#I too just want to dress like Beau Brummell

[monstercollection]

Me: I’m tired of British history shows/documentaries. I should branch out.

Me seeing PBS has a new Lucy Worsley series: fuck

[pynkhues]

I love this art so much, it has a special place in my mind along with all TVL fits. do you think Lestat used to dress up for Louis like this before Claudia? 👀

https://www.tumblr.com/artgroves/762199491171467264?source=share

I love that sooooo much, anon! That art deco style just suits the show so well, and as someone with numerous monsteras, I love that they feature so prominently (especially given the fact that the plant name literally translates to monstrous too!)

And ah! Y'know, I'm always kind of in two minds about whether or not Louis is into Lestat in drag? It features so much in fic (and I often enjoy it in fic!) but we don't get a reaction shot from Louis when Lestat was in his King of Mardi Gras / Marie Antoinette costume, and it feels a little loaded to me that even when they have their first and last dance that night, Lestat's back in menswear.

I tie that a little to fashion of the era? I just tagged it on another post, but I was listening to the Behind the Bastards episodes on Beau Brummell recently who's partially responsible for transitioning men out of the flamboyance of 17/1800s dandy fashion and into what's effectively the modern suit, and it kind of made me think of that transition point in 1.01 when Louis - who's extremely stylish - literally pulls Lestat's wardrobe from said dandy fashion to modern, and notably masculine suits, even if Lestat keeps the cinched/practically corsetted waist, as Carol's mentioned in costuming Lestat. It kind of goes hand-in-hand to me with Louis wanting to dress Claudia too in very girlish, doll-like looks - - like there's this sense of convention, modern fashion and trend for him?

I can see that tying into a lot of his own sensibilities in general (and again, one day I'll write my Louis-is-probably-a-misogynist post, haha), but I also think Louis as a gay man might be a bit more into masculinity generally when it comes to intimate partners?

I don't know! It's something I've been thinking about a bit recently for fic related reasons myself, haha,

[pimpmizziriam]

I see you have miche Victorian fashion history infodump material? I would love to hear your 60 minute unprepared lecture

So i said victorian era, but like, this starts with marie antoinette, and the background for it goes back even farther, and then my examples extended into the mid edwardian era, so.

I’ve always loved fashion history, and started doing victorian reenactment in high school, so ofc i've read way too much about victorian fashion. These are my only qualifications, if an actual fashion historian finds things to correct, please do!

Tl;dr first. We can’t blame beau brummel for mens fashion being so boring, he was a sign of things to come, but he wasn’t why it happened. Instead we can blame sexism and industrialization!

So we actually have to start farther back than the victorian era. For most of european history post like, uhhhhhhh, dark ages ish? Basicly, back to when christianity really got going in europe and stopped having to deal with so many herecies. But only very quickly.

So the bible has some passages about women being chaste, and meek, and keepers at home and like, not having outer adornment, and there was this idea that a woman’s top priorities should be her children, running her household, and pleasing/taking care of her husband. NOT being fashionable (ofc she had to be pretty and fashionable enough to keep her husband happy, but that was it) so we see much simpler (at least on the surface) fashions for women. 

(source)

(source)

These are husbands and wives in the 1600s, and the womens clothing has less lace (ignoring the ruff, which everyone had) tends to be in colors that are easier to keep (dark reds, browns, blue) and even the pulled up gown is meant to be reminiscent of a working woman, or to suggest that this wife could, in fact, actually be involved in the practical parts of household up keep and child rearing. The men on the other hand, could definitely not work in all that finery. Natural black dies are famously unstable, the pleating, gathering, voluminous pantaloons, and abundance of lace collars and cuffs rendering his clothing utterly impractical (i love the man on the far rights sash belt that's just like, not doing anything), in addition to the wigs that were in fashion. Even the hair is more toned down on the women, styled into buns under caps, or loose curls, things that don’t take heavy ornamentation, and once again, at least look low maintenance. 

Now women's fashions had moments. Particularly courtesans, which set the trends for womens fashions, but they were also improper, and so no “good” woman would want to dress like one. Until we get to the rococo period. I suspect the official mistresses of the king, madam de pompadour and the like, actually started the shift, but they walked so marie antoinette could run. She was hated, for being foreign, for spending too much money, but also for her fashion choices. A woman with hair a foot tall and such delicate painted silk dresses couldn’t even pretend to be doing work as a mother and lady of the house. She wore more jewelry too, and even her famous chemise a la rein, which looks to us very toned down and practical, was a fashion statement about her life of leisure. No one could actually work in a floofy dress of layers of thin muslin, not if she wanted it to last more than five minutes. 

(obviously marie atoinette is not single handedly responsible for this shift, but she's kind of the most famous example of it, and probably did influence it quite a bit)

And so this queen, this woman who is supposed to model womanhood for her countrywoman, is more interested in fashion than running her household(/country)! The scandal! But also, if women can do fashion, then what are men supposed to do?

Well that question went unanswered for a while, while france had... 3? 4? Revolutions and the regency happened and women’s dresses are still completely impractical, especially the really narrow empire waisted ones, but we have this grecian ideal. And actually at this point mens fashion is still fairly colorful. There are some portraits with lovely butter yellow breeches and pants, green jackets over bright yellow vests and grey breeches or trousers. and there was a style of men’s breeches that where so tight it uhhhhhh. Well you remember that picture of a man in too tight skinny jeans? That. but like, men wore special under clothes to keep things from being that visible. (pinsent tailoring has a video about these and similar breeches and trousers) Still, no one could actually move or work in them. They where frequently made of kid, which is a very soft leather.

I may have thought about these breeches a lot. partly cause this style came back later.

Anyways.

Beau brummel revolutionized cravat wearing, and gave men another avenue of fashion, besides elegantly and ornately dressed man-about-court. But they deserved it, and its more fashion. Not less.

And then, end of the georgian era/being of the victorian era, we get the romantic fashions (~1830s/40s). And manmade dies. And machine woven textiles. And calico! And men seeing how many types of plaid they can fit into one outfit. Its great. Outerwear has always been toned down, and now men get these delightful smoking jacket/duster/robe things that are just, luxurious, colorful, brocade things. And fun little hats. And women get to play with bonnets and elaborate updos and poofy sleeves and skirts and. Just like, so many stripes and plaids. 

This is also a good point to bring up that, at this point, and for all of history before it, all clothing was cut and stitched by hand. It might be made in a big workshop, but it was designed, cut, and tailored for you. By a dressmaker or a tailor or your mother or a servant. Off the rack clothes didn’t exist. If you were poor, you got second hand clothing and then had it tailored or tailored it yourself, or repurposed old clothing. Or you were too poor to get it tailored and made do with close enough.

Handmade clothing was actually still common up through the middle of the 20th century, especially for special occasion wear, or during hard times. But it being THE option, is about to change.

The first ever ready made clothing factory opened in 1831 in New york, but it wouldn’t take off for another 50 years. Particularly for women in their corsets, you needed to have a properly tailored dress, and so ready made just wasn’t practical. At the point you got it all tailored right, you might as well have bought the fabric and shown the picture of the dress to the dress maker. Ready made was firmly for those too poor to afford a dressmaker or tailor.

In the 1860s mens clothing really tones down. We still have interesting patterns on vests and cravats, but coats and pants increasingly only appear in neutrals, earth tones, and the like, tho they do mix these, the idea of a three piece suit in all the same color isn't here yet.

And then women’s fashion really goes crazy. We go from round skirts to ellipticals to bustles in the course of 20 years. And then there’s the brief natural form era, the second bustle period, and then a return to round skirts, and then the Edwardian era. Hairstyles change more frequently, tho they tend to pile high when there are bustles and narrow skirts, and to sit lower with hoop skirts, or the edwardian bell skirts (think gibson girls). Sleeves go from big open pagodas to tight, 3/4th length sleeves with frilly little cuffs to big poofy shoulders again.

And men, just get closer and closer to the modern suit. Part of this also has to do with the rise of office work, clerk jobs, and the middle class. At this point, secretarial duties are still the providence of men, since women aren’t supposed to go to college and work (tho women are increasingly seeking higher education, especially in the upper classes). And for this work, you need to be able to look presentable and formal on a low budget. Enter ready made mens clothing, started 50 years ago, and in particular the celluloid and paper collars and cuffs. Now, it is easier to look good in ready-made clothing if its a little blocky, or, in the case of vests, if you have tabs to adjust it. And its easier to sell if it comes in a variety of popular and easy to wear colors, like gray, brown, tan, black, navy, etc. And these are easier to coordinate if you don't try to mix and match the pieces from different sets. This, combined with the changes in men's neckwear styles, has us with bowties and a cravat that resembles our modern neckties, save a few details.

And oh look, I just described a modern suit set.

(shoes had been mass produced in standardized sizes for hundreds of years at this point, that’s a different subject and i can’t rant about it as much)

And of course, these new middle class office worker men are too serious and business minded to engage in as frivolous a pursuit as fashion. That’s the realm of women! Along with child rearing, household management, looking pretty, cooking, cleaning, uhhhhhhhh.

(source)

Also can you imagine trying to actually work in these narrow skirts? We’ve come full circle fashion wise, with women’s fashions now being obviously impractical, and mens clothing at least looking like its practical clothing he could do any work in (especially as bare shirt sleeves are now societally acceptable (this is another short rant)).

There was a brief moment of women having a similarly uniform fashion to the men’s suit in the early 1900s, as shown here, but then womens fashions moved on.

so this is my rant on fashion history, and why i'm really glad men are starting to wear colorful suits again.

[lumiereswig]

What is life like for everyone fifty years in the future?

ooh ahh they would be living through the late Regency by then, right?? which is full of amaaaazing possibilities like

adam roasting belle for her crush on byron ( “he’s too young for you” “i didn’t say i wanted to marry him you old bear i said i wanted to snog him. they’re very different things”)

cogsworth having an on-again-off-again relationship with napoleon

lumiere loathing napoleon with all his being but not being able to say one (1) fact about him ( “it’s just the v i b e s” )

plumette looking fuckin gorgeous in an empire style dress, can you imagine, i just fainted a little bit thinking about it

yes cogsworth is over a hundred in this canon. no you cannot do anything about it

oh wow chip would be a person, like he’d be a grown man, that’s a lot to think about. actually that’s too much to think about moving on

(((((but yes he’s married and has five children and he and his husband are very happy, thanks, chip is the maitre’domo after forcibly retiring lumiere and cogsworth, this does nothing to stop them though so it’s really a three-man circus between them))))

i feel like garderobe and cadenza would be all over the romantic/gothic music scene and would be like. vogueing with beethoven or some shit

there was a lot of atrocious colonization during this era btw. i would like to think belle and adam would be fighting for the rights of indigenous societies as France douche-canoed its way through the world

lumiere would get in a fist fight with beau brummel

lumiere would have a romantic affair with beau brummel

mrs potts would go on a jane austen bender and nobody would be able to talk to her for a week

adam finally sits his ass down and reads byron and then immediately understands what tf belle was talking about

(but he still thinks mary shelley is better)

[blackhyena]

Quarantine Survey 😷👽💌🐛🦋

Thank you @bironism !! I hope you’re holding up okay darling!!!

~Where are you isolated? (Country or city too if you like)

At home with my parents! Luckily we all get on pretty well and tbh in a time of crisis they probably are the best company. Plus, there’s cats, and a nice big garden, so those are definitely a massive plus!!!

~What are you currently reading or watching?

I’m trying to get through Queer Eye rn but it’s become a little repetitive so I’m giving it a rest. I’m reading some Alisdair Gray, which is so alien to me in terms of style but my work friend reccomended it and i’m actually really impressed, it’s one of the most intriguing novel formats i’ve ever seen! I’m also reading Dante’s Divine Comedy because I want to write something partially based on it. 

~If you can go outside, what do you like to do during this time?

Oh I love reading outside, and I’ve been helping mum pot some little seedlings that are just now starting to sprout. My dad’s got a camera inside a nesting box too so we can see the birds start to set up for when they have babies!

~Any fascinating concept you’re studying?

More PhD stuff! I’m starting a new chapter all about Liverpool and LUCKILY most of the material is available remotely. I’ve been reading the poetry of Felicia Hemans, William Roscoe and Edward Rushton - all of them are really interesting, particularly Rushton. He and Roscoe are abolitionist poets, and Rushton travelled to the West Indies and contracted an eye infection on the way there that partially blinded him, and was not cured for decades until after he had married and had children!

~What kinds of acts of creativity/forms of art are you currently doing?

SO, I’m doing a poem every day this month and god that is so difficult lmao, particularly when I don’t have a lot of different stimuli at the moment. I’m posting them on my instagram story, and it definitely helps me keep up a hobby I often feel I lack the focus and time to really work on usually! Plus I’m trying to design a series of dresses from different decades of history and that’s really fun. 

~A song/s that resonates with your state of mind at the moment?

Probably Cyber Stockholm Syndrome by Rina Sawayama.... i do feel like im depending so much on internet interactions for my sanity rn

~Favourite impulsive/’bad’ coping techniques?

Uh, sleeping in really late and just not getting off the same sofa for the entire day? Having an insane amount of screentime? Getting loads of tinder matches I can’t meet and not bothering to message them? Take your pick!

I tag @beau--brummell, @wampiry, @goblinmarquess, @percvshelley, @ceolfriths and @halfsavages!!!!! i love you guys i hope you’re all okay!!!!

[nomanwalksalone]

HOW TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENT

by David Isle

The famed dandy Beau Brummell is supposed to have said that “if John Bull turns around to look at you, you are not well dressed.” Presumably this judgment holds even if the good Mr. Bull is turning around to say, “nice fit.” To have your clothing complimented is to have it noticed, which men, even men who care about their clothing, often try to avoid.

Men therefore often have fraught reactions to the compliments they receive.

The most common reaction to a compliment is the “this old thing?” routine, which can make the compliment-giver feel silly for having thought that some threadbare rag was a special jewel. Just as bad, the complimentee looks silly for disavowing his clothes even though it’s clear to anyone looking that he has taken care in selecting them.

The even more disastrous reaction is to answer not wisely, but too well. It goes something like this:

“Nice suit.”

“Actually it’s an odd jacket and trouser combination. A suit is composed of coat and trousers in the same fabric. Today, a mismatched outfit is thought to be less formal than a suit, but it was not always so. A century ago, the most formal daytime outfit was morning dress, which featured an unmatched coat and trousers. Our modern suit began as an informal alternative.”

“Oh….umm…ok. So…did you want fries with that?”

Nobody wants to be that guy. But in the heat of those rare moments when some hawk-eyed observer recognizes your subtlety of taste and mastery of detail, it can be difficult to find the right words whose charisma rises to the level of your outfit.

You can always practice at home. Jazz legend Art Pepper confessed in his memoirs that he would often look at himself in a full-length mirror and say, “oh, you handsome devil!” Although in this case the compliment was not directed at his clothes, since, again according to his telling, he performed this soliloquy in the nude.

But really there’s no need to make things complicated. “Thanks, I like it too” and a smile is all the response you need. It’s simple, unpretentious, and makes everyone involved feel good. Just like the best clothes.

Quality content, like quality clothing, ages well. This article first appeared on the No Man blog in December 2016.

[cranberrybogmummy]

More Afflicted’s gift

She went back to the funeral, feeling empty, lost and sad, not just for her sister, but for the loss of a friend and lover.

Hypatia spent a fortnight getting ready for her trip to Fordsley, her clothes, toiletries and sundries where packed, but she was trouble deciding which grimoires to pack. There were mother’s women’s magic spells  and rituals of protection, healing,  encryption, nature, warp and weft, soothing and mending: women’s magic. There were her father’s offensive spells, spells of flight, and  transformation men’s magic. There were also grimoires for those rituals, spells and invocations that fell in between and things she knew already that had not been set down. Hypatia was wondering what she should do, she could feel Dolly nearby running her fingers over the spines of the books. Despite not having a voice, and not being able to dress herself, Dolly could read, write and use hand signals to communicate in life. Much like their famous Ancestress Catherine the mute… though they were descended from her youngest son’s youngest son…

Hypatia’s mind wandered, until Betty came in bearing a neatly folded note.

“I’m busy,” Hypatia said attempting to  get back to the problem in hand.

“Patti, it’s form Lady Stedwell, she wishes you to call on her,” Betty said.

“Then I’m doubly so, I don’t wish to see that wretched woman or husband,” Hypatia grumbled.

Betty sighed: “Ms. Patti, I think you have too, for form’s sake.”

“Why in the name of Mother Night, do I have to that? She has rained misfortune on me and my family.” Hypatia said making a hand gesture to dismiss her housekeeper.

“I understand, but it’s thing that has to be done, think of Mr. Tallyworth, think of your father.” Betty sighed. “You have to keep on good terms with these people.”

Hypatia bit her lip and clenched her fist. “FINE! I WILL,BUT THIS WHOLE THING IS NONSENSE!” She stomped her foot.

Betsy tsked, and got her cup of tea to calm Hypatia. Hypatia drank it and dressed. She wore black, to show that was mourning Dolly, and  added to that  she best bonnet which she conspicuously trimmed with black. After she had dressed, she set her face in a hard expression and left the sky outside was blanketed in light grey clouds, but through them the sun hung in the sky like a silver coin. But she could feel Dolly with her, walking along beside her.  The familiar roads of the town seemed muddier, and she loathed setting foot on the well tread path to Stedwell Hall, where as children, She, Dolly and Fitz had spent many happy hours playing. Their parents had been friends, but both sets of parents were now dead. Ftiz’s elder brother James had inherited the title and even as a child, he’d never been exactly a friend. Once Dolly had discovered a spell that turned the three friends into rabbits or mostly rabbits and they had spent a summer twilight frolicking in a raspberry bush and eating the berries. James, who hadn’t been able to play such games, found her, Dolly and Fitz in this half transformed state, and run away eyes wide with horror. Of course by the time he brought the Nanny, they’d all become fully human again, even though they were all punished for the rips and tears to their clothes.  She smiled and giggled a little at the memory. She whispered it to Dolly, who nuzzled her shoulder affectionately.

As she  grew closer to the gate of Stedwell hall she felt Dolly getting fainter and fainter. Hypatia clutched at the lock of hair tied off with a ribbon but soon there was nothing, as if Dolly had stopped halfway down the path. The gate was never closed, Hypatia took a breath and went through them. Stedwell Hall was a respectable manse made of  light brown stone, it was four stories and enormous, but to Hypatia it was as familiar as well worn slipper. A footman answered the door for her, he did not speak but took her cloak. The footman, Charles who she knew form the village, didn’t so much as glance at her or say word, it was for the best as she felt anger inside of her like hot coals in her belly. Any word form Charles and she would unleash it. Hypatia knew that speaking ill, to the Stedwells’ or their servants would cost her.  Charles lead her to the small drawing room, which was decorated in newer style of white, gold, and light blue. In one of the light blue chairs sat James Tallyworth, Lord Stedwell. He had the same blue eyes as Fitzarthur, but he was shorter, stockier and his hair was a light brown. He was in day outfit, of browns and reds nothing special but the fabrics and cut indicted it would be far more than she could afford. He looked over to her and said in tone of mawkish pity:

“Ms. Long, I am so very sorry that we meet again under these circumstances.”

Hypatia looked away from him, she had been taught better but she could see the familiar lines of that FACE and say anything that would not come off as rude or angry.  

“Are you?” She ventured, looking over and  behind  him to a portrait on the wall of his grandfather, maybe his great grandfather, she didn’t know but it was dead ancestor with a ruff and a beard.

“Yes, it couldn’t be helped, you understand Dolores— your sister, hurt those men, and could have killed them,” He continued. “It was my fault, I knew she could do magic and she was feeble minded—”

Hypatia realized she must have been scowling, when she saw him pause in his speech. She worked very hard to keep her tone even. “…yes?”

“—well not feebleminded, dumb?” He hazarded. “Anyhow, you understand I couldn’t look the other way this time, in this case. I’m the magistrate of this village and I had to act. It isn’t fair the creator gave the gift of magic to the afflicted, those who are eccentric, mad, dumb and feeble-minded.”

Hypatia looked down and clenched her fists, she could feel a charge building inside of her, but she had to keep civil, keep calm, she breathed deeply and thought of Mother night, thought of her parents.

That’s when Lady Stedwell came in, Winnifred Stedwell was a woman of three and twenty, her auburn hair, peeking out from under a lace bonnet, her eyes were small, bugling and close set, her nose long and pointed, her top lip was to thin and bottom one wide and thin. She had long reedy neck like a  heron. But worse of all she always looked so impeccably smug and superior. Maybe it was her title, maybe it was the fine clothes she wore and maybe it was because she was nearly six months pregnant.

She grinned like a weasel when she saw Hypatia:

“Oh Ms. Long, it is SO nice to see you! La, tis so BRAVE of you to wear that!”

“How so? I’m mourning my sister,” Hypatia asked half earnestly the charge was still building.

“Hmmm, well one does have to follow convention doesn’t one?” Said Lady Stedwell in an evil tone.

“But I loved my sister,” Hypatia said trying to keep the harshness out of her voice.

“Considering how she died, it might be seen as indelicate,” Lady Stedwell added. “And I can’t see how one would get suitors looking like a black clad beldamn?”

“Suitors?” Hypatia was surprised by this. “Whatever do you mean, I’m not looking for suitors.”

“Considering your situation you should be dear,” Lady Stedwell added with a smirk. “I know you placed some hope in my brother-in-law but he is at Fordsley  now surrounded by the most accomplished of sorceress.Perhaps it would be wise to look elsewhere, I mean you don’t want to be a spinster living on a meager allowance, do you?”

Hypatia felt something in her deflate, yes she had placed hope in Fitz and Lady Stedwell was probably right, then she recalled the letter Fitz had given her.

“Tis a good thing then, Lady Stedwell that I too am going to Fordsley,” She said with grin. “I got a letter this very week securing me a place. There are many fine sorcerers  there, I am told, and well, Mr. Tallyworth.”

Lady Stedwell’s complacent smirk left her face and her brow furrowed in distress. “Ah, really? Good for you, Ms. Long… Say, James isn’t that lovely?”

Lord Stedwell looked up with the same expression. “Yes, Winifred it is. “

They drank some tea and ate biscuits after that in in silence for the most part, Hypatia continued to smile to herself right out of the door of Stedwell hall. On the way home with Dolly at her side, holding her hand she’d come to decision about what grimoires to take, all of them because magic had no sex.

@beau--brummell

[britneyshakespeare]

tagged by the dearest @aliceic (edit: and @down-among-the-dead-men) thank ya dolls so much

1. What’s your favourite piece of clothing you owned?

Hmm. I don’t know. I like all of my sweaters! And I like jeggings a lot too. They’re cheap and I have a multiple pairs that look essentially the same but, they’re just so go-to. I also have this t-shirt from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland I got when I was 16 and my brother graduated from a college just outside of that area. It says “Don’t Fret: Guitar Repair Shop/Cleveland, Ohio” and it has this wonderful little design. It’s one of the only graphic shirts I have where ALL of the colors complement me. It’s a good shirt. I’ve looked for it online but have never been able to find it! I can’t even find a guitar repair shop called Don’t Fret in the Cleveland area. So on top of that, it’s a mystery too!

2. What hobby would you get into if time wasn’t an issue?

Play-writing. God, would I be a playwright. I also would love to be an actress, but when I was an actress, that was a pretty destructive time for me and I definitely think what I was doing in my free time had a lot to do with it. But there’s so much I wanna do with writing plays. But I have no one who would support me in that! No one to put on my plays. Sigh.

3. What would your perfect room look like?

Oh, pish posh. I don’t want a room, I want a private library with a bed in it.

4. Who’s your go-to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?

The Beatles, I’m allowed to be a little basic

5. What city would you most like to live in?

The Heavens!

6. Last thing you purchased?

Can’t remember. Something frivolous, or something made of chocolate.

7. Dream Job?

Actress/poetess/playwright/teacher :^)

This or That Questions

1. solids // patterns

2. sneakers // booties (i got no dog in this race)

3. handbags // shoes

4. flower-print dresses // classic blue jeans 

5. champagne // tea

6. denim jackets // leather jacket (not that i ever wear either)

7. 60s // 70s

I’ll tag @ulitki @somdomite @mlmneilperry @beatlesgirlfab @thatstupidgirlshow and @beau--brummell if any of them wanna do it

[seeroftodayandtomorrow]

A Musical Affair

Chapter 2

Read on AO3

“You have to go,” Grandmama said after taking a critical look at the card. “Lady Rachel St. James isn't quite the thing, of course, but she is influential enough we can't afford to offend her.” She gave back the card, then added under her breath, “Or anyone, really.”

Blaine was glad. He had wanted to go; at the very least, Rachel hadn't seemed to judge him on anything else than his musical taste, and hadn't seemed too curious about him. Maybe it was just that she was really self-involved; if so, he should take care to surround himself with self-involved people.

Truth be told, he was lonely. He missed the company of his friends—if they could be called such, since none of them had written or called on him since he left school. But he missed other young people, or other people in general that were not his mother or grandmother. Maybe he should go back to school after all. Even if it was not Cambridge, but something more suited to his present lifestyle. He would make new friends, who had never known him as the son and heir of the Earl of Dalton. And after graduating, maybe he could become a barrister. It was a gentleman's position and would perhaps appease his mother, who had yet to come to terms with the fact that her son might actually have to make a living.

It wouldn't be so bad. Would it?

He'd be...one of many. He wouldn't be noticed. Beau Brummel had said that to be truly elegant, one must strive to go unnoticed. Well, Blaine would be as elegant as one could be.

Still, for this occasion, he chose a waistcoat that was a little more out there than what he usually wore, and felt a little more like himself as a consequence. His grandmother straightened his cravat as he was about to leave, giving him an appraising look.

“You never know who might be there,” she said with a wink, and he knew she meant eligible young ladies. He had no ambitions in that direction; his only goal, for now, was to enjoy himself and maybe make a few friends.

There were, actually, more than a few young ladies sitting in Lady St. James’s morning parlor, and the picture before him was as diverse as London itself. A young black lady was talking to the hostess, and another with similar facial features to his grandmother was sitting at the piano. He instantly felt at home; although his grandmother was in manners and habits as English as could be and Blaine had inherited little of her features, he had been made to feel he was different for his whole life.

He was given a few uneasy or curious looks after introductions had been made, but nothing out of the ordinary, although a blonde girl by name of Miss Pierce asked him at every given opportunity how he felt now he was not an earl anymore. At first it had been interesting to him since no one had ever taken his feelings into account in this whole affair, but after a while, it became unsettling.

Fortunately, the opportunities presented were not many, as the morning was mostly spent singing. Everyone had a good voice, some even equaling Rachel's, with the exception of maybe a quirky young person with the unconventional name of Sugar. He felt unkind thinking this, but at least, he did not seem alone in that opinion, even though Sugar herself seemed to hold her own talent in higher esteem than it deserved.

Sir Jesse St. James was not present, but a few other gentlemen were, and the duets sung often seemed to hold a similar air of expectation as they did in a more public setting. A few duets sung, like a few dances danced together, seemed to be courtship and promise, be it only for a day or so. It was, Blaine thought, something he did not wish to participate in, and for once was happy that, in this society as well as everywhere else, he did not count as eligible anymore. He varied his duet partners and sang more often with Lady Rachel than with anyone else, as she was already married. After a few times, however, Lady Rachel stopped him.

“My husband is the musically jealous sort,” she said, smiling. “I have to take care not to sing with another more often than I sing with him, or there will be trouble. He would be here today, were it not for business, but you will meet him another time.”

Blaine smiled as he imagined the reaction grandmama would have at the mention of “business”, but he was glad at the implied invitation. “Gladly,” he replied, and it wasn't a polite lie. He had heard a lot about Sir Jesse, and while there was no great scandal anywhere, he seemed an unconventional gentleman who did not give too much importance to societal rules.

After an hour or so, he took his leave, thinking it best not to overstay his welcome on his first visit. He received the hoped for invitation for next week, and as he was already taking his coat from the footman, the lady hurried after him.

“I almost forgot,” she said. “I need you to accompany me tomorrow evening, if you're not otherwise engaged. It will be the most delightful evening, but St. James doesn't care for these things. He doesn't mind me going, though, but I can hardly go by myself.”

“I'm at your service,” Blaine said because there was no other option and also because he had a feeling that maybe Rachel's idea of a delightful evening would better match his own than, say, his mother's. “Where are we going?”

“I'll tell you on the way. Just come pick me up after dinner, and don't wear evening clothes.”

He all but snuck out of the house the next evening, only telling grandmama he had an engagement with Lady St. James. She didn't seem to know if she should be pleased about him apparently having earned the lady's esteem, but she nodded, not even asking what kind of engagement it was. He crept back up the stairs to change out of his evening clothes after dinner, and then went on foot to Lady St. James house rather than take his grandmama's equipage and risk the coachman reporting back to her.

The lady was dressed simply as well, which rather suited her, and in her carriage, she finally filled him in on where they were going.

“A friend of my father's...well. He's not exactly what you would call a respectable man. He's an actor, or at least, he wanted to be. But no theater would have him, and so, he now has an...unlicensed theater club, if you will. He gathers all kinds of talented people and hosts performances in this little assembly hall, and it's always really special. Sometimes I sing there as well, though then I go masked.”

“That sounds interesting,” Blaine said politely. He wasn't at all sure it was the kind of event he should be visiting, and he was especially glad his grandmother didn't know where he was going. It didn't sound like the sort of respectable evening she would like him to have.

“I especially want you to meet a friend of mine,” Lady St. James continued. “Now, you must see, these are all people I knew before my marriage, and so they are not of the ton. You would meet none of them at one of Lady Susan's soirées or at a ball. My friend is a wonderful singer, and a wonderful person.”

“I'm sure he is.” Blaine leaned back into the seat of the carriage. Whatever might happen, he was in for an...unusual evening.

The part of town the carriage finally stopped in was not one Blaine had visited often before. It was not exactly poor—the houses were small, but well-kept, and there were some very fine shops—but Blaine was still glad he was wearing tweeds. His usual evening garb would have screamed “Rob me!” to anyone who saw him.

They entered a building that was just this side of run down—Blaine suspected the darkness and dim light of the street lamps made the house look better than it would in the harsher light of day. Some efforts had been made to give everything a festive air: there were fresh flowers in vases on the stairs of the front entrance, everything was spotlessly clean and freshly scrubbed with some sort of scented oil.

It was, Rachel explained, a little-used assembly hall, as people in this part of town rarely visited balls or parties. Its main use this days was for political assemblies and, increasingly, for the little performances Mr. Schuester's group was staging.

They sat down in the seats arranged in front of a small stage. Blaine made himself comfortable, expecting a strange but certainly enjoyable evening.

There were a lot of talented performers. Most sang, but a few danced, and Lady St. James whispered each performer's name to him before their performance. He had not expected to remember them, but he forgot all of them as soon as, in the second half of the evening, a young man appeared on stage.

He was pale, with brown hair in an upswept Brutus hairstyle that suited him better than any other man Blaine had ever seen, with the exception of, maybe, Beau Brummel himself. His black suit was simple but impeccably cut, and when he started to sing, his voice was nothing but angelic.

Blaine felt himself start to sweat. He was uncomfortable aware of it, seemed to feel drops and then a steady trickle of sweat running down his back. He wiped his shaking hands on his trousers, then took out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. His dismay increased when Lady St. James touched his arm, whispering, “This is my dear friend, Kurt Hummel. I'll introduce you later.”

Introduce! He was to know this man! He'd have fled if he could, but he knew there was no way to escape the introduction without looking like a fool. He'd just have to take care not to make himself look like a fool when he stood before him. Kurt. He feared he would blush and stutter and make a bad impression. Why did Rachel's friend have to be this Mr. Hummel? Why not anyone of the other performers?

He leaned back and tried to focus on the song, but it was no use: beautiful as it was, Kurt was more beautiful, and his voice only increased his attraction. Blaine would have to employ a lot of deception in the next few weeks to be his usual cheerful, serene self at home.

When Kurt finished his song and an encore, Blaine clapped so hard his palms hurt. He couldn't help himself; even when Lady St. James turned to him with a big smile and people in the row before them turned to see who was applauding so enthusiastically, he didn't stop.

Only when Kurt rose from his bow and seemed to look directly at him with a pleased and somewhat confused smile, Blaine let his hands sink. He was embarrassed, but Rachel seemed pleased.

“He is amazing, isn't he?” she said, and Blaine could only nod, feeling warmth and color creep onto his cheeks.

For the rest of the performance, he tried to control his emotions. At the very least, he had to manage to not show them on the outside. When it was over, he applauded with the rest of the audience, not showing any special appreciation even when Kurt returned to take his bow with the others. His knees shook a little when he rose, but he correctly offered Rachel his arm when they made their way through the leaving audience towards the back of the stage.

Still, he had a feeling that meeting Mr. Hummel, even shaking his hands, and not showing anything of what he felt would be very difficult.

[robealafrancaise]

I was tagged by @gloom-filled-dreamer. Thank you so much!

1)  Do you collect memories or objects?

I like the idea of collecting memories, but my memory tends to be rather poor. I definitely collect objects, though, especially dolls.

2)  Where do you feel at home?

I feel at home in my apartment. I spent a week at my parent’s house for a family reunion, and I was so ready to get back to my own space. I think home can be more than a physical place, though. I felt at home in Oxford after I settled in, but I don’t know that it’d feel like coming home if I went back because the people I shared that feeling with wouldn’t be there. North Carolina pulled pork barbecue with Brunswick stew, cole slaw, and hush puppies feels like home, too, which is unfortunate because my parents moved away from NC so I don’t get to eat it anymore.

3)  Describe your favourite outfit

This is an old picture but that’s my favorite shirt. the bottoms differ but I love to wear skirts Alternatively, I have this really great ankle length maroon dress that’s just really simple with long sleeves and I love it.

4)  If you could be anywhere in the world, doing anything you want right now, what would you choose?

You have given me too many options! Right now it’s 8:20 on a lazy evening so I don’t feel up to much. Maybe hanging with friends like @moderndaybard and @luthientheasexualdragon that I don’t really get to see anymore? Somewhere other than my apartment though bc I need to tidy up this place

5)  What is your favourite way to travel?

My favorite way to travel is travelling by way of hitting as many historical sites/museums as possible.

6)  What is your favourite historical era?

18th/19th century

7)  Choose four colours that represent you

Green; Maroon; Black; Red. These were chosen by the highly scientific method of them representing most of the contents of my closet.

8)  Are you more melancholic or cheerful?

Haven’t really thought about it? I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily a naturally melancholic person but I’ve tended that way to some extent recently? Is there some sort of metric for this?

9)  What is your most treasured material possession?

This was a really thought provoking question. I have a lot of material things that I value, but as far as sentiment goes, I think my stuffed rabbits (snowflake and autumn) are my most treasured. @get0utmeswamp gave them to me in third and fourth grade, and I’ve been emotionally attached to them ever since. They aren’t really relevant to my life today, but it’d be impossible to replace them.

10)  What is your favourite mythical creature/cryptid?

My gut reaction is mermaid

11)  If you had the chance to dissapear and start a new life far away, where no one knows you, would you take it?

No. I enjoy the anonymity of the internet, but I’m not a competent enough adult to not be able to text my mom random questions like “how do you make green bean casserole” at 11 o’clock pm.

New Questions: 1. If you could live in the world of a TV show or movie, which one would you pick and why? 2. If you like to cook, do you have a signature dish? 3. What is your favorite pair of shoes? 4. What is your go-to radio station? 5. What is your favorite childhood memory? 6. Tea or Coffee? 7. Which time period’s aesthetic would you steal? 8. What’s your cell phone background? 9. Favorite holiday? 10. Do you like silent films? 11. What fictional character do you relate to?

tagging @get0utmeswamp @luthientheasexualdragon @moderndaybard (bc i already mentioned y’all) @beau--brummell @thiswaycomessomethingwicked @hamlets-last-words @meripihka7 @alrightlittleastronaut @mothlightfilm @comepraisetheinfanta @oh-mr-adams

No pressure!

[rolypolydandy]

Historical meme thing

Tagged by @rockorococo

1. Who's your historical person? George, of House Hanover, Fourth of his Name, Prince of Whales, Commander of the Tenth Light Dragoons, King of the Dandies and the Alcoholics, Breaker of Pie Crusts, Owner of Dragon Chandeliers 2. What is it about them that draws you to them like a magnet? Mostly just how unnecessarily dramatic and theatrical literally every aspect of his life was, like he couldn't just do anything properly, everything had to be some ridiculous ordeal. I appreciate that kind of 💯 lifestyle. 3. Favourite thing about them? How Extra his taste in basically everything was - clothes, jewellery, decor, architecture, food, pets, you name it. But he was really chill hanging out with servants and soldiers and all sorts of people too, and he was a pretty cool big brother 4. Least favourite thing about them? The way he kept ditching Maria and then wanting to get back with her and the way he let Lady Jersey walk all over him, and how stupidly OTT his hatred of Caroline was, like sort your life out mate 5. If you could fix one thing for them? Probably make it so G3 was cool with him being an Extra Hot Mess and stopped intentionally ignoring his birthdays and stuff 6. If you could change their history, would you? If so, what? Obviously Princess Charlotte would outlive him and become Queen rather than dying just as he started to get the hang of the whole dad thing, and Freddie would live longer too 7. First thing you would say to them? Pub? 8. Bring them to 2017 with you... what does that look like? Oh my god ok on the one hand he would LOVE IT, youtube make up tutorials, rainbow highlighter, selfies, instagram, emojis, supercars, Vegas, fashion shows, Game of Thrones, Great British Bake Off, cocktails with sparklers, glowsticks, class A drugs. I mean his reputation would be even more rekt than it was in his own time but he would absolutely own it. On the other hand I think he'd be appalled by our dress sense and all the ugly architecture. 9. What WOULDN'T you tell them about the future? That he's always portrayed as either a bad guy or a moron, and always with the absolute worst 'fat suit' costumes imaginable. 10. Favourite story about them. Most of them have already been covered so I'll try not to repeat any but these are a few: The time he tried to teach Charlotte how to do a Highland Fling and sprained his ankle. The time he was round some dude's house and started hardcore flirting with his wife, the dude got mad and chased Prin out of his house, Prin tried to escape by climbing the wall in the back garden and fell off the other side into a pile of mud or horse poo or something. The time he went to Scotland wearing an inappropriately short kilt and patterned knee high socks The time he made Maria go to a masquerade as a monk and he went as a sexy nun.

11. Reblog with a picture or painting or depiction of them.

Oh boy where do I start

I mean there's the paintings, like this absolutely terrible rip off of Napoleon

The cartoons

The absolutely superior portrayal by Mr Peter Egan in Prince Regent (1979) and all the incredible on-point facial expressions

And of course, special mention to the most slashficcy portrayal of him to date, Peter Ustinov in Beau Brummell (1954) and Dat Sauna Scene

[theprinceregent]

Historical Fave Tag

I was tagged by: some bih who follows my blog idk (; (luv u @decadent-empress!)

1. Who’s your historical person? i LOVE how myself and my lovely “Set” of fave mutuals all love Prinny, but whether by accident or by design, have all chosen different people from each other whilst still covering Prin himself, so i’m going to continue that by choosing:

Her Grace, Georgiana Spencer-Cavendish, 5th Duchess of Devonshire.  aka G/Gee, “Mrs Rat”, The Empress of Fashion.

2. What is it about them that draws you to them like a magnet? how “human” she still is and how relatable i find to her to myself even though she died 211 years ago. i love her determination to succeed and prove her worth among the men in a time when woman literally had no rights. i adore and admire in equal measure her strength of spirit, her kindness, sensitivity, eagerness and a very clear love for those in her Devonshire House Set and her children. she had immense power and influence, especially for a woman, with every big name aristocrat having a tie to her and/or moving in and out of her Set, she was even in correspondence with Marie Antoinette (whom she called “Mrs Bourbon” and even met in person too). Although she had her dislikes (Maria Fitzherbert and Lady Jersey anyone?) she still overlooked her friends faults (Prinny’s debts and family affairs, Lady Melbourne’s multiple-children-by-multiple-fathers situation, i could go on...) and even let Lady Bess Foster into her home to live and sleep with the duke (in both senses of that word) for 15 years! Her heart was vast, warm and kind and i still feel that even today. I have read the Amanda Foreman biography on her three times now.

3. Favourite thing about them? her “get up and go” attitude, how she helped Fox and Grey with their political campaigns although there was little in it for her as women couldn’t then vote, how she became the unspoken Society leader of the Whig party, but imo didn’t let this go to her head too much, instead focusing on pleasing others around her (as well as the gambling and the laudanum lmao but we’ll touch on that later) and how she used fashion and clothes as a way of both expressing and empowering herself, earning the nickname “The Empress Of Fashion” because of this. also how she just kept on going through incredibly difficult times, through the slander and libel and the insults and the addictions and debt and banishment/isolation, i cannot dream of how anxious and depressed she must have been at times, but yet she kept on going, and still kept helping her friends too where she could. i have so much respect for her it makes me teary eyed at times. what a hun! we’d have been the best of friends if i was alive in the late 18th century.

4. Least favourite thing about them? she does seem like a bit of a glutton for punishment??? like her debts were paid off on two separate occasions by the Duke of Devonshire (the second time her debts were so great that he actually had to sell off Devonshire assets to help him out), and yet she continued to rack up more gambling debts (second to only Prinny i believe) and seemed not to listen to the advice, which imo was genuinely well meaning, which her friends tried to provide her with. also, she could have “picked her battles” as the saying goes, a little better e.g. knowing when to open her mouth to the duke, but also knowing when to keep it shut.

5. If you could fix one thing for them? i would have been there to stick up for her when the papers and certain men were doing shitty things to her and her reputation, and given her some comfort and reassurance in the cases where she very clearly needed some, but with was provided with nothing.

6. If you could change their history, would you? If so, what? i think it’s important to let history run its course in a way, but i would have liked to have contributed towards her personal happiness more, by allowing her to be with Earl Grey (who legit did treat her very well until she was forced to break off contact with him) and by persuading her well-meaning-but-incredibly-encroaching-and-full-on mother to back off of her a little, and to have given women the vote. Georgiana and the ladies would have changed the course of politics if they were all allowed to vote i’m sure of it.

7. What is the first thing you would say to them? i would just give her the biggest hug.

8. Bring them to 2017 with you, what does that look like? i think Georgiana would be DELIGHTED with social media, allowing her to keep in constant contact with her children and her friends from her Set and to organise those big Devonshire House dinner parties & balls much easier as well! i cannot picture G wearing 21st century fashions, but i think because of how interested she was in fashion, i think she would find it amusing and strange how much things have changed. she was also a fan of the liberal arts, and i don’t think she would like modern/contemporary art and the new styles of architecture either.

9. What wouldn’t you tell them about the future? That the Tories have been in power for nearly ten years and likely will be for another ten as well lmao. I think the threat of nuclear war would scare her, and she would be deeply saddened that people are still homeless and going hungry in a very rich country.

10. Favourite story about them? - that Beau Brummell persuaded her to pay off one of his tailor bills lmao - during one of Prinny’s overdramatic pledges of love to Maria Fitzherbert, he was said to have stabbed himself and that his dying wish was to see Maria one last time, she was frightened to go alone so asked Georgiana to accompany her, Maria was then told her his other dying wish was for her to be his wife, and i believe under the pressure and stress of the circumstances, she relented and said yes. however, Prin wanted to “seal the deal” with a ring, and neither party was in possession of one suitable, so Georgiana took one off her own finger and used it to help them undertake an illegal marriage lmao what a babe. - several Society ladies bribed Georgiana’s chief dressmaker for the pattern of the dress that she would be wearing to the next calendar event, the seamstress was loyal to Georgiana, so fobbed all the ladies off with the same pattern, but telling each of them it was unique, so when they all arrived at the party, each of them had an identical dress on whilst Georgiana was wearing something completely different and arguably much nicer lmao

11. Share your favourite picture of them.

I tag: @spoutziki-art, @beau--brummell, @scopesandskullties & @therepublicofletters!

[dorothyparkerwascool]

Love this image and title: MASTER OF SEDUCTION - How Prince Deflowered a Generation - Our Weekly Los Angeles

Long but thoughtful Prince tribute and a study of his androgyny, masculinity, and art of seduction.. Excerpt:

The Prince who wore no clothes

An icon of musicality, sexuality, and androgyny

The age-old adage “Whatever is old is new” is appropriate for the memorable style of Prince. When the guitar wizard and pop music icon passed away suddenly last week, (amid reports off ill helath and the cancellation of several concerts in Atlanta) images of eye liner, feather boas, fur coats and high heels tended to refresh our memories of his iconoclastic fashion tastes and how his stage public persona may have even topped his astonishing musical fluency.

Did Prince invent flamboyant performance? No, not by a long shot. In fact, Prince was just the latest reincarnation of a style that has helped to propel some of the biggest names in pop music into superstardom. Early rock ’n roll stars like Little Richard and James Brown took the raw sexuality of the music and applied it to their respective acts replete with pancake makeup, lip gloss, nail polish and bouffant hair styles crafted by the most critical coiffeurs. They looked so pretty that even Beau Brummell, the 18th-century British trend setter, would have been diminished by their foppish facade.

Prince could play guitar like Jimi Hendrix, sing like James Brown, and when it came to androgyny, he took it to the next level. With his recent passing (and on some level always) some individuals have questioned his sexuality.

On Prince’s 1981 album “Controversy,”—released days after he opened for the Rolling Stones dressed in bikini underwear and got booed off stage—the singer quipped that he was asked constantly if he was Black or White, straight or gay.

Prince made his acting debut in “Purple Rain,” playing a sexy, androgynous young musician on the cusp of fame.

Androgyny has been associated with fashion long before Prince and has existed in different cultures, throughout the Holy Bible, Ancient Greece, and even 10th century Japan. Its existence has been found on etchings and plate engravings found in antique books.

Edward Porter, a researcher at Fuller Theological Seminary Biblical School stated scholars have even had debates about the devil, Satan, being an androgynous angel.

Porter says the angel Lucifer, as he was originally named according to the Bible, is depicted with feminine beauty in book art created between 1400 and 1500. During this same time period, paintings have depicted male characters from the Bible all with masculine features.

Images of androgyny within African American culture have been more subtle.

One of the first images I was able to find was Josephine Baker wearing a men’s tuxedo on stage in Paris, France, pre-World War II.

Music historian Daniel Walt describes James Brown, Little Richard, and Jimi Hendrix, as entertainers who have dabbled in androgyny and caused rumors of homosexuality.

Prince, regarded as a pop culture icon, played with gender and sexuality in his own way, always defying convention. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the way he dressed.

Shauneil Evans, an image consultant at #shauneillhair, believes Prince was using the ancient art of “seductive attraction” and his androgyny was just as much part of his attractive sexuality as his music.

Evans may be onto something. Most females polled between the ages of 25-55 believe Prince’s feminine display was “sexy as hell,” many claimed they have imagined making love to him while at a concert or listening to his music.

According to Evans, seduction will always be the female form of power and warfare, evidenced throughout ancient history. She believes the male who uses this form of power on a woman without losing his masculine identity will attract more women. “The more subtly feminine he becomes, the more effective the seduction,” she theorizes.

“Prince was able to almost hypnotize his female fans with his androgynous sexuality because he knew what they wanted to see on stage was a familiar, pleasing, graceful presence, mirroring female physiology. Prince was serious about his appearance, and had an acute sensitivity to detail with a hint of male cruelty (bad boy image)… Have you seen “Purple Rain?”

“You have to understand that we women are narcissists. We are in love with the charms of our own sex. Showing female charm to us can disarm and mesmerize us, leaving us open to a bold masculine move,” Evans continued. “It’s mass scale seduction; no single woman can possess him, he is too elusive, but all can fantasize about doing so. This is what happens at a Prince concert.”

Exactly. ♥

[mlwonderful-blog]

The Ship to Thaumatourgia

As I walk along the shore of the beach one night, looking at how the pale moon reflects in the water, I notice a ship on the horizon. This isn’t the small boat that always sails here, it’s a ship as big as a house, like a pirate ship! As it gets closer, I notice something impossible: it’s flying! Not even flying just a few inches above the water, it’s flying about five feet above! As it gets closer to the shore, it also gets closer to the water. By the time it arrives at the beach, it’s resting on the ocean like a regular boat. Intrigued, I walk over to it.

“Yer a few minutes early,” a crew member tells me when I get over there. “But yeh can board now if yeh want.”

“Get on?” I ask. “Where are we going?”

“Why, Thaumatourgia, o’ course!”

I give him a blank look.

“...The magical world? The place where witches an’ wizards live?” He looks at me closer. “Yeh are a witch, righ’?

I hesitate. Witches and wizards? Magic? If the boat weren’t hovering above the water, I’d think he was just a crazy drunk sailor. But this magic looks real!

“Of course I’m a witch!” I lie.

“Then climb aboard!” the sailor says, moving aside.

I get on the ship and wait while other people—most of them looking like their wardrobe is stuck in the 1600s—follow shortly after. After about fifty people get on, the ship sets sail again.

I hold onto the side of the ship as it rises again, expecting it to toss me around, but it’s smoother than any car ride I’ve ever been on! After a few minutes of staring at the water we’re flying away from, I walk away from the side of the ship and over to a young man—apparently about seventeen—that stands out from the crowd. His clothes and hair look much more modern than the others’—a black suit styled like the one Beau Brummell made popular in the early 1800s and his jet-black hair slicked back.

“Hey,” I say to him, hoping to find out some information about the place I’m about to visit.

He raises his brows, slightly startled by my attempt at conversation, then gives a kind smile and says, “Hello.”

“I’m Ruby,” I say, holding out my hand to shake. He takes it, and I continue. “I’m a bit new around here, and I was wondering if you could teach me a few things about this place.”

“Of course!” he says, smiling. “On vacation?”

“You could say that.”

“Well, I’m Lettle Manson. There’s not much to show you on here, it’s just a typical boat, but I can show you around once we get back in Thaumatourgia.”

“Thanks,” I say.

“I’m just getting back from a trip myself,” he tells me. “My parents had to go on a business trip to Erste.”

“Erste?”

“One of the sections of Thaumatourgia in Britain.”

So Thaumatourgia has multiple sections, at least one of which is on another continent. This must mean Thaumatourgia is some sort of hidden world for wizards. The sections are probably like different countries.

“What kind of business are your parents in?” I ask.

He hesitates. “They’re magical creature rights activists.”

“Cool,” I say.

“What do your parents do?”

“They’re… you know… magical… florists…” I stumble, my hands getting a bit clammy.

Lettle nods his head politely. “Fascinating.” He looks around the ship. “Are they here?”

“Um… no,” I say nervously, trying to think of a good explanation. “I’m staying with my aunt while I’m on vacation, so my parents didn’t come.”

“Oh. My parents are over there,” he gestures to the man and woman I saw him come on with. The woman is tall, thin, and so pale it looks like she’s never even seen the sun. She has long, jet-black hair the same color as Lettle’s. The man is tall and semi-muscular—strong enough to hold his own in a fight, but no Hercules. He also has hair the same color as Lettle and has it slicked back the same way, too. The man is looking at everyone else as if he’s royalty and they’re scum. The woman looks like she’s trying to mimic her husband’s condescending attitude, but she has a twinge of guilt in her eyes.

We talk for about another hour until, just as the sun is starting to come up, Lettle looks ahead, and his eyes light up.

“We’re almost there!” he says with a smile.

“We are?” I ask, looking for an island or something.

“Yeah! Right there!” he points at something near us that I can’t see.

“I don’t see it…”

“Really?” He gives me a sideways glance. “It’s pretty close.”

I stand there craning my neck trying to see something in the far distance. There’s nothing for miles.

“You’re not really a witch, are you?” he asks in a half-concerned, half-interested voice.

I hesitate.

“If you’re not, you should still be fine with getting into Thaumatourgia since you’re being allowed by wizards—though not knowingly.”

“So non-magical people can’t see it?” I ask.

“No. And they can only go in with the help of a witch or wizard because it has a magical dome around it.”

We apparently go through the dome because one second I see nothing but the open water, the next I see land and buildings. Well, “land and buildings” is an understatement.

We come in through an enormous passageway in a mountain. The mountain surrounds the land and water. It goes on for as far as I can see, the sides covered in grass and trees. A lot of the trees are painted with the most brilliantly bright oranges, reds, and yellows. Upon closer look, I notice that what I previously thought were leaves on some of them are actually butterflies that fly off the branches in flocks. The mountains are painted with these and other magical trees. There are some with faces on them and some with snakes creeping up them instead of vines. Among these, there are also non-magical trees that I’m used to seeing every day, but even those have a magical glow about them. On the land, there’s a dock made of birch—I assume that’s the one we’ll be docking at—and, beyond that, a town bustling with people.

I stand wide-eyed and gaping at the view before me. Lettle smirks at the sight of my amazement.

The ship lands in the water and pulls up to the dock. Lettle runs over to his parents, tells them he’s going to show me around���to which they scowl—, grabs my hand, and drags me off the ship.

“So,” he says after we’ve gotten off, “where do you want to go first? We could go to Stadtville, the mountains, there are some magical creatures in the lake…”

“Stadtville?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

“That’s the town you saw when we came in. Follow me!” Lettle runs off, the tails of his suit flapping in the wind.

I follow him. We soon arrive in the town, and I’m immediately amazed. The streets are filled with colorful one- and two-story buildings. To my right is a pink shop with a sign on it that says “Dragart’s Sweets.” On my left is a two-story pastel-yellow shop that says “Rumpelson Spinnen,” a few houses ahead is a pastel-green shop that says “Stadt Cocoa.” In between the shops, there are hundreds of houses that are also painted in various pastel colors. All of the roofs have the wavy-triangular structure you see in fairy tales, and the air is filled with the sweet scent of hot cocoa, lollipops, and maple.

Lettle turns to me and smiles once again at the amazement on my face.

“We can go into Dragart’s if you want,” he says. “Or we could get some hot chocolate.”

“Hot chocolate sounds good,” I tell him.

Once we get a table and our hot chocolate at Stadt Cocoa, Lettle can no longer resist the urge to ask questions about my world.

“I’ve never been in the non-magical world,” he tells me. “What’s it like?”

“Not as exciting as Thaumatourgia,” I say, taking a sip of my hot chocolate. “People dress a lot differently.”

“I’ve noticed,” he says flatly, looking at my outfit with a slight frown. Then he perks back up. “I mean, what are your schools like? What jobs are in your world?”

“The schools are hell. When you get to college, you go into debt for going through more hell. The only jobs I’ve gotten so far are at fast food places, and they don’t pay much.”

“That sounds dreadful,” he says with a frown. “Our schools teach magic, so that can be fun sometimes.”

“Do you still have to learn math and English?”

“Yeah, but we only have one class a week in each of those subjects unless we want to take more classes. My parents got me really interested in magical beasts, but I’m not as extreme as them. And my friend, James, has a brother that’s fascinated in magical carpentry.”

“What’s that?”

“How to build with magical wood, how to enchant tools to do some of the work for you, how to cast spells to hide buildings you make, things like that.”

“Cool,” I say, finishing up my hot chocolate with one last big slurp. “You said earlier about going to the mountains?”

We walk to the mountains and go into the forest covering them. Not much sunlight can get through the leaves of the trees, but it’s not dark. Some of the trees have leaves that glow different colors: red, purple, green, and orange. The ground is covered with dark green and golden moss that glows. The forest has a musky, evergreen smell, and the snapping of twigs and branches can be heard all around.

“This is incredible,” I remark, looking around wide-eyed. “Are there any magical animals in here?”

“Of course!” Lettle says, a huge grin on his face. “Although, most of them are dangerous, such as trolls, yetis, and dragons.”

“Dragons?” I say with a small jump.

“Not many. No one’s seen any in years, but they’re probably still here. There are also imps, but they’re not the kindest, either.”

“Are there any animals that aren’t dangerous in here?” I ask with a nervous laugh.

“There are chrysos,” Lettle says with a smile. “You’ll love them!” Lettle whistles an odd melody, and not even thirty seconds later, a deer with glistening fur as white as snow and antlers made of gold comes dashing out of a bush. Lettle carefully walks over to it, reaches out the palm of his hand for the chryso to sniff, then gently strokes it on the head. He gestures for me to come over.

I slowly walk over to the animal. I reach my palm out, just as Lettle did, and let the chryso sniff it. Then, I stroke its head. Its fur is so soft it feels like a fuzzy blanket.

“It’s beautiful,” I say.

“They’re almost extinct,” Lettle tells me with a slight frown. “They’re hunted for their golden antlers. They can sense whether or not someone is friendly and run if they’re not, but it’s still hard for them to survive.”

Sorry this story ends right here, but I’m writing it mainly to work on some backstory for a series I’m working on and that’s all I need to write for this part of the backstory. I’m still really interested in hearing your feedback and would love for you to stick around for other pieces of my writing.

[lotusboutiques]

You Can Pull That Off: 20 Style Quotes To Empower You To Dress Well

We all need a little bit of inspiration every once in a while; especially when it comes to fashion choices and all the nitty gritty details that go along with it. As a woman, you’d know that deciding on an outfit for the day may not be as easy as it seems. Along with all the various colors and material choices to choose from, you also need to match your mood for the day. Perhaps you just don’t feel like wearing a skirt but your favorite pair of jeans happens to be in the laundry. What to do?

You simply find inspiration to conquer your indecisiveness by implementing the following style quotes to empower you to dress well:

“What I’ve done, Coco Chanel would never have done. She would have hated it.” — Karl Lagerfeld

“Shoes transform your body language and attitude. They lift you physically and emotionally.” — Christian Louboutin

“Trendy is the last stage before tacky.” — Karl Lagerfeld

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe

“One pretends to do something, or copy someone or some teacher, until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes one’s own style.” – Cary Grant, Actor

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” – Gore Vidal, Writer

Read: 6 Simple Ways To Change Up Your Look This Summer

"A good trick as you get older is to get a thick pair of glasses that have a dark frame. Everything else can droop and slide but that pair of dark glasses stays sharp and crisp. Look at Cary Grant. Look at Vidal Sassoon." – Tom Ford, Designer

“If people turn to look at you on the street, you are not well dressed, but either too stiff, too tight, or too fashionable." – Beau Brummel, Socialite

If you're not sure whether it looks good on you, it doesn't." – Scott Omelianuk, Author of Things A Man Should Know About Style

"The man who, as is often said, can get away with wearing a trench coat over his dinner jacket, or an old school tie for a belt, is the one who in fact understands best the rules of proper dress and can bend them to suit his own personality and requirements.” – G. Bruce Boyer, Writer

“Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he’s well dressed. There ain’t much credit in that.” – Charles Dickens, Author

“It is totally impossible to be well-dressed in cheap shoes.” – Hardy Amies, Designer

“Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose.” — Lauren Hutton

“You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.” — Christian Dior

Read: 7 Awesome Places to Find Fashion Inspiration

“I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.” — Carrie Bradshaw

“Pure, intense emotions. It’s not about design. It’s about feelings.” — Alber Elbaz

“Always dress like you’re going to see your worst enemy.” — Kimora Lee

“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.” — Ralph Lauren

“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.” — Betsey Johnson

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” — Coco Chanel

Need more fashion inspiration? Visit our online clothing boutique to match the above-mentioned style quotes to your fashion choices. Remember, when you shop at Lotus Online Boutique, half the fashion battle has already been won.

  Zenka Hattingh. Marketing Manager & Content Developer, Growth Hacker.                          I help startups and established companies build brand reputation through SEO-friendly content and growth hacking techniques. Find me on LinkedIn or follow me on Twitter.

Article Source Here: You Can Pull That Off: 20 Style Quotes To Empower You To Dress Well

[nomanwalksalone]

HOW TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENT

by David Isle

The famed dandy Beau Brummell is supposed to have said that “if John Bull turns around to look at you, you are not well dressed.” Presumably this judgment holds even if the good Mr. Bull is turning around to say, “nice fit.” To have your clothing complimented is to have it noticed, which men, even men who care about their clothing, often try to avoid.

Men therefore often have fraught reactions to the compliments they receive.

The most common reaction to a compliment is the “this old thing?” routine, which can make the compliment-giver feel silly for having thought that some threadbare rag was a special jewel. Just as bad, the complimentee looks silly for disavowing his clothes even though it’s clear to anyone looking that he has taken care in selecting them.

The even more disastrous reaction is to answer not wisely, but too well. It goes something like this:

“Nice suit.”

“Actually it’s an odd jacket and trouser combination. A suit is composed of coat and trousers in the same fabric. Today, a mismatched outfit is thought to be less formal than a suit, but it was not always so. A century ago, the most formal daytime outfit was morning dress, which featured an unmatched coat and trousers. Our modern suit began as an informal alternative.”

“Oh….umm…ok. So…did you want fries with that?”

Nobody wants to be that guy. But in the heat of those rare moments when some hawk-eyed observer recognizes your subtlety of taste and mastery of detail, it can be difficult to find the right words whose charisma rises to the level of your outfit.

You can always practice at home. Jazz legend Art Pepper confessed in his memoirs that he would often look at himself in a full-length mirror and say, “oh, you handsome devil!” Although in this case the compliment was not directed at his clothes, since, again according to his telling, he performed this soliloquy in the nude.

But really there’s no need to make things complicated. “Thanks, I like it too” and a smile is all the response you need. It’s simple, unpretentious, and makes everyone involved feel good. Just like the best clothes.

Quality content, like quality clothing, ages well. This article first appeared on the No Man blog in April 2016.