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My featured photo in the moodboard for spring 2024.

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A history of haute couture

Although all royal and aristocratic households had custom-made clothes, and competed for the creation of fashion trends, the term haute couture is associated retrospectively with fashion designer’s Rose Bertin’s gowns for Queen Marie-Antoinette. The garments were illustrated and printed in fashion magazines, invented the previous century, and were then copied by local dressmakers, therefore creating a faster-paced fashion. However, haute couture as we now know it has appeared only around the late 1850s. 

Charles Fredrick Worth (1825-1895) has helped define this luxury industry, as we currently know it. He was the first to present his new collections one season in advance, to hire models to present his garments, to sell them as either exclusives or copies, as well as introduce a sewn label inside each garment. It is also funny to note that his wife was the first paid model in history,  in the 1850s.

His Paris boutique dressed Empress Eugenie of France and Empress Elisabeth of Austria among others, but his real legacy could be his participation in the creation of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture, a reform from the outdated medieval professional guilds.

The term haute couture comes from “haute” meaning “elevated” or “elegant,” and “couture” translating to “sewing” or “garment making.” In order to qualify to the term, garments must be made to the client’s individual measurements, the atelier must be located in Paris employing at least 15 full-time staff members and at least 20 technical employees, full-time or part-time, and present two yearly collections of at least 50 original designs per season.

Nowadays, the term also refers to similar practices in other fashion capitals of the world.

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Haussmann’s Paris

Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891), was a French official chosen by Emperor Napoleon III to renovate and renew a large portion of central Paris to make it more au goût du jour. 

The first project was to improve the sanitation, water supply and traffic circulation of Paris. As the population of the City of Light had doubled, the improvements included a redivision of the map to include eight more arrondissements, or districts, and new sewers were installed. Two new railway stations, a produce market, a hospital and the Paris opera were built, and four more parks were created. Old buildings have been destroyed to be replaced by a specific style of neoclassical architecture, all the same height and faced with cream-coloured stone, to create a uniform look on Paris boulevards. He has treated buildings not as independent, but as pieces of a unified landscape. This style of architecture became known as the Haussmann style. 

The ground floor is usually by businesses, as is often the mezzanine. The second, third and fourth floor are residential units, and the fifth floor features a single, continuous balcony. The mansard roof, angled at 45° was occupied by lower-income tenants and concierges.

Outside, stone paved carriage entrances that connect to a courtyard were used as entrances by the nobility to enter with their horse-drawn carriages.

The chimneys that were originally used for heating now symbolize the iconic rooftops of Paris in movies. Also note that the tiny balconies offer some of the best views of Paris.

The interiors typically feature herringbone and chevron parquet floors, elaborate plaster moldings, tall windows, built-in wardrobes and bookshelves, marble fireplaces, and French doors. It is  the quintessential Parisian-style apartment.

How to replicate this typical Parisian neoclassical style 

If you ever desire to add a little bit of Haussmannian charm to your own apartment, consider investing in a golden framed mirror. It is usually placed above the marble fireplace, but you could choose a full-length mirror for your dressing area in your bedroom. Also, add golden candlesticks or ceiling lights to match. Most walls are usually white, which can make things a tad easier for renting tenants with restrictions from their owners.

If your budget allows, introduce an ornamented marble fireplace to your living room, as well as elaborate plaster moldings, and warm wood floorings. It gives european flair to the room, and increases the potential value of the property on the real estate market. Match the marble fireplace with a porcelain vase with your favourite flowers for a romantic flair. 

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Two charming ducks are moving ahead on the stream.

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A rather useful bag

Good morning.

It is strange for me to write about this project, because it feels like it was made a century ago… Probably because too many things have happened since then. As I have started crafting clothes, I started accumulating small supplies, and I had no box to store them. Therefore, I have made this bag with the leftovers from the pink scarf (coming soon), and a remnant of pink fabric for the lining; and I got myself a storage bag for my small scissors, stitch holders, etc.

Due to its age and frequent manipulation, the bag is showing signs of use. I have turned it on its better side to take the photos. This said, it was already quickly and poorly made in the first place, and will never look better than a beginner’s attempt at resourcefulness. Yet, there is no shame because this bag has been very useful over the years.

The pattern is A Bag for Knitters by Addie May Bodwell, from Piecework, Mar/Apr 2012, although the original publication was in Home Needlework Magazine, November 1924. Honnestly, I love the fact that the pattern was written in the 1920s, because it has a vintage flair (despite the bright "Barbie" pink yarn I’ve used), and the bag does its job perfectly as the “Container Of All The Small Objects I Use For My Projects”, so I plan to use it for many years. However, I am sure you can make it better than how I have made it back then. I didn't even know how to knit properly, and the stitches are all twisted!

What about you? Do you have a project or item that is less than perfect but very useful? Let me know.

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Here is a preview of my next post: a rather useful bag!

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Raspberry financiers

2/3 cup cake flour ¾ cup brown sugar 100g almond powder 1/3 cup aquafaba ¼ cup hazelnut oil (this is a play on words to veganize “beurre noisette”, you can use regular oil without any difference in flavour, hazelnut oil is a tad bland) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven at 325F.

Line financier cake pan with papers. Keep aside.

In a medium bowl, sift cake flour, then add brown sugar, almond powder, aquafaba, oil, and vanilla extract.

Add the raspberries, and fold gently to mix.

Transfer the batter evenly into the lined pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Clafouti-inspired baked oatmeal

2 cups oat flakes 1 cup almond powder 1 tsp baking powder 2 cups fresh or frozen fruits 2 cups milk 3 tbsp maple syrup 2 tbsp oil Almond slices, for topping

Preheat the oven at 350F.

Lightly oil a baking dish.

Transfer all ingredients into the baking dish, and stir to combine. Top with almond slices.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and baked inside.

2-3 portions

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Spring has finally arrived, and the apple trees are in bloom! 🍵 🌸

Music: https://audiojungle.net/item/emotional-uplifting-cinematic-piano-orchestra/26691354

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Art by 榴莲班

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Some simple jewelry

I have to start this post by admitting that I never owned a lot of jewelry, it just wasn’t a priority given the income I had. I guess that’s why when I started planning the Fall-Winter collections and sketching some accessories, I thought it would be a good idea to have jewelry for these clothes in real life, not only on paper.

Therefore, I went to the craft supply store and found some items to make accessories. The necklaces are simple and colorful, but have the benefit of not being too blingy, meaning I can wear them with all kinds of casual outfits.

The bracelets, on the other hand, were inspired by Pandora bracelets, to which you are supposed to add charms and trinkets that represent your personality and major events in your life. It’s a fun idea; and, from Pandora’s point of view, it’s absolutely brilliant because it could become a long-term relationship with the Pandora brand, as your life will continue to evolve. However, I have made similar ones for a very small fraction of the price. Originally, I intended to make just one bracelet, but it broke at the clasp because the pendants were too heavy (it’s useful to know that). That’s why I have redistributed the weight the trinkets on two bracelets, and I have resolved the problem. Either way, at such a low cost, I can change my mind about the trinkets as often as I want, or even stop wearing them, and never feel any regrets.

Overall, I feel like I have made a good saving!

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Art by Philipp A. Urlich

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😘

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"Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been." - David Bowie

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“The woman you are becoming will cost you people, relationships, spaces, and material things. Choose her over everything.”

— Unknown

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A good raisin bread, home baked. 🍇🍞

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A romantic Victorian blouse with puffed sleeves (New Look 6599)

My Neo-romantic collection could not be complete without something inspired by the Victorian era. Its high standing neckline and puffed elbow length sleeves are inspired by the early 1890s, and it looks even better with a cameo.

The original pattern was New Look 6599, now out of print. It is close to the original pattern; however, after consideration, I would rather have buttons to the neckline to close it better.