Costume Con
Apr. 30th, 2008 04:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callistotoniThis weekend was Costume Con, held at the SJ Doubletree (the same place this last Western 12th Night was). I'd never been to this or any other con before. Overall I thought it was interesting and the craftsmanship on display was inspiring, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go to another one.
I got to the hotel Friday around 5:00 PM. Like I said before, I had zero enthusiasm and I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard about 'hall costumes', so I brought several things from my regular SCA wardrobe, as well as some Victorian underwear for the party that night.
A big theme for me over the whole con was the fact that I knew less than a handfull of people. *Very* different than what I'm used to in the SCA, where I've been around for so long I know tons of folks. Good thing I have a strong loner streak.
After getting my stuff in the room (thank god for bell boys), I found![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hrj, with whom I was sharing the room. She'd eaten, as well as the 2 other SCA folks I knew (joycebre and gurdymonkey), so I went back to the room and got dinner as room service.
Then, with a little corset-tying help fromhrj, it was off the the Friday Night Underwear Social. I finally got to wear the Victorian underwear I made early last year, along with my (pink!) Dark Garden corset. You know, I enjoyed wearing that getup a lot -- probably more than I should. Really made me feel like a Pretty Pretty Princess. :-) And after an hour that corset was super comfortable. It was a significant investment, but you can't go wrong with a DG custom-fit/made victorian corset. My sort-of silly addendum was that I wore the only footware that I own that came even close to appropriate, and that was my black western paddock boots, complete with barn dirt. My story, should anyone have asked, was that I was a farm girl unexpectedly woken up and had had to go to the barn to check things out. ;-)
The social just emphasized how few people I knew. Danced a dance with Cin, chatted with the beautifully dressedsarahbellem, and hung around with my SCA peeps.
However, the hour that we spent atsarahbellem and trystbat's Pretty Pretty Princess Party was fun. Got to meet and chat with some new people and drink pink girly drinks. One of the action items I've taken away from the whole CC-thing is the strong need to throw a Pretty Pretty Princess Party for misagillian. :-) Followed the sage advice of hrj and got to bed before midnight in preparation for having to leave early for WK Collegium up in Sacremento in the morning.
Missed all of CC on Saturday because of Collegium and the PPF. Rolled into bed by about 1:30 Sunday morning.
Sunday was historical costume day, which was good because that's where my interests lie. I spent almost of the day by myself, just going up to people and complementing thier costumes. Some *super* nice stuff out there, let me tell you! Lots of bustle-era victorians, and 18th C dress came across to me as the up-and-coming thing. More men than I thought, which was great because I'm a big fan of menswear and tailoring. Also spent a lot of time in a display of costume that was mostly period or from the film.
I wore my 1550s florentine that's in this icon. I know what's wrong with it and that bugs me, but it seemed to go over well and I had a ton of pictures taken. Of course, once I'm in that dress I'm trapped because I can not take it off without help. I stayed in it, therefore, until I went to bed late that evening. :-/
The evening historical costume contest was cool, but it went on *way* longer than I thought it would. Many many congrats tosarahbellem and trystbat and crew on thier Best in Show tableaux of the Empress Eugine and her ladies painting. Truely Stunning! :-) Most of the costumes were great, but a few I couldn't understand why some had qualified as 'historical'. Ended the evening with a nightcap in my room with joycebre and here sister (hrj left for home after the masquerade).
Side note: I got a definate Come To The 18th C Side-vibe from this event. Now I really really want to make this: see http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/round/18th_century_women/riding_habit/index.html
In fact, I want to have a whole riding habit/costume party!. So I've made up my mind, and I'm giving y'all a year and 7 months' notice: for my 50th b-day I want to have a riding costume party, any era. I'll even try to arrange for pony rides. Come one, I *know* there are a lot of you out there that are looking for an excuse to make a riding habit! Start sewing people! (Birthday girl dibs on on outfit show in the link, though. ;-) )
And then there was shopping. I spent a lot more then I thought I would, including some mad-money purchases. Here's my list of loot:
- Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII, by Maria Hayward
- The Embroideries at Hardwick Hall, a catalogue, by Santina M. Levey (When you open a book and pretty much burst into tears because it is so beautiful, then your really have to buy that book.)
- Footwear, Eugenia Girotti, Chronicle Books
- Officers and Soldiers of The French Imperial Guard, No.2, Cavalry, 1804-1815. Paperback, kinda-sorta like an Osprey book. Couldn't resist. ;-)
- A few highly-recommended patterns** from Tailor's Guide:
---- Ladies' Riding Habit 1730 - 1770.
---- Frock Coate 1790 - 1820
---- Drop-front breaches or trousers, 1750-1820
- And a pattern for spiral 16th C sleeves by Lynn MacMasters. I've thought about doing this and thought it too much of a pain, but now I can take advatage of other people's work! ;-)
- A purple heartwood busk
- 72 round vintage black satin-covered buttons (for $6! Score!)
- 18th C velvet face patches and spirit gum, because they had a fleur (for Marguerite) and a heart (for Gillian). I foresee much OOP silliness at some event in the future. :-)
- And various Mystery Items for upcoming birthdays and Christmas. ;-)
Oh, and I also succumbed to temptation and bought a cool jacket and skirt combo. Hard to describe it, other than I now have a elegant "con" or costume party outfit.
So, yeah, interesting and inspiring, but I think I need to attend something like Costume College (which I understand is almost impossible to get into). I'll keep an eye out though for workshops and such.
**Yes, I am perfectly capable of drafting my own patterns. But the older I get and the less time I have, the more I find is easier to start with something if it is something I'm unfamiliar with.
I got to the hotel Friday around 5:00 PM. Like I said before, I had zero enthusiasm and I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard about 'hall costumes', so I brought several things from my regular SCA wardrobe, as well as some Victorian underwear for the party that night.
A big theme for me over the whole con was the fact that I knew less than a handfull of people. *Very* different than what I'm used to in the SCA, where I've been around for so long I know tons of folks. Good thing I have a strong loner streak.
After getting my stuff in the room (thank god for bell boys), I found
hrj, with whom I was sharing the room. She'd eaten, as well as the 2 other SCA folks I knew (joycebre and gurdymonkey), so I went back to the room and got dinner as room service. Then, with a little corset-tying help from
hrj, it was off the the Friday Night Underwear Social. I finally got to wear the Victorian underwear I made early last year, along with my (pink!) Dark Garden corset. You know, I enjoyed wearing that getup a lot -- probably more than I should. Really made me feel like a Pretty Pretty Princess. :-) And after an hour that corset was super comfortable. It was a significant investment, but you can't go wrong with a DG custom-fit/made victorian corset. My sort-of silly addendum was that I wore the only footware that I own that came even close to appropriate, and that was my black western paddock boots, complete with barn dirt. My story, should anyone have asked, was that I was a farm girl unexpectedly woken up and had had to go to the barn to check things out. ;-)The social just emphasized how few people I knew. Danced a dance with Cin, chatted with the beautifully dressed
sarahbellem, and hung around with my SCA peeps. However, the hour that we spent at
sarahbellem and trystbat's Pretty Pretty Princess Party was fun. Got to meet and chat with some new people and drink pink girly drinks. One of the action items I've taken away from the whole CC-thing is the strong need to throw a Pretty Pretty Princess Party for misagillian. :-) Followed the sage advice of hrj and got to bed before midnight in preparation for having to leave early for WK Collegium up in Sacremento in the morning. Missed all of CC on Saturday because of Collegium and the PPF. Rolled into bed by about 1:30 Sunday morning.
Sunday was historical costume day, which was good because that's where my interests lie. I spent almost of the day by myself, just going up to people and complementing thier costumes. Some *super* nice stuff out there, let me tell you! Lots of bustle-era victorians, and 18th C dress came across to me as the up-and-coming thing. More men than I thought, which was great because I'm a big fan of menswear and tailoring. Also spent a lot of time in a display of costume that was mostly period or from the film.
I wore my 1550s florentine that's in this icon. I know what's wrong with it and that bugs me, but it seemed to go over well and I had a ton of pictures taken. Of course, once I'm in that dress I'm trapped because I can not take it off without help. I stayed in it, therefore, until I went to bed late that evening. :-/
The evening historical costume contest was cool, but it went on *way* longer than I thought it would. Many many congrats to
sarahbellem and trystbat and crew on thier Best in Show tableaux of the Empress Eugine and her ladies painting. Truely Stunning! :-) Most of the costumes were great, but a few I couldn't understand why some had qualified as 'historical'. Ended the evening with a nightcap in my room with joycebre and here sister (hrj left for home after the masquerade).Side note: I got a definate Come To The 18th C Side-vibe from this event. Now I really really want to make this: see http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/round/18th_century_women/riding_habit/index.html
In fact, I want to have a whole riding habit/costume party!. So I've made up my mind, and I'm giving y'all a year and 7 months' notice: for my 50th b-day I want to have a riding costume party, any era. I'll even try to arrange for pony rides. Come one, I *know* there are a lot of you out there that are looking for an excuse to make a riding habit! Start sewing people! (Birthday girl dibs on on outfit show in the link, though. ;-) )
And then there was shopping. I spent a lot more then I thought I would, including some mad-money purchases. Here's my list of loot:
- Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII, by Maria Hayward
- The Embroideries at Hardwick Hall, a catalogue, by Santina M. Levey (When you open a book and pretty much burst into tears because it is so beautiful, then your really have to buy that book.)
- Footwear, Eugenia Girotti, Chronicle Books
- Officers and Soldiers of The French Imperial Guard, No.2, Cavalry, 1804-1815. Paperback, kinda-sorta like an Osprey book. Couldn't resist. ;-)
- A few highly-recommended patterns** from Tailor's Guide:
---- Ladies' Riding Habit 1730 - 1770.
---- Frock Coate 1790 - 1820
---- Drop-front breaches or trousers, 1750-1820
- And a pattern for spiral 16th C sleeves by Lynn MacMasters. I've thought about doing this and thought it too much of a pain, but now I can take advatage of other people's work! ;-)
- A purple heartwood busk
- 72 round vintage black satin-covered buttons (for $6! Score!)
- 18th C velvet face patches and spirit gum, because they had a fleur (for Marguerite) and a heart (for Gillian). I foresee much OOP silliness at some event in the future. :-)
- And various Mystery Items for upcoming birthdays and Christmas. ;-)
Oh, and I also succumbed to temptation and bought a cool jacket and skirt combo. Hard to describe it, other than I now have a elegant "con" or costume party outfit.
So, yeah, interesting and inspiring, but I think I need to attend something like Costume College (which I understand is almost impossible to get into). I'll keep an eye out though for workshops and such.
**Yes, I am perfectly capable of drafting my own patterns. But the older I get and the less time I have, the more I find is easier to start with something if it is something I'm unfamiliar with.
