My pirate lady costume is so goddamned girlie! It’s Foufy McPouftster. It’s dandy, it’s fey, it’s don’t-you-think-I-look-good-in-this-hat. Jack Sparrow would laugh me right off the gangplank, but he might want to shag me speechless first.
Well, no, there’s not enough cleavage for that 😉 But it is the least “AAAARRRR” pirate you can imagine. It’s pretty and precious and purple. It’s delicate and charming. It will never get scurvy. Honestly, it’s like when Marie Antoinette dressed up as a “shepherdess” and played at being simple country folk — if she dressed up as a pirate, this would be her costume.
And I love it! That’s just the effect I was going for.
Janet Wilson Anderson once said she only does “pretty” costumes. Not ugly. I remember thinking at the time that was a bit snooty or exclusionary. But I’ve come to realize that’s my modus operandi too, and I’ve stopped being embarrassed about it. I like pretty costumes. And because I have limited time, energy, and funds, I want to devote that to creating costumes that make me feel beautiful, fantastical, exotic, sexy, silly, magical, and fun. Clothes that look old and worn don’t do that for me. I appreciate them as the amazing art they can be, but that’s just not my calling.
It’s kinda like why I stopped sewing everyday clothes for myself. The rewards just weren’t worth the efforts. Sure, I’d have a nice pair of pants or a skirt I could wear to work, but I could have saved time and bought something at Target instead. If I’m going to invest my hard work into making something, that thing must be something unlike anything else I can buy, and it must transport me to some other place in time, space, or my mind.
So anyway. I finished the skirt today. Five yards of purple cartridge-pleated goodness! It’s heavy (duh) and it swirls divinely. Now I want to make a Georgian riding habit jacket to go with it! One thing at a time 😉
Tried on everything but the hat. The sword really adds the perfect touch, esp. since it’s a “pretty” sword with a fancy scabbard and such. Decided to wear the granny boots as the motorcycle boots are too clompy and distract from the Elegant Lady Pirateness. It’s like Elegant Gothic Lolita, except not looking like an 8-year-old.
My faaaaabulous tricorn
This evening, I made the tricorn. Oh my, is this one foppish hat! Big black tricorn, edged in purple bias tape, and trimmed with peacock feathers and a purple cockade accented with a silver and black button. The size of the hat should nicely balance the incredibly full skirt.
Wonder what jewelry to wear… Big silver hoop earrings seem appropriate. And that Indian mirrored choker on purple might work too. True purple lipstick and silvery eye makeup. Purple-and-black stripey tights. All set.
The one last thing left to do is sew the buttons and trim on the coat. I’ll start with the buttons so if I get sick of it in the next few days and don’t get to the trim, it’s no biggie. Gotta have the buttons tho.