Swooning over Costumes.

Hello, dearest people. If you've stuck around me for a time, you'll have noticed that I like (um, perhaps I should change that word to 'love', because the word 'like' is a bit of an understatement) to swoon over costumes in Period Dramas. I pin endless pins of Period Dramas and I see endless pictures of Period Dramas in my life, so I always have several costumes to swoon over at the same time. So now and then I devote a post to my favourites. People think those posts are a bit boring, because it's always the same. You know, 'LOOK AT THAT' and 'JUST LOOK' and 'WOW ISN'T IT GORGEOUS' and 'I WANT IT' and very often, 'I NEED IT.' That's boring. So apologies in advance, folks.

Today I'm going to swoon over some costumes. (I just happen to be very good in pointing out stuff everyone is already aware of. It's not hard, you know.)

Our family watched 'Summer Magic' recently, and I thought the dresses the girls wore to the party were absolutely gorgeous. They remind me a bit of something Liesl von Trapp would wear, strangely enough.

(Actually, that's not so strange, because Liesl's outfits are gorgeous too. So it's pretty obvious these gorgeous dresses remind me of Liesl's gorgeous dresses.) (I'll stop rambling.)

As long as I live, I will NEVER get tired of the Downton Abbey costumes. Never, and I repeat it again, Never. Lady Mary's wardrobe used to be my favourite, but now, in the later series, I've started eyeing Lady Rose's wardrobe somewhat more. Her wardrobe is just to DIE for. (Not really, though. Because of what benefit is a lucious sparkly, girly, perfect wardrobe when one is dead? None.)

This outfit of Rose's is also gorgeous. Just sayin'.

I need to see 'Somewhere in Time' so badly. Reason number one: Because Emma, my dear friend, has been wishing me to do so ever since we bumped into each other. Reason number two: Because Eliza's wardrobe is seriously the STUNNIEST thing ever. The outfit pictured above is my favourite one of hers. (Sink me, she's on the header.)

The lace, people. Matched with the pearls and the light pink. *fails*

My siblings, my father and I are watching 'Singing in the Rain' at the moment. I LOVE IT. It's just such a fun, squeeful, jolly, toe-tappy, one-gets-tumbled-inside-the-story musical. I have always adored Kathy's wardrobe, but this time watching it I only realise how much. It's just so adorable. Of course, it helps that Kathy is acted by the most adorable actress of all time, but seriously - her dresses, HER DRESSES!!!! 

My favourite so far is this sheeny, cloudy dress. It looks like it's as light as a fluffy feather (especially in this picture). Isn't it a coincidence that it matches with the backing scenery? I don't think so. :-P

Anna in 'The King and I' has the most PERFECT hoop-skirts ever made. Just LOOK. (Ha, I told you was going to tell you to look sooner or later.) Is that not the most PERFECT shape? I'm obsessed with Anna's dresses.

One day I shall wear such a perfect hoop. I need to so badly.

You know, I'm not a very big fan of Victorian Styles. Admit it, some of them can be pretty weird. 

But (you were waiting for that 'but', weren't you?) the dresses Victoria wears in 'The Young Victoria' are AMAZING. Really. Her yellow ball gown is my favourite, because it's draped in endless lace (lace is always a good idea) but, because I'm sure I've swooned over that one already, I'll show you my second-favourite Young-Victoria-gown. This lavender one.

THE FLOWERS. I knowww. It's not fair.

Cosette's wedding gown is beautiful, by the way. Give me those puffs. 

(I have a question for the Les Mis experts. Does this gif actually come from the movie? It's HAPPY! Because that's pretty darn adorable, that he twirls her around. I might have to watch Les Mis. (Or at least the wedding scene. It's surprisingly HAPPY, for Les Mis.))

What are some costumes you've been adoring lately?

Be honest - do these post bore you?

Sailor Suits in Period Dramas

This might be a weird idea for a post in some of your opinions, but, as I think sailor suits are the most adorable things on earth (seriously, take any kid, put him or her in a sailor suit, ét voila, you have a kid cute as gold. I don't know what sailor suits do, but they do a lot. (Am I talking a lot of nonsense?)) I thought it would be rather nice to devote a post to sailor suits in Period Dramas. 

Why not, and all that.

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Downton Abbey

Dear little George Crawley in a sailor suit! I knew he was cute but this really... awwness, everyone. I love the dark navy blue sailor suits most for little boys. Once we had a baptism at our Church where the brothers and sister and cousins of baby getting baptised all wore navy blue sailor suits like this - it was TOO cute for words. Everyone was distracted.

And Rose's adorable sailor look in her teenagery years! Isn't it beautiful! She looks so young and youthful in it.

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Pollyanna

My siblings and I watched the Hayley Mills version of Pollyanna several days ago and I immediatly fell in love with the costumes! Especially Aunt Polly wears some most delicious Edwardian things. This sweet sailor-suit dress was ADORABLE (*snort* I feel like I'm over-using that word already. Please do accept the pardon I beg.) on Pollyanna.

I still much prefer 'my' Pollyanna version, though. The Hayley Mills version was very nice, but they changed so doggoned MUCH from the book! Like, even the names? Mr Pendleton is called PendleTON, everyone, not PendeGAST. And the whole bazaar thing... not in the book, that. But it was a lot of fun, though. I really like Hayley Mills - she has the cutest little voice.

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The Sound of Music

Of course these classic sailor suits were the first that came to my mind when I prepared this post. Captain von Trapp and all his sailors. I think these suits are lovely, but I've always pitied the children for having to wear exactly the same. I would rather Hate to wear the same as all my siblings, even if what we wore were as darling as sailor suits.

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Berkeley Square

*Strokes Berkeley Square over the head* This is a such a poor, neglected series! I so wish they had made a second one because there are so many things not yet wrapped up. Unfair. T'is MOST unfair.

Anyway, about the sailor suit. There are a few in Berkeley Square. I especially like Thomas' one. And the STRAW-HAT. Just toooooo adorable. I wish boys still wanted to wear straw hats. I would have a lot more respect for them if they did.

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The Secret Garden

I'm not the Secret Garden's biggest fan (no reason in particular, I'm not just that one biggest fan, that's all) but I DO love Mary's sailor-ish outfit.

By the way, dear people reading this, did you know that the actress who played Mary, a certain Kate Maberly, is the sister of the actress Polly Maberly, who played Kitty Bennet in Pride and Prejudice '95? Just a little nice fact to pass your day.

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The Railway Children

The Railway Children has two spot-on sailor suits, but I only found one picture - this one of Peter's. Peter's such a nice, fun chap, isn't he? He looks like an absolute SPORT decked in the white sailor suit.

The other sailor suit (here's a tiiiiny picture) belongs to Bobby. She looks very profesh in it. Also very sailor-y, which is a pretty useless thing to say considering the fact that she's wearing a sailor suit. (Because, yeah, sailor suits are supposed to be sailor-y. I'll stop blabbering.)

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What are your opinions on sailor suits, people? (That is if you have one (an opinion, not a sailor suit) to start with. One might not have an opinion.)

Can you think of any other sailor suits in movies?

Sybil's Gorgeous Room

Natalie, this post is for you. :-)

Several weeks ago, Natalie and I swooned over Sybil Lindsay's room in the comment box. You might have spotted our caps, written in great gusto. We were talking about this super, super, super short scene in the lovely movie 'Chariots of Fire' - where Harold Abraham's love interest, Sybil, hears that Harold won the race. She hears the news in her bedroom. And we happened to adore that super short scene. Screen-caps weren't available on the Internet, so I screen-capped my own!

This picture gives you the best view of the room. My GOODNESS isn't this so endlessly beauty-swamped?!!! I want to sit in that room and have a French maid curl my hair. I want to fiddle with glassy perfume bottles and little beautiful bits and bobs. I know, I know, I sound like a spoilt two-year-old who didn't get his second chocolate-cake-piece, but I can't HELP this state of jealousy. I can't help it at all, I can't.

First of all, this room has stained glass windows. I mean, of all the coolest things. And then we have elegant and fluttery pink flowers on the window sill. And then those mirrors, all hazy and morning-like. And then all the bits and bobs, shining femininity and glorious pinky-ness. I love how this room reflects who she is - it's not over-the-top chic, and I really appreciate that. I love the pictures on the wall, and the messy atmosphere.

And can you spot the little teddy bear? :-P

Ah! Now we get a closer look at the mirror and the little things in front of it. Pictures, necklaces, perfume bottles in the most adorable sizes, shapes and with the cutest little toppings. Gah, I love that sea of endless little things. Also, that pink fan. I'm proud to sat that I am the owner of one very similar to it. If I had a mirror in my room I'd try to put it that way and pretend I'm Sybil. But I don't have a mirror in my room, so.

So, what do you think?!! Isn't it gorgeousness alore, peeps? Corkers? Twinkly? Dazzlingly must-have-one-day? Yes?!? You have to agree, this room is to DIE for. (Almost, that is to say. Because why would a dead person benefit from such beauty?)

I hope you enjoyed my little swoon-post about a ten-second scene no-one in the world probably ever really noticed apart from me and Natalie. If you haven't ever noticed this scene (or watched Chariots of Fire, for that matter (but seriously, watch it)) I am very honoured to have introduced you to this charming little dressing room of Sybils. Now we can all mourn about not owning it together. :-D

Gone with the Wind // Favourite costumes

I don't love this movie, but I do like it. A lot. The main reason? The costumes. The twirling, wirling, delicious, frilly hoop-skirts... just too awesome-saucy for words, no? If there would be no pretty costumes I would not like this movie. THE DRESSES IN HERE ARE AMAZING. Here's to my favourite Gone with the Wind costumes. Let's start!

 

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Scarlett's Red Christmas dress

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Scarlett's red Christmas dress has a sweet ruffled top, long billowing red hoop skirts, and a white ribbon around the waist. Although I think I could do without the weird ribbon, I absolutely adore this dress - especially the top white-with-red-stripes bit. It's just too adorable!

 

 

  

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Scarlett's Green Barbeque Dress

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Scarlett's Green barbeque dress is probably one of her famous ones. And no wonder! It's absoblumelutely adorable! The ruffled neckline (of course, a little too low, as Mammy pointed out-) is adorable, the velvet waistband, the green ribbons, and - of course - the huge hoop skirts. I'm going to repeat how much I love the hoop skirts many more times in the post. :-) Stay warned.

 

 

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Scarlett's Blue Dress

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Scarlett's Blue Dress is not extremely fancy, but I love it. (Sorry for the bad quality of picture, by the way.) The simple design and black trimmings look casual but thrilling on her. And the yellow gloves she wears with it - Oh, suffice to say that I like it. :-)

 

 

 

 

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Scarlett's Honeymoon Dress

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I've always had a fondness for this dress - even before I watched the movie, if I can recollect well. As a younger girl I adored green and purple together - and the special, clashy patterns on this Scarlett's honeymoon dress made me squeal in delight! And that hat she's holding - I would have liked to see her wearing it. It looks weird.

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Scarlett's Red Dress

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My best friend Emma and I have a mutual love for this deliciously filled, gorgeously rich hoop-dress. It's the sort of dress that you just yearn to wear - it looks so dashed fun to be in, no? I also love the smart little bodice with all the velvet buttons rowing downward.

 

 

 

 

 

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Scarlett's Sweet Dress

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Haha. My names for these dresses are so original, no? I named this one Scarlett's 'sweet' dress because I think she looks so sweet in this girlish, innocent-looking dress. It's white, with lace and baby-blue ribbons and waistband. I think it's a darling dress - it hardly gets enough screen! I can't even remember where she wore it - but when I saw this picture I knew I had to add it to my list. It's so sweet. :-)

 

 

 

 

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Melanie's Grey Dress

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I know this is not supposed to be Melanie's prettiest dress, but, according to myself, this mauve/grey/white/dove-coloured dress with the huge rosy ribbon looks absolutely darling on dear Melanie! Melanie is my favourite character in the movie and I wish she'd had gotten more nice dresses!

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Melanie's Blue Dress

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Of course Melanie has the AMAZING blue silk dress she wears to Scarlett's wedding (where she marries Ashley's brother).  We can hardly see the dress in the movie, so thank goodness Olivia de Havilland wore it for the official posed photos! This gown is beautiful, elegant, and oh - my favourite of all the Gone with the Wind dresses. I know. Says a lot, right?

 

 

 

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Scarlett's White Dress

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But of course! Scarlett's beautiful frilled white dress - the one we all die to wear - the one she wears in the first scene! Oh it's such a delicious dress - so frilly, fussy, creamy, lacy... I could go on and on, sighing and swooning the whole way through. I would like to get married in a dress like this one - it's so SCRUMPTIOUS.

 

What is your favourite dress in Gone with the Wind?

Do you like the Fashion in that Era?

"Have you done something jolly with your hair?"

A Randomly Nice gify

Good morning/afternoon/evening/night everyone! Isn't it weird to know that, as I am typing this, some of you may be dreaming in their beds, or eating breakfast, or quarrelling talking with their siblings, or sighing in the classroom, or - like me - typing a blog post, or... yeah - it's weird. It's weird to imagine.

 

Anyway, today I'm going to show you my ten favourite Period Drama Hairstyles. Stay prepared for a lot of '!'s and 'I love this one's and the normal Naomi gush-ness. I'm sorry if you're tired of my gushing, but it's what I like doing - talking about things I really like. :-)

 

Oh, and one more thing. This list is in no particular order. I'm bad at putting things into a particular order, especially when I love them all. I'm sure you can relate. :-P

 

 

Elizabeth Bennet

 

*Sigh* If only I knew how to make this charming Regency up-do in my own hair! It's absolutely charming and sooo elegant. It's beautiful! I love those two gentle curly wings at the sides, and the up do at the back - so pretty! Elizabeth Bennet always looks amazing in this hairstyle - definitely one of my favourites! There's a very good tutorial for experienced people (not me, I'm afraid) on this hairstyle here. One day I'm going to find the courage to try it.

 

Emma Woodhouse

  

 

 Ah this is a darling one! A curly, almost-messy bun with a braid around it - adorable, no? Sadie made a very good tutorial of this hairstyle some time ago (here), which is dashed useful. I've made this bun on myself three times - once all the pins fell out, once it stayed up for several hours and once - *proud face* - it managed to stay tolerable the whole day. It's a very sweet hairstyle, and I wish I was good enough to do it on me every day!

 

Sophie Hutton

The one (but not only) word to describe Sophie Hutton (from Cranford)'s hairstyle is SWEET. This is just one of the sweetest hairstyles! I wish I could have found some better pictures, but unfortunately I only found hatted ones. (Is 'hatted' a word, actually? Oh well, Emma can tell me. She knows those sort of things.) Basically this hairstyle has a little bun at the back, and some girlish locks of curls down - such a sweet, innocent, girlish look!

Lady Sybil Crawley

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Seriously, there's so much beauty here. Lady Sybil's hairstyle is just awesome - so pretty, no! I think it's a pity she had it the bob-style in Series Three - it looks nicer like this! A low, tumbling, yet mature-looking style. (Sadie, please post a tutorial. Just kidding, dear. ;P)

 

Barbara Spooner

... because no list is complete without this one. No list just is. This is known as one of 'the most well-loved' hairstyles, here in the blogging world. Or I have this feeling. I must admit I wouldn't go out walking in this 'wig', but I can tell you I do admire this hairstyle. A great deal. It's amazing, no?
And isn't it a pity how she changed it for the other, later scenes in the movie? Her wedding hairstyle and the other one in the last scene are no way as good.

Jenny Lee

Although I haven't see 'Call the Midwife', I've fallen in love with Jenny Lee's simple but pretty hairstyle! Shorter, curly hair makes one look so darling, no? ;-P

 

Marge Frake

 Why is everything about Marge Frake (in State Fair) so absolutely, absurdly beautiful? Her wardrobe is my favourite wardrobe ever, and her hair is adorable! It's so crunchy and full and glorious and... oh, she's a lovely lady with perfect hair!

 

Elize McKenna

I adore the Edwardian era, so I knew I'd have to put a nice pompadour style into this list. I thought of all the pompadours in movies, and I decided Elize McKenna's one in Somewhere in Time is the most perfect one. It's a perfect, neat, even, delicious pompadour. Absolutely lovely!

Margaret Hale

Wow. Margaret hale does not have servants to do her hair (unless Dixon does it, but I can't see that, to be honest) and yet she always walks around with the most charming up do ever - isn't it amazing? All those curls and... just. Perfection.

Jane Austen (not)

I do not like this movie and Jane Austen was not at all really how they portrayed her here. Shidder-shudder. But having said that, I can safely tell you that I adore many (not all) of her clothes (especially the goldy-greeny ball gown up there) and I really like the hairstyle she wore at the ball, too! Those beads make it look so elegant and Grecian and Regency! Stunning!

What are some of your favourite hairstyles?

Is your favourite on this list?

 

 

Weddings Galore!

I love weddings, don't you? It's always such a happy, pretty, romantic occasion. I myself, of course, being not sixteen, know my own wedding is far to go yet, (I said 'not sixteen' in order to sound like Lizzy Bennet - I don't mean to say that I think I will be old enough once I am sixteen.) and I'm happy that way. I want to be a young girl as long as possible!

 

But I do like thinking about weddings, as a lot of girls my age do. I love looking at wedding dresses and thinking 'this is how I want my future wedding dress to be like' and that sort of thing. Here's to some of my all-time favourite wedding-dresses in Period Dramas, Royalty weddings and whatnot!

 

 

Grace Kelly's wedding gown

 

 

 

Ahhhhhh. Let us just stop for a minute in our busy lives and swoon over this glorious, glorious wedding gown. This is probably my favourite wedding gown ever --- I love it SO much. Grace Kelly was such a stylish lady with exceptionally fine taste. Her wedding gown is not only modest, it is lacy, princessy, breath-taking and yet it has a simple side to it. I don't know how this dress manages to be so beautiful, but it is. It's just amazing. A lot of people have been inspired by this dress (including, I think the makers of Maria von Trapp's wedding gown!), and I'm sure I'm one of them.

 

 

 

Kate Middleton's wedding gown

 

 

Oh dear, this is just perfection, no? Look, I love this dress so much, it's even on my header. I think Kate Middleton was also inspired by Grace Kelly- her dress is rather similar! Good thing, of course, because this dress is absolutely gorgeous. Everyone was and still is admiring it and that's no miracle. It is beautiful. I also love the way she wears her hair down - one does not need an elaborate hairstyle - loose hair is so pretty, especially with Kate!

 

 

 

Marianne Dashwood's wedding gown

 

 

Although not an absolute favourite, Marianne Dashwood's wedding dress has great personality and I love it. Lined with straw, I've heard. Very original! I love all the detail and fancy gold embroidery. And I also love how she's holding hothouse flowers. :-)

 

 

 

Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown

 

 

Right, I know Queen Elizabeth was in the middle of the war and couldn't be picky about a wedding dress. I know many don't *love* this dress. But I don't care. I love it. I love the flowery lace and the bead-ery and the girlish design. But best of all, I love the way they look at each other. It's so obvious she and Philip were/are greatly in love. This couple is probably my favourite celebrity couple.

 

 

 

Sophie Hutton's wedding gown

 

 

Sophie Hutton and Dr Harrison's wedding is just the cutest! Her precious wedding dress so graciously offered by Miss Mattie looks stunning on the Sophie! Absolutely beautiful. I also really love the puffed sleeves and the LACE. I'm a bit addicted to lace at present. And the yellow ribbon around the waist is darling.

 

 

 

Colleen's wedding gown

 

 

Do you remember when I said that elaborate hairstyles weren't needed? Well, I take that back now. I've just been looking for some more Period Drama weddings and I've seen this one of a certain Colleen in 'Dr Quinn Medicine Woman'. And her hair looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL. And so does the veil and the frilly dress, of course, but the HAIR. Love.

 

 

Cosette's wedding gown

 

 

What I love about Cosette's wedding dress is that it's not white. I mean, I love white dresses, but it's nice to have very light rosy pink for a change. So I love this colour - and, of course, the puffs.

 

 

 

What's-her-name's wedding gown

 

 

This wedding dress is a great favourite of mine! It appears in a Little House on the Prairie episode, on I-can't-remember-who (not a very important character). I remember when watching it, loving this dress immediately. I love the ribbon and the old-fashioned-ness... and the lace.

 

 

 

Mary Ingalls' wedding gown

 

 

This leads us to my next! Mary Ingalls' sweet baby blue wedding gown is simple, but beautiful!

 

 

 

Diana Spencer's wedding gown

 

 

All right, I'll admit it. I love this dress. I know it's supposed to be too puffy and too overwhelming and too big... but I love it. Besides, no list is complete without Diana Spencer's famous dress. This dress is amazing.

Diana's wedding dress was a puff ball meringue wedding dress, with huge puffed sleeves and a frilly neckline. The dress was made of silk taffeta, decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. It was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, and had a 25-foot train.

Yes. A 25-foot train. Yes. Ten-hundred pearls. I told you it was amazing.

 

 

What's your favourite wedding gown?

Is it on this list?