I do agree with you Carol, most people would rather spend the least money for something they can wear out than a whole lot for a repro, but the way I see it is that repros are also more disposable unless made by one of a kind materials, because they can just as well be made again. That dress you got was a bargain! People did alter gowns, which is why antebellum gowns are more scare today than bustle gowns, because they cut them up to make bustle gowns later, but those weren't considered rare and antique items then, it would be like if you or I open our closet and say, yeah this skirt from 1995 is really pretty, I love the buttons and material but don't like the cut of it, so I will make a new skirt from it. It's different from saying, this beautiful antique bodice I am being sold seperately from the matching skirt that could be in a museum and 125 years old could make a really funky jacket like this that or the other designer had in the magazine, the one that all my friends liked. The same lady who sells me my antique clothing as I said would rather see them preserved, so she goes out of the way to hold them for me until I can pay them off, sort of like pay as you will indefinite layaway, which is really really generous of her. Atleast someone realizes the connection though, of fashion trends stemming from period movies, I saw a commercial for two models making their own clothing line with insipiration from art nouveau (having trouble spelling today) flowers, and state how they were used in fashion in the 1970s! Not alot of fashion consumers realize the connections of what they are wearing. When the gauzy boho look came around, people didn't realize alot of what that was wasn't just Victorian or Edwardian inspired, but more inspired by the Victorian and Edwardian style lacy and summer whites brought into fashion in the 1970s and early 1980's after things like Little House on the Prairie and Somewhere In Time came out. My mother loved that delicate femminine look, she owned Gunne Sax pieces to which I have inherited her favourite one. She no longer fits into it but it's a gorgeous, incredibly well made dress that really invokes a spirit of Edwardian femminity. The thing second worse to me than altering existing originals that can never be replaced for the sake of being in style is the misrepresentation of the term "Victoriana", usually is consists of an ultra froufrou, lacy, flowery, modern concept of Victorian that really is reminiscent of Edwardian and not Victorian at all.
Justine. _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
