, Fashionable Reader. Don't ask. Some adorable young ladies met me the first night and we got to chatting about knitting and crochet. Well, off they went and the next night returned only to present me with the cutest little crochet petit fours.

Well, I loved them and they made appearances at several tea events as decorative table elements. Then I saw this advertisement:

I was inspired! What else to do with a fiber art petit four but turn it into a hat!

So I took the larger of the two, some button thread, and a hairband I picked up for cheap at Ross and just stitched it on.

I must say that the hat was very much admired at Comic Con and this is my new favorite thing. I have a whole collection of headbands from Ross and my new instinct whenever I see a silly object is . . . can I make a tiny hat out of it? I'm getting very Ivy-ish in my old age in wanting to put everything on my head.

See a silly object? Just ask yourself. What would Ivy do? Forget Tim Gunn's "Make it Work." Make it into a hat!

And then drink tea wearing it, of course!

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

Sunnyvale in a Black & White Skirt

fashion style 12:13 PM

I don't know if I've posted in the past about how, before I was published, I had this dream about flying to New York. I think every wannabe author has a similar dream. Only mine was very specific and very fashion orientated. My dream was that I would go to New York to meet with my agent and editor and I would be wearing a black and white skirt.

It's not often dreams come true.

In 2009 Orbit flew me to BEA in New York, before anyone had even heard of Soulless, to present the ARC to the unwitting masses. While I was there I would meet, you guessed it, my agent and my editor! I was understandably excited. I was also, as you probubly might have guessed, in a veritable shopping frenzy looking for the perfect black and white pencil skirt.

I hunted, I searched, I looked everywhere. I tried all my favorite stores both vintage and modern. I did the Height Street treck. I visited Santa Cruz. I couldn't find one I liked.

Crisis!

But low, my darling Mum came to rescue. She is a fabulous seamstresses and offered to make me the skirt from a vintage pattern and we could choose whatever fabric I wanted. Well I found this great black on white irregular spotted fabric, and she made me this wonderful fish tale pencil skirt.

Did I wear it to BEA in 2009 and meet my agent and editor? You bet your booty I did!

Ah, look how young and innocent I look. Lee sigh.

I paired it with red for that occasion. I do like black and white with red.

Sadly the skirt hasn't had much play since then. I guess I felt like it was meant for the dream, and the dream had been satisfied. But I rustled it out of my closet last weekeend to take down to Sunnyvale for a little event at the library there.

Here I am posing with the lovely young lady dressed as Alexia from the over of the Soulless manga. For this occasion I kept the whole outfit black and white.

So, with an eye towards wearing this skirt more often I've collected some inspirational images of how to wear a cute black and white skirt.

With red, retro and modern

With teal or turquoise.

With pink or blush.

With olive.

Just pure black and white with modern touches.

Inspired I put together these two outfits which I intend to wear soon.

A retro take with blush, silly shoes, a chunky necklace, and olive bag.

Modern take with some mixed patterns and steampunk ankle warmers.

Both looks require high heals and I'm off them for the moment, but I can't wait to try them out soon.

Here's a evening idea, going with golds and neutral accessories.

It doesn't have to be a skirt these days, either. I've seen some patterned trousers turn up too. I'm not certain this look is really for me, but I have seen a few who could carry it off. And, of course, I'm on the perpetual hunt for the perfect black & white check pedal pushers.

While I adore my dotted skirt, the one I want to buy did finally hit the stores a mere two years too late, in fall of 2011. I'm hoping some day this Marco de Vicenzo will turn up in a consignment shop in my size. A girl can dream, right? After all, dreaming is what started this madness.

How about something black and white for Prudence to wear? Since I'm working on the Parasol Protectorate Abroad series right now my life if filled with 1890's dresses.

1900-1902 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This one is a little late period for her, but so pretty, I couldn't resist. It won't make it into the books though.

What to read when wearing black and white? How about Jane Yolan's marvelous Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna?

The omnibus of the two.

The best thing about this lyrical almost mythological two part series is the world building. I've not seen anything like it before or since and it's, simply put, amazing. The writing is definitely on the side of strong and empowered women (showing feminist 1970s roots, I believe). I think the world and story are complex enough for any reader, although I believe the target audience is YA. (When she wrote it I'm not certain there really was a "YA" concept yet.) Anyway, I love it, it's brilliant! I've kept these two books since I first read them over 20 years ago. It's a rare series that travels with me, as I move every 2 to 4 years.