Beautiful Dresses From The Seventeenth Century...
(Photos have been removed from post)
Next up within my newest blog feature, Researching For Romance, I'll share some lovely fashion finds! Historical novels/novellas share top billing in my romance reading favorites along with contemporary and paranormal. When writing a contemporary, dress is easily described in as elaborate or little detail as the author would care to go into. Within the paranormal world, the author can get downright creative - or not - as preference dictates. But when writing a historical, the fashion spectrum narrows.
The gowns and beautiful dresses of long ago enchant me. So, when I wrote my first historical novella, researching popular fashions was a treat! The mid 1600's were a period of varied dress for ladies. Courtly gowns were far more elaborate than the Northumberland countryside setting in which I have my heroine, Lady Mariel Hayes. (At that time, whether one was 'high' enough on the nobility ranking to rate the official title or not, the feminine persuasion was addressed or referred to as 'Lady' by polite society. Encyclopedia Britannica)
Both of the gowns pictured are fine examples of what Mariel may have worn. The green above is just beautiful! I love the neckline and fitted waist.
In this painting, (Workshop of Gerard van Honthorst Title: Amalia van Solms (1602-75). Wife of Prince Frederik Hendrik. Date 1650 Medium Oil on canvas.) we see a princess' gown, which is bulkier and more elaborate. My hero and heroine are far lower on the nobility tier, Gervase being only a Baron.
One fashion accessory I had to include in Mariel's wardrobe was the snood. I own a few snoods myself, covering my hair a priority on those days when humidity reigns and my overly-zealous natural curls go wild! Wild, I say! Here's a beautiful snood my research produced. I modified it's sparkly look to tone it down a bit for my Mariel, who is not a flashy character. Ha!
What is your favorite historical dress style? (I'm also partial to empire waisted gowns, but that's for another post!) Do you research clothing, too?
On The Writing and Goals Front ~
* Chapter five is moving right along. My heroine begins to be affected by our rakish hero, as she catches glimpses of what lies beneath his exterior. How? Why? Well, he's come up against an enigma...a woman who challenges him, confuses him. As he begins to know her, through their interactions and through watching family dynamics, he's drawn to her. She's not what he expected. He understands that he wants to have her know him...wants to earn her trust. It's a good time for me as a writer to eek these two characters toward one another little by little.
* Exercise is checked off the list for this week. I broke the minute mark in holding a breaking parallel squat. Noodle legs followed. It was a glorious feeling....well, after I got my sea legs back. Ha!
* Social media goals - check. Easily.
* Promotion is wild and crazy. Summer Kick-Off has me offering my latest, The Third Fate for only $0.99 through the month of June. Reviews are coming in, emails are flying back and forth through cyber-space, and I'm smiling ear to ear. Even though it can be harried and consuming, I'm having a blast. Thanks to all the readers who've taken the time to post reviews and stars. You all make me smile.
* The Third Fate's online tour with IO will wrap up this week. I've been introduced to some fantastic review sites, and look forward to following.
* Another round is nearing the close. The next will begin 02 July! I need to set my goals over the next two weeks to prepare. I've decided to push hard through the next round, and may set a goal to be ready for edits on my current WIP by next round's end. It's a daring move, but I'm feeling it....we'll see!
Have a great week, everyone!
~ Nadja
Hi, Nadja! Those dresses are great! I had to look into a site which offered Victorian dresses (for sale), to research for my Steampunk/fantasy (3rd book), and it was fun!
ReplyDeleteSound like all is well for you, happy for you!
Her Dark Baron was only my second published book, and with the first, I knew exactly what clothing/fashions I wanted to describe. So researching clothing was a new topic for me. I really enjoyed it! I'm glad someone else loved searching through the world of style as much as I did! Have a wonderful week!
DeletePretty dresses, and I like that snood!
ReplyDeleteDoing great with your goals, I see. Well done!
Have a great week!
I loved that snood, too! You have a great week as well!
DeleteThe dresses are great, but my favorite is the snood! I too have unruly long hair in the humidity, so it's a must (and pretty too)! Can't wait to start The Third Fate!! :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I never realized how much 'snood-love' existed. I suppose unruly hair develops a need for hair accessories...lol.
DeleteHappy Reading, Claudia! *smiles*
Oh I love those dresses! One of my favorite things to do is go to the Renaissance Faire we have here every summer just to see the costumes the actors (and faire goers!) wear (And I totally swoon over the male actors, cause well pirates and lords, and all sorts of male English accented yumminess abounds. I need to take pictures this year!) I've never seen the Snood though-that seriously would be perfect for my hair in the summer. I have to hunt some of those down! Great work on your goals and have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteWe took our kids to a Renaissance Fair once...it was a blast! There is a place around here where you watch a mock jousting tourney while you have dinner...I hope to make it there one of these days.
DeleteCoveryourhair.com has tons of different hair accessories. I shop online with them regularly and their snoods are awesome. FYI.
Have a great week, Kat!
Ooooh, dresses and gowns! Lovely! And interesting! It looks like you're doing well with your goals (and already thinking about next round, my!). Congrats and have a great week.
ReplyDeleteBack at you :} Yeah...I've got to nail down some goals for next round and begin planning how I'll accomplish them.
DeleteI love this post! Often times when I'm reading a historical romance, I have a hard time picturing the clothing because I get the time periods confused, so I'd be horrible at writing one that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteOnce I searched through about 5 - 10 sites, I had a clear picture of the clothing I'd describe. With Google, I can find anything...♥ I can't keep all the fashions of the various time periods straight, so I must save images to folders or now to pinterest. What a help!
DeleteLooks like you are going great guns!! Love the research too....makes me want to dabble in a historical novel next :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week Nadja
Ha! I do love me some history...lol. Glad to see you, Em! Can't wait to see what you've been up to...:}
DeleteHa! My sister has worn a snood on occasion for the same reason you stated. So far I haven't had to research clothing for a story but I imagine it'd be a blast :)
ReplyDeleteYou're doing fantastic with your goals Nadja. Keep up the great work. Hope you have a great weekend with the family!
Today was a fun day! We had a huge cookout with friends and family and badmitten! I haven't played badmitten in forever. We had some rain, but that only served to bring the boys great joy...lol. Sure hope you all had a great day too!
DeleteCool dresses! I love the look of some of those old dresses. I would really love to to a costume party and wear something like that.
ReplyDeleteI love snoods. I have a black one and a white one. I LOVE the one in the picture.
And I'm jealous about the squat. I really need to get back into shape. I used to be. :(
Oh, Lauralynn! You'd have laughed and laughed if you'd have seen my on my noodle legs immediately afterward...luckily, I was in my bedroom where no one could point and giggle. But I did feel pretty proud.
DeleteAgain...I'll say it! I never realized how popular snoods are! Gosh. I'll have to do a post about techels one of these days to see if they're as popular. I love them during summer months, as they contain the mass-o-curls, yet look so nice...all while keeping hair off face and neck. I have about every color under the rainbow!
Costume party? Sounds so fun!
...er, seen me on my noodle legs. Sigh. :}
DeleteI've always been partial to the age of the bustle. Outlandish and uncomfortable, yes. But oh, soooo elegant!!
ReplyDeleteI also love the Regency dresses from Austen's age. I've always wondered what it would be like to dampen my dress and go to a crush. hahaha
Agree! I've also always been intrigued by corsets. Also uncomfortable - I'd assume, but oh! such tiny waists...:}
DeleteI had to do research for clothing styles for the early 17th century and it was a lot harder than I expected. Since this was for my pirate story coming out later this year, I had to cobble the different styles of dress coming from many countries. An education to be sure.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea, Maria! I'm always up for a pirate read...looking forward...:}
DeleteI'm short and straight but have always liked the snood - would be the only thing to tempt me into long hair:) lovely dresses must be fun researching them.
ReplyDeletegoals doing well keep smiling:)
I've found that in some of my antiquated readings that even common-folk women would be referred to as 'Lady' based on their attitude, intelligence, social interactions, and independence of will. It was not solely an address for titled or landed nobility, unlike their male counterparts. Kudos on your research. I can't stand it when authors have absolutely no clue as to what they're writing about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kudos, Jules! Research is a part of writing I really enjoy. I'll be posting about swords in the near future, a topic I know is near and dear to your heart. Ha. :}
DeleteOooh, I love looking at old clothing styles. But when it comes to including them in the story, without being over the top in descriptions... it's a bit difficult. I feel so silly writing about a man's doublet all the time...
ReplyDeleteYes. I try to limit clothing description to a few instances, so as not to overwhelm the story. My first novel included more clothing descriptions than was necessary, but I was exploring the descriptive process and loving it! It was a new and fun experience :}
Delete