Galileoweddings

Here follows Veruniel's second look at Galileoweddings.

I found Galileoweddings while looking for examples of the modern fantasy reader's concept of 'Celtic fashion.'  Like early Gothic Revival, it's filled with details from multiple periods, everything from lace-up bodices to hanging sleeves.  And for those of us who know what real 'Celts' wore, it looks a little funny.

Don't get me wrong, I like this dress.  It's pretty.  They never would have worn plaid underskirts in the Renaissance, or put Celtic appliques on trains... and back in the day of knotwork ornament, the patterns would be much more intricate than this.  But I assumed they weren't going for historical accuracy.

Then I looked at the main page.  Oh dear, looks like they are going for historical accuracy.

But fabric choices on this site are very strange.  'Vienna' visits the American Southwest for its bodice print.  Why don't they name it 'Sedona?'  And why have they made the overskirt out of light, shiny satin instead of something heavy?  'Glastonbury', meanwhile, looks like the costumer plundered Victorian curtains.  'Cremona' clashes.  Sure they threw wild colours together back then, but burgundy and torquoise?  

There's a lot of satin used for chemises, too.  It's about as authentic as gold lamé, but it's bright and impressive and OMG shiny!  Just have a look at 'Bordeaux' and 'Milan.' 

Some choices are even more glaring.  If a Ren Fayre goer wants knotwork on their dress, I won't quibble.  But lace trim?  Ric-rac!?  Give this a second glance and it just looks wrong.  And is it too much to ask for a little colour sense?  Sage green does not go with red, except at Christmastime, and if you throw in dowdy white lace and picnic plaid, you'll look like a homemade ornament your granny slapped together with spare gingham.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is Scottish Lass meets Oklahoma!  And keeping with the theme of Little House on the Prairie, the Dundee dress sports lace and checks and little black mary janes and short, puffed sleeves!

Most of the gowns are inoffensive, but it looks like the seamstress took a single Simplicity pattern and repeated it ad nauseum.  They blatantly pass off one gown as two.  Add hanging sleeves to 'Camelot' and it becomes 'Coventry'!  And 'Salisbury' magically transforms to 'Chesterfield' with a different chemise!

They don't show prices, but I have a hunch it'd be cheaper to get the pattern and make your gown yourself.