My Fashion Week Tag Questions Answers

The Period Drama Fashion Week is still going strong over at For The Beauty Of The Earth! Here are my answers to the fun tag questions that Emma Jane posted for this event! :)

1. Tell us five random things about yourself.
- I love yogurt! I've been on a Greek Yogurt craze recently and also am loving frozen Greek yogurt from Ben & Jerry's.
- I successfully did a fishtail braid on my hair the other day and wore it all day long. I love the look but have had a hard time mastering it!
- Besides period dramas I also really love murder mystery films and TV shows, especially the British ones!
- My favorite color is red which I've recently learned was a favorite color of both of my deceased grandmothers.
- I have a new found love of crossword puzzles. My great-grandma and I enjoy doing them together.


2. What are some of your favorite dresses from period dramas? Pick three.

Emma's gorgeous floral print dress in Emma 2009

Catherine's pretty drop front muslin dress from Northanger Abbey 2007

Marianne's lovely yellow dress from Sense & Sensibility 2008

3. How would you describe your own style? 
Modest, practical, simple, comfy, feminine. I don't go in too much for modern styles but I do like to look pretty and classic. I enjoy adding old-fashioned accessories (like a scarf/shawl, necklace or broach) to my outfits whenever possible.


4. List (up to) five of your favorite period drama wardrobes.

#1. Emma Woodhouse from Emma 2009 - I love the Regency styles, the fabrics are gorgeous and the cuts of her gowns are mostly quite modest. Even the less pretty dresses are so pretty and colorful! I definitely would love it if I could wear Emma's dresses all the time! :)

#2. Anne Elliot from Persuasion 1995 - The dresses worn by Amanda Root as Anne Elliot are simple but elegant just like the character herself. They are is pretty pastel tones that reflect Anne's sweet, gentle nature and really make her beauty shine. My favorite is Anne's pale blue drop-front dress, so lovely!

#3. Molly Gibson from Wives & Daughters 1999 - From her charming "tartan" evening gown to her iconic blue "jumper" dress the costumes worn by Justin Waddell as Molly Gibson are gorgeous! It was hard to choose just four dresses for the collage above because all of her gowns are so detailed and pretty! 

#4. Margaret Hale from North & South 2004 - I love the color palate they used for the dresses as worn by Daniela Denby-Ashe as Margaret - the darker shakes of greens and maroons being well balanced with the pale blues and whites. The cut of her clothes is always very elegant and (with the exception of the gown she wears to the Thornton's dinner) very modest. I also like the mixture of dresses with skirt and blouse sets. 

#5. Esther Summerson from Bleak House 2005 - The colors and styles worn by Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther Summerson so perfectly suit her character's modesty and meekness while combining her natural elegance. My favorite is her green dress with the buttons down the front (far left) that she more towards the start of the miniseries and I loved the hairstyles she wore in the beginning of the film too. 

5. What are some of your favorite fashion eras? 
Regency is my absolute favorite because of it's neatness and streamlined styles. There's a passion for details and matching accessories that I really enjoy seeing too.
Victorian is probably my next favorite. There were some weirdly eccentric styles but for the most part it was a very beautiful era as far as clothing.
Edwardian is another favorite, especially the styles worn in Anne Of Green Gables.

6. What are five things that make you happy?
- Crocheting or knitting
- Nutella hazelnut spread
- Receiving packages, letters and cards in the mail
- Watching my favorite period dramas
- Singing songs about my Lord Jesus Christ

7. Do you like to wear hats? 
I like the idea of hats but I often wear my long hair up and it's tricky to find hats that fit nicely or don't overheat my head. I do have a couple hats I enjoy wearing in the winter weather.

8. Do you have a favorite fictional character who has the same name as you? 
Well, sort of. Theodore Laurence "Laurie" of Little Women. I was named after my grandfather Laurence "Laurie" and his mother was fond of Little Women. But I wouldn't say Laurie was one of my favorite literary character even though he is fun in the book. And there aren't any female characters name Laurie that I know of...there's Laurey from the musical Oklahoma! and Laura Ingalls Wilder is pretty close to my name.


9. What is one of the ugliest dresses you've ever seen in a period drama?

The green checked dress (top left above) worn by the Anne Elliot in Persuasion (1971) is hideous as are several of her outfits in the miniseries. 

10. What is the most-worn color in your wardrobe? 
Probably blue in it's various shades but particularly in navy blue (yes, Horation Hornblower Navy blue, haha). Also dark pinks and maroons are frequently found among my tops.

11. What are your sentiments on the subject of tea? 
It's my favorite hot beverage! During the winter and whenever I want to relax there's nothing like a cozy cup of herbal tea! My favorite are fruit teas but mint, green tea and rooibos are also favorites. Black tea might be my least favorite but mostly I just like to avoid drinking caffeine as much as possible.

12. Do historical inaccuracies bother you? 
Oh, very much so! When I'm watching a period drama historical inaccuracies are something I look for. Particularly manners and customs not being observed in period dramas or books annoys me.  I was also reading a novel set in the Regency era and small things like calling a young boy Mr. James instead of Master James, or calling the housekeeper by her first name instead of Mrs. ___ made me have to stop and explain the problems aloud to the absent author. ;)

13. What are some of your favorite eras of men's fashions? 
Regency - There's something quite handsome about the Regency gentlemen - the cravats, the waist coats, the boots, the hats, the jackets and especially the GREATCOATS! And then there's the sailors and army officers in their uniforms! *swoon*
Edwardian - I really like the early 1900's fashions for gentlemen such as Gilbert Blythe in Anne Of Green Gables and Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey.

1920's-1930's - I love the sharp look of the pressed trousers that are slightly turned at the cuffs, with the shined leather shoes neatly sticking out. The sweater vest, tie and jacket is a nice addition. Jeeves & Wooster (TV series), Miss Marple films and Poirot films feature the best in these type of styles!
Victorian - I'm also very fond of some Victorian styles for gentlemen but a lot of the styles went over the top. I enjoy most of the fashions worn in the Elizabeth Gaskell adaptations: Cranford, Return To Cranford, Wives & Daughters and North & South (Mr. Thornton's look is so great!).

14. Have you ever read any books on historical fashion? 
A bit. I actually own The Encyclopedia of World Costume by Doreen Yarwood. It's a thick hardcover with everything you'd want to know about articles of clothing throughout history and it does include drawings! I've also read some articles and chapters in books about Regency and Victorian fashions. Growing up I loved my color books by Tom Tierney and loved reading the historical blurbs that went with each fashion.

15. If you could pick just three fictional characters to have over for tea, who would you invite?
Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility, Margaret Hale from North & South and Amy Dorrit from Little Dorrit. Not sure why, I'd just go with them at the moment. Perhaps because they all three have a good deal of sense.