My awaited GwynnieBee dress
I was so very excited when I got the e-mail notification that this would be my next dress. I have a GwynnieBee subscription and have several dresses each month mailed to me. I get to wear them, buy them or send them back. It’s kind of like the library (minus the whole buying part) except with clothing. I wrote all about GwynnieBee several weeks ago here. Each member creates a “closet” online and puts things they want in it. This was probably one of the first dresses I put in there. I had to wait patiently and here it is!
The GwynnieBee Dress
My absolute favorite thing about this dress is the neckline. It’s so very unique.
Dress: Cherry Velvet compliments of GwynnieBee
Also, this dress has pockets! Any dress with some good pockets is a dress for me!
The weather was pretty great for these photos. My friend Cece and I found a nice, wooded area complete with a good bog. Cece kept joking “bog blog.”
Today I’m linking up with
Birth of a Fashion Blogger, Sincerely Jenna Marie, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting and Not Dead Yet Style
Juliette part three: The Victorian Era dress
Today concludes our three-part feature of Juliette. This woman is an amazement to me. She has an entire room in her house full of fun costumes she has made. It was clearly hard for her to pick just three for our three-part feature.
We decided to stick within a color theme of light pinks and blues. We also thought it would be fun to travel through time. It’s crazy how much fashion changed in less than 100 years.
We started with the Civil War era, moved on to the late 1890’s and are concluding with this lovely gown from the Victorian/Edwardian Era. Think the beginning of Downton Abbey. She entirely re-did this entire dress and made it her own.
All of our three-part features conclude with a Q&A. Here is her’s:
Name: Juliette Tebeau Bezold
Location: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area
Occupation: Interior Designer at GBBN Architects
In her spare time, she’s a part of the Ohio Renaissance Festival, the Old West Festival, the Wandering Minstrel Theatre Troupe and the Horehounds Burlesque, an offshoot of the Wandering Minstrels. She and her husband have also traveled all over for vintage dance weeks and weekends.
How long have you been into costuming?
I can barely remember not being into costuming. When I was six, my mom took me to my first musical, which was Oklahoma. By seven I was in my first musical. I was a royal child in The King and I. And so at that point on from the age of seven, I was completely obsessed with period costumes. With hoop skirts and corsets in particular because of Anna in The King and I.
When did you start making your own costumes?
I made my first first costume properly sewn on a sewing machine when I was 13.
That’s so neat that you’re a working professional and then do this on the side. Do your coworkers find it interesting at all?
Yes they do, actually. I was walking in the Reds Opening Day Parade with the group from the Old West Festival and so I changed into my costume at the office since I work downtown. Everyone thought that was pretty funny and I took a picture there at my cubicle.
So what got you into history and costuming?
It all goes back when I was seven and I was in The King and I. That was a turning point in my life. I became obsessed with costumes from that point on. I wanted a hoop skirt, I wanted a corset. I made my first communion in the same weekend as the play, so I saved all my first communion money and all my birthday money, and my mother took me to a second hand bridal salon and bought me a hoop skirt and a second hand size three bridal gown. She cut it down for me and I played with that thing until it was ribbons. I still have it for her (daughter) to play with one day.
So at the time it was the pure wonderment of it all?
Honestly for me, it’s a little more than that. It’s about how the costume transforms you. How it makes you feel. Like I’m someone prettier or richer. It’s that character and becoming someone else. I mean why does any woman put on a face that’s not hers? I feel in my costumes more special than in anything else.
So it’s just fun getting to be someone else?
Yes. And it’s also just being a part of history. Like with The King and I, Anna Leonowens was a real person. I had my mother track down the two-inch book Anna and the King of Siam so I could read it because I was so fascinated that she was a real person. From that point on, I just read the pages of the Encyclopedia over and over again about Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scotts, Marie Antoinette … all these famous women who had beautiful dresses who I became obsessed with but also had really interesting stories and lives. I think that’s why I love the Renaissance Era so much because I was fascinated from that age.
It’s a way you connected with women and women throughout history.
Exactly. And before the Internet and before people with quirky obsessions had a way to connect with each other, theatre was the only outlet for that. So I got into theatre because it was the only way I could express my desire to make costumes and portray women throughout history.
Do you ever give thought to the role women had throughout these time periods and how that’s changed?
Oh absolutely! And it’s interesting because I feel that a lot of my sewing skills and talent is just intrinsic and a part of me. I feel that that has just come to me from an ancestor. My great grandfather was a tailor. He was a man, not a woman, but that was his profession. He immigrated from Poland in the early 1900’s and he died when I was six months old. I feel that my sewing ability just came. It’s just a part of me that I need to express. I do think about women as I make my costumes. All that I can do on a machine, they had to do by hand. Really the tailor’s skill was a man’s job. The famous dress designers of the Victorian Era were men. There were female houses, but it was still a man’s world.
What does being a woman mean to you?
What does being a woman mean to me? Women create. Men can create too, but it’s part of what convinces me that God must be a woman because I think it’s just part of me to create. If you look at women throughout history, we were the ones creating the home, creating the hearth, creating the food and creating life. To me, it’s all interrelated and I can’t not make things. It is so much a part of who I am. I often think as I’m making things like this is … I guess God’s the word I have for it. But if that’s the divine to create, then it’s in God’s image and therefore all interrelated.
Anything else you want to add?
I will say that I love making the under garments just as much as I love making the dresses. I love corsetry, and working with steal and leather. It’s empowering. That actually is a point I would like to make is there’s this myth that corsets were somehow something that enslaved women. That they were painful or it was part of what kept women down. I want to not dispel that myth. That is not true. There’s no historical evidence that women ever had their ribs removed. There was a large amount of Victorian Era fetish writing or Victorian porn, if you want to take it at that. That’s where a lot of these things about removed ribs or 13-inch waits came from.
In reality, you ordered a corset from a catalog by it’s actual measurement. So if you ordered a 16-inch corset, it might measure 16 inches, but when you put it on and laced it, it might give you a 20-inch waist because you wanted to have a gap in the back. A lot of these things are myths. I can tell you right now that they are not uncomfortable. My corset takes off four-five inches off my natural waist. I sing and dance, sometimes simultaneously. I couldn’t do that if I couldn’t breathe. Women did all their daily chores in them. It was their foundation garment. Without a corset, you’d be unsupported. It would have been uncomfortable.
Yeah, because they didn’t make bras back then.
Exactly! There were no bras back then. The pretty housemaid corset, which was a model that was pretty popular in England, sold tens of thousands of units. Housemaids wanted it because they were the pretty housemaid in it. And if you were a housemaid, you were doing hard physical labor. I just want to dispel the myth that corsets are uncomfortable or an oppressive garment. That is not the case. Corsets were something that made you feel as beautiful back then as a beautiful matching bra and panty set would make you feel today.
Today I’m linking up with:
Juliette dress #2: The late 1890’s
Welcome to part 2 of The Dresses of Juliette. Today we look at an 1890’s dress. Juliette is a woman of many creative talents. Making costumes is what she does for fun. This week we take a look at three out of many … she has an entire room dedicated to the costumes she has made.
Today we go a little bigger and bolder than on Sunday. Today’s dress has bows, pastels and puffed sleeves. This gown resembles the styles of the United States and Europe in the late 1890’s.
The dress itself is bittersweet. She bought it the day after her cat passed away. One of her co-workers took her to a fabric shop to cheer her up. It was there that she felt this silk calling her name.
Any excuse to wear a tiara and hold a feather fan is a great day for me!
Juliette says her favorite part of creating costumes is that she gets to play pretend. When she puts these things on, she feels as though she can be someone else. There’s always a lot of fun to that.
I’m in awe.
The puffed sleeves are my favorite part. I just love how crazy and frilly they were. I would never want to wear puffed sleeves today. However I cannot imagine life 100’s of years ago.
Thanks for reading along!
Also linking up with Jersey Girl Texan Heart
Juliette and the Civil War era dress
Today, we take a step back in time. In this next three-part series, we will travel through time through the lens of dresses. Today, we start with the civil war era.
Meet Juliette Tebeau Bezold. She’s an Interior Designer, wife and mother. She also designs her own costumes for events such as the Ohio Renaissance Festival and the Old West Festival. Really, though, she makes her own costumes for fun. And she has an entire room in her house dedicated to them.
I initially met her at the Voodoo Carnival in February where her group The Horehounds Burlesque performed. I was introduced by a mutual friend and we got to talking about all the dresses and costumes she makes. I just had to come out and see them for myself.
This dress is a civil war era summer dress. She initially made it for Newport Vintage Dance Week, a week long gathering of people interested in vintage dance. During the day there’d be workshops and in the evening, there’d be dances and balls. There was always a seaside ball with a carousel, so she needed a light-weight, fluffy gown to ride the carousel.
It was quite an ordeal to put on with several layers. As I was helping Juliette with this process, I gave thought to dressing back then vs. dressing today. Most days, it takes me less than five minutes to put my physical clothing on. Then maybe I can add another 20 for fixing my hair, makeup and deciding what jewelry to wear. Back then, it was a process for sure.
First, it began with the under garments: bloomers and a corset. The corset would lace up in the back like shoe laces. Then there was the hoop skirt that would go under the actual dress, which makes it pouffy. Then the actual dress was put on over top and buttoned up. Last was the bonnet and gloves.
Even though this was a typical Spring and Summer dress of this time period, I cannot imagine how hot a dress like this must have been.
The detailing is also what strikes me. Juliette estimates that she spends about 200 hours on making a costume. Its simply amazing.
Costuming is one way in which Juliette connects with women of history.
“All that I can do on a machine, they had to do by hand,” she said. “Really a tailor was a man’s job. Women didn’t work on gowns a lot of times. The famous dress designers of the Victorian Era were men. There were female houses, but it was a man’s world.”
This week we will feature two more dresses as we move through time, ending in the Edwardian Era. I’m very excited and I hope you are too!
Also today I’m linking up with More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Not Dead Yet Style,
Gwynnie Bee dress + Liebster Award
Hello all! Happy Monday! Last Monday was spent having some Vietnamese with my friend Una, who I actually featured on the blog several months ago (Tea with Una). I was loving my dress, so I handed the camera to her to snap a few.
Are you familiar with Gwynnie Bee? It’s a clothing subscription service that I discovered several months ago. You basically create an account and start putting things in your online closet. You have to have at least six items in there for them to send you a package. Once you do, based on what you have, they will send you an amount of items ranging from 1-10 depending on your plan. So it’s simple … only put things in your closet that you think you’d like and you’ll be pleased every time. Also just to note, Gwynnie Bee is only for sizes 10-32. Some of the dresses come in medium, which is how it has been able to work for me. I excitedly signed up and then read that later. I’m normally a size 6-8.
As we all know, I love dresses. So currently my online closet is full of 15 dresses. My next one is in the mail! Here is what last week’s looked like:
Also, I was nominated by Sarah from Bows and Clothes for a Liebster Award. Basically, bloggers nominate each other and you answer questions. I was honored to be picked by Sarah! Here are my answers to her questions:
1. What do you like to do in your free time?
Between working a full-time job, a part-time weekend job and blogging, I’m often not left with much free time. I do like to hang out with friends and practice speaking Spanish. I also dabble in a little improv comedy.
2. What is your dream vacation?
My dream vacation is a year worth of traveling the entire world and visiting as many countries as I can. Yet rather than staying in hotels the entire time, I’d spend a lot of my time staying with natives. Getting to know people from other countries is the best way to learn about the world.
3. What is the worst movie/book you have seen/read?
Birdemic is a pretty classically bad movie that I watched with my improv troupe. It’s ridiculous and if anyone is ever having a bad movie night, it should be at the top of your list. Just go watch that preview I linked above.
4. Why do you blog?
In the fall, one of my friends told me I should blog about all the dresses I wear. I have always been a writer and have dreamt about a more flexible source of income. So here I am.
5. What is your least favorite food?
Granola bars.
6. What is your favorite season?
Oh the summer for sure. I’m a very social person, so I love how everyone is out and about in the summer. And of course I love the warmth.
7. What is your favorite blog?
I do not have one, so I’ll just list a few that I read: obviously Bows and Clothes, Bright on a Budget, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Tanvii and 26 and Counting
8. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it and why?
I would invest it in a business that would employ women seamstresses around the world in an ethical way to make dresses. The dresses would be sold online and possibly in boutiques. I’d take the rest of the money and travel.
9. What is your favorite song and why?
This one. Really? There are too many to choose from. I’ve been listening to a lot of Lana Del Ray recently. I find the song Ride to be fascinating.
10. What is your biggest blogging mistake?
Not discovering the blogging community quick enough! It’s funny how Sarah came into my life. I participated in Dressember and was tweeting about it. Sarah started liking and retweeting my stuff. I check out her blog and found out that she was participating in Dressember. I was excited, so I reached out to her.
I noticed that she participated in link-ups and thought “what’s that?” Once I discovered what they were, I was like “why not?” Now I read a lot of other blogs and often get inspiration from my fellow bloggers!
11. What is your favorite kind of cake?
Here in Cincinnati we have a bakery that makes this chocolate and icing layered cake called an Opera Cream cake. It’s amazing.
I’m awarding the Liebster award to these bloggers: Miss Moore Style, The Work Flare and Laimouna’s Memoirs.
The Liebster Award guidelines are as follows:
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to them.
- Answer the questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
- Nominate up to 11 bloggers.
- Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog.
- Let them know you nominated them.
Here are your 11 questions:
- What inspired you to blog?
- What message do you want your blog to tell the world?
- What do you plan to do to stand out and be different?
- What makes you laugh the most?
- Who shoots your photos?
- If you could only have one accessory, what would it be?
- Favorite color?
- What’s an average day look like for you?
- Where do you want to take your blog?
- Dogs 0r cats?
- What would you do with a million dollars?
Thanks friends!
Dress: Leota, also can be found at Zulily here
Boots: Target
Necklace: vintage jewelry from my grandma
Jacket: H&M similar
Also, this beautiful Catholic Church was on our walk. We of course had to snap a few photos!
Also I’m linking up with: Doused in Pink, Jersey Girl Texan Heart and Elegance and Mommyhood
Dress picks from Fox and Fable Vintage
This is our second post in our new Dress Picks series. Basically, we pick an online boutique that we love and pick our favorite dresses. Know of an amazing online boutique with great dresses? Feel free to drop us a line at aworldofdresses@gmail.com.
This week were featuring Fox and Fable Vintage, a vintage clothing shop based in Orange, California. While they opened a brick and mortar shop in California a year and a half ago, they have been selling vintage clothing online for the past six years or more. Husband and wife Molly and Mitch Fox own the entire operation. The two of them are incredibly passionate about the vintage lifestyle. They live in a 1950’s house, drive vintage cars and dress in vintage clothing every single day. The business started so they could share their love of all things vintage with others.
I found them on Instagram. If you’re not following us yet, by the way, you should (@aworldofdresses). They are always posting the most fun vintage dresses. I myself have always been a fan of vintage clothing, so I decided to reach out. They agreed to let me make my picks.
Green Mocha Chocolate Brown Pinup Day Dress
This one initially caught my eye on Instagram. I love the pattern. Definitely a unique dress that you’d be sure no one else would have.
Blue Aqua Party Dress
My favorite part of this one is the waist line. I love how it gathers together like that. Also the high neckline allows you to add perhaps a string of pearls or statement necklace to your outfit. Lastly, I’m always a fan of bold prints.
The crazy maxi
Sometimes old trends come back around again. The maxi dress is the perfect example. This dress would be perfect any time of the year. Spring especially comes to mind with the floral print.
The elegant dress
This one is just absolutely gorgeous! So very elegant. I love the back section with the bow.
Those are our picks for this week! Thanks again to Fox and Fable Vintage!
My vintage Christmas dress
This is my vintage Christmas dress. Today I had a lazy morning. It was the first morning in several weeks that I could sleep in. It felt great. So when I was finally ready to venture out for some last-minute shopping, I decided to wear something in holiday colors. I’ll admit that this year I’ve been less in the Christmas spirit than before. Without going into too much detail, my mother has been in the hospital since the beginning of August. She suffered a brain aneurysm and has been in the hospital or nursing homes ever since. I am thankful that she is alive. Her recovery has been slow with a few setbacks. This will be my first Christmas without her in the house. My first without her watching me open presents and all the other things. It has been hard.
But I know my mom would want me to still enjoy the holidays. So I will. I decided that my vintage Christmas dress would be a good option. Several summers ago, I attended the Whispering Beard Folk Festival. It was an amazing weekend with music and all sorts of vendors. One of them was a vintage shop and this is where I found this dress. I love the pattern and fabric. Also the neck lace area is unique too. I love my vintage Christmas dress.
I hardly ever wear bracelets, but these just seemed to go. These are three green bangles that I bought on Devon St. in Chicago about six years or so ago. Devon St. is an area of the city with lots of Indian restaurants and shops. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re in Chicago.
My vintage Christmas dress this Dressember
Also happy day 24 of Dressember. For those who are unaware, I’ve been wearing a dress every day this month to raise awareness about the global issue of human trafficking. Proceeds raised go to International Justice Mission and A21. You can read more here.
My Closet: Becki’s adorable dresses
Becki Griswold has been a good friend for a little over seven years now. It’s crazy how time flies. Back in 2008, the two of us met through attending the same church. I had felt led to work with homeless people for some reason and Becki would go take food to homeless people Sunday afternoons with a group of friends. It was almost a little too perfect. So every Sunday for about a year or so, I’d go do this with her. While our group no longer does this (kids, marriage, moving away, life, etc.), I’d most definitely say this was one of the things that shaped my world view, prompted my passion for social justice and led me to work in the non-profit sector. I currently work with Latino immigrants at Su Casa Hispanic Center and absolutely love it. So thanks Becki!
Today, though, we take a look at her personal style. She has always had the cutest dresses!
Becki now resides in Walnut Hills with her husband Jeremiah their family. Their home is a beautiful three-story building they bought to run their small business out of. Jeremiah is a tattoo artist and so their business is called White Whale Tattoo. The first floor is the tattoo space, the second floor are several apartments for rent and the third is where they live. These photos were taken in and around this beautiful space.
Becki’s proposal dress
This is a significant and special dress for Becki. Her wedding proposal happened in New York City in Central Park. Jeremiah and her were on a trip there and walking through the park when he decided to pop the question. One of her friends was also apparently hiding in the bushes taking pictures. This dress, she said, she bought that same day at Anthropologie. I remember that she also wore it to their engagement party at Neons, a fun local establishment with a nice upper room for parties.
Liza Minnelli meets the club
That is what she said this dress feels like. It’s vintage.
The tattoo parlor
Then we decided to venture out of the cold for some shots inside the tattoo shop. If you are in the market for a tattoo in Cincinnati, White Wale is the place to go. Their simple and clean layout makes you feel right at home. Also Jeremiah is an amazing artist. He does amazing custom-designed work.
Thanks Becki! And happy Christmas eve to all!
Also, today I’m linking up with some of my blogger pals and their Christmas posts. I have recently started following Jersey Girl, Texan Heart. See what other style bloggers are posting here.
Tabatha’s Tiny Closet
It was a Monday like none other. Mondays are my day off, so I find myself scheduling meetings and interviews for A World of Dresses. However taking photos of a tiny house was a little different. And I was excited.
Tiny houses have gotten some buzz recently. Perhaps it was the various articles on the Internet or that documentary on Netflix. I’m guilty as I have watched both. While I’m not sure if I’d ever live in a tiny house, they are so very intriguing. So when my friend Daveen told me she had a friend who lived in one with her husband and two dogs, I was fascinated. Furthermore, I was told that she too often wears dresses. I was sold. I had to write about her.
The tiny house that they inhabit is a tad different than the ones you may have read about. The two of them bought an old truck trailer and are in the process of turning it into a comfortable home. Their last home was a 1200 square foot loft in Over-the-Rhine, which they moved out of just about two months ago. They have been working on this house for the past year. Going from the city to a tiny house in Northern Kentucky is quite a change. And for Tabatha, a welcomed change as she commented on how much she enjoys the peace and quiet. Her two dogs seem to love it too.
As I park my car, I’m greeted by a woman in a blue and black polka-dotted dress. “Oh gosh, I sure hope you’re Nina,” she says to me. I knew she was Tabatha because why else would a woman in a fabulous dress ascend from a trailer of a truck?
She led me around to the back of the trailer. A set of stairs lead up to the actual truck.
In short, Tabatha is always down for adventure. She said she’s the friend her friends often call when they want to do something crazy or need some weird favor. So while her husband Noah often comes up with the crazy ideas such as moving into a tiny house, she’s the one who will actually help him carry out the big ideas. People often ask “how did you convince your wife to do this?” However she just laughs as there was hardly any convincing. Both have a desire to travel and careers they can take on the road, so a tiny house is absolutely perfect.
Featuring a woman of a tiny house is kind of neat. With a tiny house, you really have to pair down what you own. The dresses she chose for the shoot were the ones that made the cut.
“Especially in a tiny house, I can’t just splurge on things,” she said.
She looks for unique, one of a kind dresses. As a result, many have been found on Modcloth.
This here is her newest dress, which she says is sort of a wildcard for her. Big floral prints can be challenging as she doesn’t want to look matronly. Yet this one doesn’t look matronly at all.
This is her other dress that has that 1950’s silhouette look. I was amazed by the amount of poof both dresses had. Her secret is a brown crinoline slip that she recently found at a local vintage store.
“I love something that has a full body,” she said. Also, the twirl factor is important. She showed me … she can definitely twirl in both of these.
This pink hour glass, pinup-style dress is one of her favorites. Several years ago, she had a work party with the theme black, white and pink. She ordered this for it and it was a week late! So while she never had the chance to wear it to that party, she has worn it many times since.
“If I had an excuse to wear this everyday, I’d be all about it,” she said.
Next, we decided to shoot a few photos inside the home. The bedroom part was one she was excited to show off. That was one of the first rooms they had worked on. The dress here also has a fantastic story. She found it at a store in Portland, Oregon that takes old pieces of clothing and sometimes even furniture, and turns them into clothing. Often times, there’s only one or two of one dress because of this. So with this dress, she never has to worry about someone else wearing it too.
The one she ended with was pretty amazing. I love the bold prints.
“I feel like life is too short to be wearing boring things,” she concluded.
My Closet: the dresses of Jai
This week were taking a look in the closet of Cincinnati’s biggest fan (okay, well at least I think she is). No, I don’t mean the Bengals or anything sports-related (not that Jai couldn’t be a Bengals fan. We’ve just never discussed sports). Jai is a woman who sincerly loves her city and making it a better place. I met her four years ago when I worked at a nonprofit in Over-the-Rhine. She worked as a barista at Iris Bookcafe which was maybe a two-minute walk away from my office. My coffee addiction is what initially made me visit the establishment but Jai’s warmth and enthusiasm is what kept me coming back. I really do not know how she stays so positive all the time, but she does.
You may be familiar with Jai’s community radio show Cincinnati’s Conscience. She hosted that several years under the name Jai All Day. These days, however, she’s just Jai. She’s taking a hiatus from the radio world and focusing on other endeavors. A full-time job at Gray and Pape plus her involvement in various community organizations occupies 
much of her time. She has also been involved in various story-telling events. She has a strong committment to her community, which is evidenced in all that she pours her heart into.
In addition to her inner-beauty, this girl has a rockin style! Because our paths do not cross as much anymore, I hadn’t seen her in a while. So I thought, why not feature her for My Closet? It’d be a fantastic excuse to see her smiling face. So one evening she had me over for Moscoto and cookies, and we had a blast having a little photoshoot. It was just the boost I needed!
When I arrived, she came down to let me in wearing such a cute outfit that she claims she just “threw together.” A pair of boots, a teel sweater dress, a colorful scarf, black jacket and some fun hoop earrings. I was like “first, let me just shoot a few in what you’re wearing!”
She then showed me the collection she picked out for the shoot, each nicely laid out on her bed. Each of them are different and have unique story. Each are more than just a piece of clothing, but a collection of memories that evole emotion.
First, we have her two vintage dresses. This one with the black and white polka dots reminds her of her grandmother named Birdie Faye. Recently, shes been identifying a lot with her grandmother and stories from that time period. She even made Birdie Faye part of her name
on Facebook. She really seemed to have fun and let her silly side show in this one, claiming it makes her feel like Betty
Boop. She even stole my red shoes for a few of them! Hey, I’ll gladly share the wealth!
Second, is this lovely mint-green gown from the 1950’s. A friend of her’s was giving it away and she seized the opportunity to add such a unique piece to her wardrobe. It actually used to belong to that friend’s grandmother. The kitchen seemed like the most fitting room to photograph this one. It provided us with a nice, vintage backdrop. With both of these, I played around with some black and white to take us back a bit.
This next one is what Jai calls her “mourning dress.” She wore it to several funerals and now associates it with mourning those losses. She said that for a while, it was hard to associate that dress with anything else. She did force herself once to wear it somewhere that wasn’t a funeral. The light in these ones was just so unique. The contrast it provides is so interesting.
Next we have her funky, artsy dress. The funky pattern reminds her of an old friend who was very artistic and also wore lots of unique patterns. She was saying that when you are around someone a lot, you end up adopting their habits wether it’s their speech patterns or personal style. That is exactly what prompted her to buy this dress! I just love the sunglasses with this one!
This last dress is the Jai dress. When shehosted her radio show, she hosted it through an organization called Media Bridges that helps everyday people with media whether thats shooting video, recording radio or what have you. Several years ago she
won member of the year at Media Bridges. She wore this dress when she filmed a live version of her show. For her, this dress seems to garner up all kinds of happy emotions about her time as a radio host. It also looks stunning on her.
These little snipets I’m sure do not do these dresses justice. We live our complex and deep lives in our clothing. I felt so honored to learn these stories about the dresses of Jai.