New book Help?

So … I have a new book coming out next year. It’s called The Hundred Dresses, as well as it’s about the most iconic gown styles of our age, as well as exactly how as well as why to wear them. What do I mean by “iconic gown styles”? Well, it’s whatever from fashion classics like the Fortuny column as well as the Chanel jersey dress, to folklore styles like the wench as well as the “Guinevere,” ethnic styles like the flamenco, the cheongsam as well as the sari, in addition to pop-culture icons like the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” as well as the “How Do You solve a issue like Maria” dirndl, as well as contemporary touchpoints like the J-Lo (yeah, you understand the one I’m speaking about) as well as the Mouret Galaxy. Whew!

Here’s a quick excerpt from the present draft — a gown archetype familiar to routine visitors of this blog, the Airship Hostess.

The Airship Hostess gown is not for present-day flight attendants or even stewardesses: it is a purely notional gown for an alternating history where giant cruise-ship-like dirigibles float with the skies, doing the new York to still-exotic San Francisco run at a leisurely 135 mph.

The Airship Hostess gown is vaguely 1930s; vaguely 1940s, however with a distinctly official air. There are useful pockets (usually asymmetrical); there are buttons (usually asymmetrical); there’s a long, narrow skirt as well as a bit collar, as well as definitely something pointy as well as art-deco-y going on. It’s used bare-headed, or with a jaunty bit hat, as well as handbags or bags are not brought while on duty (that’s what the pockets are for). Dickies as well as gloves? Optional.

The women in the Airship Hostess gowns are the heroines of screwball comedies: they’re heiresses running away from their inheritances, grifters on the make (with hearts of gold), dames both dizzy as well as hard-bitten. They have secrets; they have repartee; they do their security rundown before takeoff as a patter song. They always autumn in like on their voyages, either with the bad boy in steerage (who is a prince in disguise) or with the older, world-weary war correspondent, or (occasionally) with the semi-sloshed as well as semi-louche lounge piano player.

Even though contemporary airships are restricted to excitement rides as well as hovering over major sporting events (yawn) the Airship Hostess gown is not. It’s remarkable exactly how competent a trim, tailored, practical gown — one that isn’t trying to be a man’s fit — can make you feel. The Airship Hostess is gotten ready for any type of catastrophe on the ground or in the skies (short of a full-on Hindenberg), as well as you can be too.

So here’s where I might utilize your assist — I requirement a subtitle, as well as I requirement it *now*. The usual publishing method of just adding “… as well as exactly how they altered the WORLD” as a subtitle isn’t truly working for this one, sadly. any type of suggestions? I will pick my preferred from any type of comments left on this publish today, as well as send the champion a copy of my last book (signed, if you like!) as well as likewise a random piece of material or pattern from my stash! (How’s that for incentive?)

I’m likewise looking for some “who used it best” type links to photos of famousish people using the archetypes. I’ve set up a Pinterest Board as well as tried to put up photos of all the types … if you understand where to discover a photo of, say, Cameron Diaz using the Airship Hostess (oh, if only she WOULD) or Zooey Deschanel using a “Face” gown … or Drew Barrymore using the flower kid Bride … as well as so on, Pinterest lets you leave comments on the pins. Which would be awesome.

What else can I tell you? It’s being published by Bloomsbury (they’re wonderful). It’s illustrated — every dress! — by Donna Mehalko, who is super-wonderful. It will be out in 2013 sometime, offered anywhere books are sold.

New book Help?

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