I am apparently a knitting guru. Yesterday on the commute ride back home to Astoria from work, a random girl asked me to help her with her dropped stitches. Is it easy fixing a stranger’s work while standing on a moving W train? No. Did I do it anyway? Yes. Not that I’m a font of knitting knowledge myself; I just started a new pair of mittens that I may or may not have to unravel entirely. (Six inches of it! Watch as I cry.)
Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter
I have changed my mind with regards to how I will style my makeup and hair for med school prom. As my dress is not period 20s, I will forego the flapper makeup for another time and occasion and instead ape Claudette Colbert‘s look from It Happened One Night (a favourite romantic comedy of mine and Mum’s along with The Sound of Music).
As I’m researching fashion and hairstyles of the 1930s, I’m finding that a few of Nicole Kidman’s recent movies serve as great visual inspiration. While The Golden Compass isn’t set in any “real” time period, the art design team obviously went Art Deco with the movie’s look which is perfect for my needs. Australia is a little later what I want, but I love the idea of a white flower in my hair.
Bias cut dress
My dress is somewhat similar to the green one Keira Knightley wore in Atonement except it’s a brilliant orange. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve been looking at stills for reference to hair. Cecilia’s hair is less pincurl than Mrs. Coulter’s in the first photograph and more curling iron, I think, although I can’t be sure: it looks like her pincurls have been shaped in some scenes. I vascillate between pincurls and something a little softer, mostly because I think pincurls would be too difficult to achieve in Bear’s apartment with its dinky mirror set too high. Also, I seem to have a constant shortage of bobby pins no matter how often I go out and buy them.
1930s makeup
With regards to makeup, the early 30s was still fairly close to the 20s, although the eyebrows were tweezed much thinner. I’m thinking of buying false eyelashes because 1) FALSE EYELASHES, 2) when will I ever wear them again? and 3) my own aren’t quite so dramatic. I may also need to buy some more makeup to match the tints in my dress; the shadows and powders I have are green and purple and I’m thinking more gold and silvery-grey. I don’t have any dramatic lipstick either, which I will need to rectify. I think I’m going to go for a bright, bold red instead of the dark purple-toned colours I own. Shopping trip! I think Thursday will be devoted to being girly and practicing (yes practicing) for prom on Friday.
Today I spoke with another intern here at Writers House about my tomboyish childhood and I think I might have killed any perceptions about my masculine side in this post. Oh well, it’s as I’ve said before: as a kid I wanted to be able to shoot, spit, and climb with the boys only providing I can wear pretty, pretty dresses at the same time.
