“Gibson Grimm”: Historybounding Aesthetic

This is part one of a series on historybounding aesthetics. To read the series introduction for context, click here. This series was inspired by the Style Avatars series by Blue Collar Red Lipstick (article).

Well met, everyone, and welcome back to the blog! It’s time for our first historybounding aesthetic!

I came up with this aesthetic when I was trying to figure out how to navigate my love of historical costuming in the brutal heat and humidity of Florida. Steampunk in the classical sense of the aesthetic is many layers of materials that are often thick and often less breathable than ideal, and so I wanted to adjust accordingly for light layers with a more streamlined silhouette and more fairytale influences with the Brothers Grimm, as well as some paranormal influences with the rise in the Spiritualist movement and the rise in popularity of Gothic literature and horror novels such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. So now, I shall present the Gibson Grimm aesthetic.

Aesthetic inspirations:

• “How does Professor know so much about mythological creatures?”
• Mythical-bird-watching from the deck of a dirigible or the basket of a hot-air balloon
• The stage ghosts spoil all of Houdini’s escape stunts. All of them. So rude.
• Nodding politely to the river spirit under the ice while skating past
• Waving to the merpeople from the deck of an ocean liner, dressed to the nines for dinner
• Looking for the white stag during the hunting season. Catching it gives you a wish. Bad things have happened to those who try to shoot it.
• Being a graduate of Mme. la Vicomtesse de Chagny’s Music Conservatory
• Back-alley antique stores run by someone who somehow knows exactly what you need before you get the chance to tell them, or even before you know what you need
• “Oh dear, Lady Hawthorn brought her enchanted biscuits to tea again. How ever can I politely decline this time?”
• Ferns in lieu of feathers on one’s hat
• :fastens scarlet coat: “Mother, I’m going to Grandma’s!” (“Very well, don’t talk to strangers. And you’re not taking that scandalous contraption, are you?”) :takes out bicycle Grandma secretly got you: “Of course I’m not!”
• Carrying a notebook of blank sheet music to transcribe what melody the Fair Folk are playing while promenading, then playing it with a gramophone when you miss that music

Colors:

• Black (for skirts and outerwear)
• White or ivory (for shirtwaists and underpinnings)
• Brown (for accessories and skirts)
• Bronze/antique gold/copper (for jewelry, metallic accents, and accessories)
• Absinthe/bottle green (for accessories, parasol covers, etc.)
• Turquoise/teal/seafoam green (for accessories, to have a copper-or-bronze-patina color palette)

If you follow the link to my Pinterest board down below, I have a section dedicated to Gibson Grimm:

Fashion Inspirations:

• Darling Videos on YouTube
• Bernadette Banner on YouTube (particularly her Lady Sherlock series)
• Rachel Maksy on YouTube
• Cathy Hay on YouTube
• The work of Alphonse Mucha
• This video by Cat’s Costumery on YouTube (I want to use this pattern)
• This video by Mariah Pattie on YouTube
• Rosalind Lutece and Elizabeth in Irrational Games’ BioShock Infinite

Tentative sewing list:

• Bicycling bloomers (Bikes and Bloomers—it’s a free pattern but the trade-off is that it’s one size so altering and grading the pattern is DIY only)
• 1901 split riding/bicycling skirt (Truly Victorian #notsponsored I just like this line of patterns and have used them before)
• 1898 walking skirt (Truly Victorian)
• 1903 corset (Truly Victorian) and Edwardian combinations (Truly Victorian)
• 1908 countryside blouse (Truly Victorian)

What do you think of this aesthetic? Let me know in the comment section below!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Until next time, stay magical, everyone!

Revision: Cathy Hay has been added to the list of inspirations. I regret this omission.