Week 6: Marie Antoinette. My casual 'The French Queen' Look

Did you know that Marie Antoinette hada faux peasant village built for herself and her friends at Versailles? Her rustic retreat was called the Hameau de la Reine and it featured 11 cottages surrounding a large lake, pretty gardens, a watermill, a dairy and animals. Marie and her friends would wear simple dresses, dance and play the role of peasants. The people of France saw this as a mockery of their poverty and it added fuel to the general discontent with the Queen.

Imagining Marie and her ladies-in-waiting dressing up as peasants and singing songs in the field inspired me to create this casual look. It is adapted to our century, so don't be surprised seeing me in white jeans. I added little details evocative of Marie: a cute ribbon on my neck, baby blue 'peasant' style off-shoulder top and soft wavy hair.

You can visit charming Hameau de la Reine today partly thanks to Dior which supported recent restoration works!)Isn’t it gorgeous?! I cannot wait to explore France with my husband one day!

Marie Antoinette's model hamlet - Hameau de la Reine

Top - Walter Baker, Jeans - Topshop, Boots - Nine West (similar here)

Photos by Lisa Pillmore

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Week 2: War & Peace. Russian Winter Fairytale

I have created several War & Peace inspired fashion looks, especially the ones that I could imagine Natasha Rostova wearing if she would magically appear in our era.

Here is my first look, the one I call 'Russian Winter Fairytale'. It has a very soft, feminine touch to it. The outfit is a little bit peasant-y, but still very rich in fabric and somehow noble; something Natasha would wear when she and other Rostovs visited her uncle in the village of Mihkaylovka. There, in his wooden hut, surrounded by peasants and dancing to a Balalaika, Natasha wonderfully connects with the spirit of simple Russian men and women. 

Of course such open shoulders are a little bit more risky than what women usually wore during the beginning of the 19th century. Additionally, women of the aristocracy during that era would wear their hair up. However, films often disregard historical facts, and I wanted to show more of Natasha's closeness to simple folk by braiding my hair in this look.

Braid-spiration:

Regency Era Fashion:

Outfit by Walter Baker.

The screens from the series taken from another wonderful blog Frock&Flicks

I hope you enjoyed my first pastiche of Natasha Rostova's character. Stay tuned for more looks this week!

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