The "E" Word

 You know, the last word in my blog title.  "Eccentric".

Most of the time what i wear isn't really all THAT out of the ordinary.  I get occasional stares, smiles, and comments, but on the whole i don't feel self-conscious about how i look or present myself.

But there are times when i realize that what i'm wearing, how i choose to present myself, is stepping pretty far outside the bounds of the 'accepted' or expected.  Like, when i was in my youth, wearing my earrings made of V-8 labels, my ultra-suede fringe pants, my black silk noil pannier skirt.  This outfit 'goes there' as well.

Jan Vermeer  'Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window'

I fell in love with Vermeer's paintings the moment i set eyes on one at the Metropolitan in New York. I'd been looking at so many masterpieces for days, and i felt like my retinas were throwing up - they literally couldn't take in another image. Until i saw the Vermeers.  I stayed there about a half hour, then found myself wandering back again.....

Jan Vermeer 'The Milkmaid'

The autumnal light of this time of year always reminds me of Vermeer's light, and between the light and getting dolled up for Halloween in an old-fashioned shape, i wanted to wear an outfit that spoke to those themes....small, constricted bodice, full skirt with bulk underneath, somber colors, a taste of the East...

The only way to get that shape of skirt, where the bodice bursts out of the skirts like a crocus out of the snow in spring, is to wear a bum roll, farthingale, or bustle.   Bustles give you a very distinct look which has very little to do with how a person's backside is shaped - you get a jutting out right below the waist.

I have two bustles - one for 'period' wear (1890's era) and one for modern wear which is much smaller. I made both of my bustles, along the lines of this pattern. (I designed them both for my own preferences, since i don't use them for historical reproduction.) I love the way it shapes the skirt and gives it a completely different presence.

So now you know a woman in 2010 USA who actually goes out of her way to ADD bulk to her hips/backside. The "E" word is in my blog title for a reason.....do any of you 'go there' in how you present yourselves?  How much does the "E" word apply to you?

Wrap Cardi: Nine West
Jacket: own design
Blouse: made myself using Europa Pattern by La Fred
Skirt: Susan Bristol, gift
Tights: Hanna Andersson
Boots: Maine Woods