Forensics Fashion? Crime-fiction Couture?

Hello!

You all know I'm a fan of all things crime friction and true crime. An evening spent watching Forensics Files followed by reading a thriller late into the night? Sign me up. But what you might not know about me is that I also love retro 50's and 40's inspired fashion. So you can imagine my pure, unadulterated joy when I discovered that these two things actually overlap in the real world...

I recently went to a 'curiosities' faire, which is like an arts & wine festival put on by creatures of the night. I was excited to go see what inspirations popped up for future stories, and just because I love that kind of stuff. There was quite a line to get in, but that was okay--because the line itself was an awakening. A large number of people were wearing 'dark' outfits--either literally or thematically. And a reasonable percentage of the ladies were wearing retro styles--but rather than the typical cherries, polka dots and gingham you'd find on those fashions, they were covered in skulls, spider webs, and implements of death.

I was like a child who'd never heard of princesses or fairytales walking into Disneyland for the first time.

The ultimate for me was a halter dress made from Edgar Allen Poe fabric based on The Raven. I instantly jumped on my phone and tried to hunt down the dress. I couldn't find it.

But I found the fabric.

Seriously, how cool is this?!

Growing up, I learned the basics of sewing. And only the basics--the last thing I wanted to do as a teenager was sacrifice any of my precious Agatha-Christie reading time to sew a garment I could buy for far cheaper at the mall. As an adult I've pulled out the sewing machine a few times, mostly to make Halloween costumes or alter a few ready-to-wear items. But I've never really been motivated to sew my own clothes.

Until I saw that fabric.

As I poked around the site, my eyes grew bigger and bigger. Skulls. Skeletons. Atmospheric brocades. Bloody handprints. Everything a crime-fiction obsessed author could ever want--and stuff I definitely can't get at the mall.

I bought the fabric and I found a close-enough pattern for a dress. But I'm not crazy enough to think I'd just bust out a perfectly fitted dress on the first try. So I bought a couple of other fabrics and patterns and set about refreshing my sewing memory with a large dose of help from the internet. The first couple of items I made were a regular, easy pencil skirt and top. But finally I took my first step into what I've come to think of as "crime-fiction couture"--a cute, fifties-inspired top covered in (subtle?) skulls:

Cute and Creepy!

I'm particularly proud of the buttons:

If you care about these sorts of things, the pattern I used is Simplicity S8882, and these are the buttons I used. The fabric is currently out of stock in red, but is available in slate and black. I cut one size too large, and had to fiddle with the fit, so the neckline isn't as cute as the pattern shape--but I'm thinking about making another one in the black, so maybe I'll get it right the next time.

I realize I'm one of only a handful of people on the planet who'd wear this shirt--and that's when I think sewing is very cool, when you're creating something you just can't find anywhere else. And I have to admit, I really love the idea of crime-fiction couture...What about you? Do you think it's fun, or just silly? If you could make your own themed wardrobe, what theme what you pick?

Stay tuned for the 'Nevermore' dress...I'm not sure how long it'll take or how it'll come out, but I'm gonna make it happen!

Hugs,

M.