Style me just a wee bit Thronesy.
October 28, 2013 12:33 PM Subscribe
I just finished my first paid storytelling gig and have been invited back for more, which technically makes me a professional storyteller. OBVIOUSLY this means I'm now officially entitled to buy and wear that long romantic dress with wide sweepy skirt I've wanted since preteen girlhood. Help me find it! Pickiness inside.
I not-so-secretly adore the vaguely medieval/fantasy aesthetic (Saxon, Viking, kirtle) and would love to claim this style as my own at last. Rather than sporting a hangerock or a cheap velvet Galadriel gown on the streets of London, though, I'm looking for an elegant modern dress that nods towards medieval/fantasy without being costumey. Zippers, buttons and modern fabrics/details are all fine. This Toast dress fits the bill beautifully but is, alas, from two seasons ago. I don't even know what to Google for a similar aesthetic.
I'm 5'6", a US size 2 (UK 8). I'm looking for a dress with a flaring ankle-to-floor length skirt, 3/4-length to long sleeves, a slim fit through the bodice and a relatively simple and unadorned look overall. Under (hopefully well under) £250. I'm in the UK but am happy to order online from overseas. Help me, fellow grown-up fantasy nerds of AskMe!
I not-so-secretly adore the vaguely medieval/fantasy aesthetic (Saxon, Viking, kirtle) and would love to claim this style as my own at last. Rather than sporting a hangerock or a cheap velvet Galadriel gown on the streets of London, though, I'm looking for an elegant modern dress that nods towards medieval/fantasy without being costumey. Zippers, buttons and modern fabrics/details are all fine. This Toast dress fits the bill beautifully but is, alas, from two seasons ago. I don't even know what to Google for a similar aesthetic.
I'm 5'6", a US size 2 (UK 8). I'm looking for a dress with a flaring ankle-to-floor length skirt, 3/4-length to long sleeves, a slim fit through the bodice and a relatively simple and unadorned look overall. Under (hopefully well under) £250. I'm in the UK but am happy to order online from overseas. Help me, fellow grown-up fantasy nerds of AskMe!
The link bessiemae gave above is from the Folkwear line of patterns - their catalog is here, and they have a lot of tips for how to choose the right fabric - and a lot of photos of people who've made their designs, and sometimes updated them.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:54 PM on October 28, 2013
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:54 PM on October 28, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for your answers so far. I should have mentioned that although I can sew, making the dress myself is unfortunately not an option my schedule allows, so I'm looking for ready-to-wear.
posted by stuck on an island at 1:20 PM on October 28, 2013
posted by stuck on an island at 1:20 PM on October 28, 2013
Best answer: Is this the kind of thing you're looking for? In general, I think Etsy is going to be great for this -- there are a lot of tailors catering to exactly your tastes, and there's often a made-to-measure option for not very much more, which is good if you want a snug fit in the bodice.
(When I saw "medieval, romantic, sweepy" in your question I was all like ooh ooh ooh i have coveted this dress since I first saw it and now you can wear it in my stead. Upon looking at your pictures, that's not really what you're looking for, but still, so pretty.)
posted by ostro at 1:37 PM on October 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
(When I saw "medieval, romantic, sweepy" in your question I was all like ooh ooh ooh i have coveted this dress since I first saw it and now you can wear it in my stead. Upon looking at your pictures, that's not really what you're looking for, but still, so pretty.)
posted by ostro at 1:37 PM on October 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
How about the stuff on Holy Clothing? (it's not nun/clerical garb ;) )
posted by lemniskate at 1:46 PM on October 28, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by lemniskate at 1:46 PM on October 28, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Based on the text description of your Toast dress, try google search terms like this:
winter long sleeve maxi dress (maybe add the word 'wool' or 'renaissance')
I found some stuff like this:
Here's a black one.
Here's a green one.
Black, maroon, or blue velvet.
On preview, I really like the Timandra dress on Holy Clothing from lemniskate's link.
posted by CathyG at 2:01 PM on October 28, 2013
winter long sleeve maxi dress (maybe add the word 'wool' or 'renaissance')
I found some stuff like this:
Here's a black one.
Here's a green one.
Black, maroon, or blue velvet.
On preview, I really like the Timandra dress on Holy Clothing from lemniskate's link.
posted by CathyG at 2:01 PM on October 28, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, all, for your help! "Maxi" was apparently the word I was missing. I ended up on Etsy, where I found this beauty -- a bit more casual and less fitted than my original spec, but flowy and sweepy as all get out.
ostro, the Aegon dress is luscious! This is now a strong candidate for the bridesmaid dresses for a friend's impending wedding.
posted by stuck on an island at 5:19 AM on October 29, 2013
ostro, the Aegon dress is luscious! This is now a strong candidate for the bridesmaid dresses for a friend's impending wedding.
posted by stuck on an island at 5:19 AM on October 29, 2013
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http://adonising.blogspot.com/2010/04/claire-mccardell-folkwear-patterns.html
If you don't find a dress you really like, think about finding a pattern you like and someone to make it--it may be a way to have a higher quality finished product. If they have some historic reenactors in the UK they could be a place to start.
posted by bessiemae at 12:44 PM on October 28, 2013