Blue Damask Gown

This dress owes its origins to my admiration of the "Days of Innocence" Blue Gown worn by Kiera Knightly in the recent film, The Duchess. As with many such inspirations, the desire to recreate is superseded by other impulses and the Mercenary begins to deviate from its origins. It's made from an iridescent alice blue and pale gold faux silk damask. The neckline significantly less scooped. The white ribbon roses are somewhat lost in the double row of ruffles.

The bodice is fastened down the centre front with hooks and eyes and is very lightly boned. There is lacing down the lower back, though there is a missing loop (due to an accident on the train involving a certain ex-Viscount and his stepping on the ties which had come loose, but that's entirely a different story).

The gown is worn over a white muslin chemise, the sleeves of which are quite clearly visible. Two different underskirts, a dark purple one and a pale green stretch silk one, can be evidenced in the photos. The pale green brings out the damask's gold foliage and the dark purple tones rather more the the alice blue, but neither is entirely right.

The gown toned surprisingly well with the green-blue bronze cast of a set of elven Norton Plate Gracewing owns and at this discovery, the idea of a "valkyrie" costume was born. Gracewing obligingly lent me the armour for an in-character masquerade ball (part of Profound Decision's Maelstrom). I am grateful for the photos taken of me, but I do wish the helmet was more cooperative. Despite use of a kitchen sponge, it refused to sit on my head in a proper and dignified way.

On something of a tangent, the same armour can be seen in the youtube short Chronicles of Durholme: Cross-Country Pantomime?, where it is worn by Dragon. The short is a documentary by Cosmic Joke about Live Action Roleplay, filmed around our local larp group. The second short In Search of Durholme, where they explore our beautifully hodge-podge setting of "Durholme", is also online.

More photos of this blue damask gown under the cut.