1919 Homage

Via Pinterest

I'm very enamoured of late 1910s looks this winter, as I've said.  I love all of the looks pictured above--the green one especially!  I'm working on a 1918 knit pullover and cast on a striped beret that is similar in shape to the one at the top left on the catalog image above.  I've struggled a lot with chills this winter (probably a hormonal afterglow from weaning Ponchik this fall) and I really haven't been able to knit fast enough to keep myself warm.  I stumbled across a modern sweater on clearance at Target a few weeks ago and the shape was perfect for the late 1910s!  I was thrilled.  It just needed a belt to make it look more period correct.  It is very warm and I really like the muted greenish-blue color--I seem to be collecting a lot of tops in this color family.

I've been wearing this skirt a lot, as it is wool, long, and has a hidden elastic waist, so it is the most forgiving separate in my closet at the moment.

I normally wear a large in Target sweaters, but they didn't have any, and I'm glad I sized up to an XL because it gave me enough extra ease to lap the front as I had intended.  It also fits nicely in the sleeves.

Wearing my Chookas as nothing else is as waterproof in 5+ inches of snow!  The red Wellies that LL Bean sent to replace the green ones were a dud (they've changed the design and the new one gave me bruises on my calves so I sent them back with a long note)  After that disappointment, I tried these pea green Chookas as they were on clearance at 6pm.com--they fit quite well!  I almost never find a tall boot that actually fits my calves well, and these do, plus have room to spare.  The toe box is also a good width for my feet.  I did have a little trouble finding an arch support insert that fits the bottom of the boot well, but that isn't so critical.  They have a functional cinch belt at the top of the boot, and I may actually use it!  

The snowflakes were very dry since it has gotten so cold here, and the flake definition was really nice!  I tried to get close ups of a few than landed on my sweater.

You can kind of see one here:

The pin was a surprise gift from my dad a few years ago--he was in a thrift store, saw it and thought of me, and bought it.  He sent it in the mail himself with a little note.  It was a particularly hard season for me then (which he knew) and I was so touched by the gift and the note.  I treasure both.  

The kids are all home today (again!--this begins to feel like the never ending weekend, as Piglet was also home on Friday for a professional development day)  We did get about 6 inches of snow overnight, and we do live in The City That Does Not Plow, so I guess it is to be expected.  The trash guys did actually pick up today (although no sign of recycling yet) so the end times must be nigh at hand.

Outfit details:

Sweater: Target

Camisole: Forever 21 (I know, I know.  I hate myself too.  I got it for nursing purposes when I was a clothing industry naif)

Skirt: ThredUp

Boots: 6pm.com

Pin: gift from my dad

Earrings: inherited from my gram

Hair clip: Lilla Rose (small size)

Belt: etsy

Talking Tuesday: Orwell and the Modern World

We live in uncertain times.  In many ways, our current times are reminiscent of the first years of any modern century--political upheaval and stagnation, wars, instability, major systems of governance under fire.  One of the blessings and burdens of studying history is the ability see things at a sweep.  To put current events in context, to understand the broader picture of what is happening in the world today.  Sometimes it is helpful (knowing that nothing lasts forever is sometimes very useful indeed); sometimes it is terrifying.  Understanding what comes after a plague, or seeing the end of a system of government, and knowing what that may entail for the future can be scary stuff.

Rod Dreher wrote yesterday about the emotional appeal of ISIS for many followers of Islam, and how we Westerners cannot possibly begin to understand all that undergirds the religious fervor and worldview that informs the jihadist movement.  He largely quotes Graeme Wood, writing in the Atlantic, who writes:

"There is a temptation to rehearse this observation—that jihadists are modern secular people, with modern political concerns, wearing medieval religious disguise—and make it fit the Islamic State. In fact, much of what the group does looks nonsensical except in light of a sincere, carefully considered commitment to returning civilization to a seventh-century legal environment, and ultimately to bringing about the apocalypse."

Like Dreher, I object to modern writers' use of the term "medieval" to connote a backward, unthinking, unlearned society, as so much of the world's knowledge, understanding, and flourishing came from the medieval period, both in Europe and elsewhere.  One thing that stood out to me, however, was the Orwellian observation that:

"Fascism is psychologically far sounder than any hedonistic conception of life … Whereas Socialism, and even capitalism in a more grudging way, have said to people “I offer you a good time,” Hitler has said to them, “I offer you struggle, danger, and death,” and as a result a whole nation flings itself at his feet … We ought not to underrate its emotional appeal."

I read recently that the whole history of modern development has been a slow process of getting comfortable.  We now live quite comfortable lives, from the perspective of history.  We don't have to worry about growing or gathering our own food, (for the most part), our furniture and beds are soft and supportive (and largely inexpensive), our clothing is cheap and accessible, our medical knowledge and access unparalleled, our gadgets increasingly do our mental and manual work for us.  I think one of the appealing things about earlier ways of doing, at least for me, is the sense that there is something soul-good about the physicality of it, and the lack of insularity in that life can be scary and exhilarating at the same time.

~wiws~ late 1910s props

Doing the FLAP thing, as the linky appears to be up again!

Not much to say about this outfit except that I've worn it a lot lately, and wore it to church this morning because it was below zero with the wind chill and extremely windy (gusts up to 50 mph at times!)  I was glad we stayed in town for church this morning instead of attempting our normal hour-long drive to New Jersey and back.  I was extremely cold while taking these photos!

And apart from the gauntlets, I made absolutely nothing I'm wearing.  

And I'm kind of okay with that.  This whole vintage thing started as a thrifting expedition after all.

I'm also a big fan of showing what I actually wear, instead of what would have looked best.  My brown lace up boots would have looked better, but it was too cold for them, so out came the black faux-fur lined boots which are much warmer.  It is hard to see, but I have an off-white long sleeve t-shirt under the blue shirt and gauntlets, which is just the right amount of layers.

My Orenburg shawl is getting a lot of wear this winter, after many years of neglect!

Details:

Oatmeal colored scoop neck tshirt: Old Navy

Axcess knit cardigan: ThredUp

Brown leather belt: etsy

Pierre Cardin Wool Blend Skirt: ThredUp

Gauntlets: Swish yarn in Lava, me-made

Orenburg Shawl: bought from a Russian babushka on the side of the road in Nizhni Novgorod, 1998

1940s Alpine Hat/Hiking Boots pin: via Charlotte at Tuppence Ha'Penny

Earrings: etsy

Crochet cloche hat: etsy

Tights: Foot Traffic classic cotton tights in Mocha Heather

Boots: Payless

Yarn Along: Gold Diggers and the 1930s Sweater that Almost Wasn't

Well.  The 1930s-inspired blue sweater didn't come out exactly as expected, but I think I've salvaged it for now.  It is a bit snug, and I don't really have the waist definition to really wear it well, but it will do.  I'm also submitting this sweater for the HSM #2 Challenge: Blue, even though it wasn't what I planned for this month.

My original split collar didn't work out--I think perhaps I didn't make it wide enough, but it was hard to tell as I was knitting how wide it should be in relation to the shoulders, and I couldn't really try it on while the needles were on the collar.  So I ended up sewing the collar together to make a short turtleneck, but the whole sweater seemed small and blocky to me.  I was casting about for ways to redeem the sweater,  and I found some 1930s knitting pattern images that I used as inspiration to fix this one.  I decided to crochet a double width cord to thread through the top of the ribbed section to cinch the sweater in in the middle, and provide a focal point.  The low turtleneck collar and overall shape of the sweater is similar to this pattern:

I noticed that many 1930s patterns have a belt or some other kind of waist definition, so I feel confident that my sweater is at least remiscent of the 1930s.

I like the left hand sweater (above) a lot, and contemplated pulling out the entire collar section, as it was cast on with picked up stiches, and making a crochet edge with a tie at the neck.  I decided, however, that I didn't really want to pull anything out of the sweater, as my previous experience with dismantling sweaters leads to balls of yarn and no sweater in the end.

I really liked the collar detail on the right-hand sweater (above), as well as the shape of it, and thought I could use the collar on my sweater to imitate the look, but I thought that a tie at the neck and waist would be a bit too busy. 

But on to my sweater:

In my head, it looks pretty bad on me, and I can't decide whether I will keep it or not.  I do like the color a lot, however.  The waist tie does help, and it is very warm, but I wish it didn't make me look so rectangular.  

I know, I know:  foundation garments!!  I also wish the sleeves were a bit looser.  Oddly, it looks better from the back than from the front.

I think if I use this pattern again, I will add some stitches to the sides and sleeves, plus add a tiny bit of length.  I'm short waisted, and this is an appropriate vintage sweater length, but I think another inch would be a wee bit more flattering.  I'm mostly frustrated that I can't find a sweater pattern that looks well on me.  I've just found a book on customizing knitting templates, which I hope will help me to tweak the patterns I have for better fit.

As for reading, nothing much worth writing about.  I just bought Gold Diggers by Charlotte Gray, as it is the book upon which Klondike was based, and I'm curious to know more about the main players in the (true) story.  The mini-series is extremely good, with wonderful cinematography, good writing, and a great cast.  I also love watching Richard Madden--he's really interesting as an actor (although, it must be said, there were a few moments in Klondike where I saw Robb Stark sneak out, but some of that was to do with similar costuming).

What the item is: Mallard blue pullover wool sweater, 1930s-inspired

The Challenge: Blue

Fabric: 100% Superwash DK Wool (Patons)

Pattern: Essential Sweater (on ravelry) with some modifications

Year: 1934 (ish)

Notions: none

How historically accurate is it? So-so. I had intended an aysmetrical collar but it didn't look right in the end, but the small rolled turtleneck top is similar to my inspiration photo, as are the raglan sleeves. I added the crochet cord to cinch the waist since the ribbing looked so weird. The basic shape of the sweater is similar to my inspiration photo, and I made long sleeves because short-sleeved wool sweaters are pretty useless to me in my climate. I should have made the ribbing less wide, and probably should have sized up the sweater a bit and made it a tad longer, as it is snug.

Hours to complete: Most of the month of January, working during naptimes and some evenings. So maybe 30 hours?

First worn: February 2015

Total cost: $35 (I think--I bought the yarn a long time ago and don't remember how much each ball was, but I used about 6.5 balls)

Linking with Ginny for Yarn Along.

Winter Uniform: Whole Lotta Me

Today you get a whole lotta me.  As I said yesterday, I've been trying some different things, style-wise, trying to find a comfort zone that keeps me warm (I have terrible shaking spells of chills a few times a day) and fits around my swollen body.  Given that approximately 95% of my wardrobe is quite fitted through the torso for a 1940s silhouette, this has proved a bit challenging.  I'm trying to shift some of my wardrobe to the late 1910s, as I said yesterday, which is looser and more forgiving, but these things take time and energy, and I'm afraid I'm a little short on both at the moment.  I did cast on the 1918 pullover last night, so we'll see how that goes.

So without further ado, I present recent stylings.

This was an attempt at a 1920s-esque style.  It is pretty modern, I admit, but the vibe is there, and it is a decently comfortable outfit.

The chambray dress is this one from eshakti, the sweater is from target and the belt is an old one from H&M.  The hat is from Target a few years ago.

I know you saw this dress earlier in the fall, but I think this styling works better for the period.  I added a Pavlovo-Posad scarf I bought in Russia about 15 years ago, and a crochet cloche hat from etsy.

I made the gauntlets this fall.  I was initially unhappy with the length, but they work quite nicely with this dress.

I'm pretty pleased with this red outfit--I had bought the dress from an ebay seller, but the seller noticed some flaws after I bought it and decided to refund my money and send it to me anyway!  The flaws are pretty minor, and the corduroy is so soft and comfortable.  The collar reminds me of 1919 collar treatments.  The waist is maybe a little high for the period, but I think if I shorten the dress slightly and use the excess for a sash as on the coat dress, it will be quite perfect.  On the other hand, I might just wear it as is!

The shawl is a Russian Orenburg shawl I bought when I lived in Russia in 1998 and it remains a favorite of mine.  It is so delicate and beautiful, but it sheds like crazy!  

The dress is an old Eddie Bauer (I'm guessing late 1990s or early naughts, going by the style).  I borrowed the belt from my husband.  Trusty Modcloth boots.

Finally, another eshakti styling.  I have several knit dresses in this style, which I've shown here over the fall, and I'm wearing them a lot right now.  This outfit is kind of my winter uniform at the moment, as the dress is forgiving enough to my waist and yet can be styled in a variety of ways.  

Another Pavlovo-Posad scarf from my year in Moscow, plus the brown gauntlets I made in December.  It is a snowing a little today, which is why there are white streaks/specks on my pictures.

Celtic knot earrings from an etsy seller--I've worn them a lot this year.

I'm hoping that the extreme fatigue that plagues me lately will abate soon, as I'd like to remedy the deficiencies in my closet, but at least I do have some things to wear that I feel reasonably good about.

   Unfortunately, the blue sweater I blogged yesterday doesn't really fit me that well (too small/short), and I ended up changing the collar back to a straight turtleneck as the split collar mod didn't really look right.  I'm a bit disappointed and trying to decide what to do with it now.  At least I didn't waste all winter on it.

I also wanted to give a shout out to vintage blogger and sewer Stephanie, as I loved her post today about what our clothes say about us.  I often wonder if I spend too much time thinking about clothes, but especially after reading Anne Hollander's book, and now Stephanie's post, I think it is healthy to be moderately concerned with appearances.

Yarn Along: 1930s Inspired Sweater and Anne Hollander

Linking with Ginny for Yarn Along!

I'm nearly finished the Mallard 1930s inspired sweater!  I know it doesn't look like much here, but I think the collar is what will finish it properly.  The pattern is for a basic turtleneck, but I'm modifying it to be an asymmetrical fold-over split collar.  I can't find an exact extant example, but it is definitely in the spirit of the 1930s.

1919 beach photo

I'm finding my style interests have shifted a bit earlier these last few months--I'm really inspired by the Great War era (1915-1921 or so), as well as the early to mid-1930s.  I suppose I like the more relaxed silhouette of the Great War, and the longer skirt lengths.  I find my hair is easier to style for the late 1910s and early 1930s at its current length and state.  I also like the softer shoulders and higher waist line of the 1930s, plus the interesting neckline details, asymmetric collars, and button details.  The silhouette of the 1930s is closer to my actual silhouette at the moment, as I've lost a lot of waist definition these last months, and am now closer to a rectangle than an inverted triangle.  Looking at the patterns of the 1930s, one might think that 30s fashions are for the very slim only, but I think it is more about the shape of the body under the clothing (which would have been supported and shaped by major foundation garments in any case)  The early 1930s were mostly a straight up and down silhouette, whereas the late 1930s and early 1940s returned to a more hourglass silhouette with lots of waist and shoulder definition.  The patterns of the early 1920s and 1930s are actually drafted for slightly different "ideal" measurements than those of the late 1930s and early 1940s.  (There is a whole essay I could write on pattern sizing and ready-to-wear sizing, and I'm planning to, but I need to start sleeping more before I start writing serious prose)

1919 studio portrait, winter ensembles

After doing a lot of image research on the 1930s, I realized that my Frankenpattern is actually quite close to a number of early 1930s house dresses (which saves me a bit of time and trouble!)  My idea book is filled with late 1910s/early 1930s sewing plans, and my next knitting project is a 1919 pullover sweater.  I have an early 1930s style Hooverette cut out and ready for sewing (I just need to draft a collar and sleeve cuffs)  As nothing I made this past fall and early winter currently fits me well, I'm trying to style some of my eshakti knit dresses and the 1917 coat dress in period ways.  I'll show a few of my (admittedly amateur) efforts in this direction tomorrow.

My book is Seeing Through Clothes by Anne Hollander--I'm about three quarters through it, and it is excellent.  She talks about the intersection of art, photography, and what is considered normative in dress and appearance.  She has so many wonderful observations about how norms for the female and male forms have changed over time, and how art not only reflects and influences those changes, but also how nude art reflects the clothing norms of the day.  Given how visual and image-driven our own society has become, I'm fascinated.  I'll probably devote a Talking Tuesday post (or two!) to some of her more provocative passages.

Talking Tuesday: The Poverty of the Past

I'm not normally a fan of Megan McArdle's writing, but I think in this case, she's hit the nail on the head.  She writes in response to Joni Ernst's post about the poverty of her upbringing--a post that prompted much teasing and laughter on social media.  (Rod Dreher's commentary on the same is also worth reading). McArdle reminds us why history is important--it reminds us of where we've come from, and more importantly, who we are.  We forget at our peril.

"In every generation, we forget how much poorer we used to be, and then we forget that we have forgotten. We focus on the things that seem funny or monstrous or quaint and darling. Somehow the simplest and most important fact -- the immense differences between their living standards and ours -- slides right past our eye. And when Ernst tried to remind us, people didn't say "Wow, we've really come a long way"; they pointed and laughed."

Megan McArdle, "When Bread Bags Weren't Funny" Bloombergview.com blog, January 29, 2015

I'm less concerned by the forgetting as by the disdain with which our modern society treats the past.  Forgetfulness is common--natural even--to the process of getting older--of change; to deride the past, to think it has nothing to teach us, to belittle the experience and memory of those who do remember, well, that is dangerous.