All About Parasols, What Do Prim/Rue/Alexia’s Actually look like?

Today, my darling Gentle Reader, I want to talk to you about my great love and passion, the humble parasol!

Alexia carries several Parasols through the course of the Parasol Protectorate and passes on various others to her daughter, and her daughter’s best friend, Primrose.

When conceiving the original parasol I went off of this kind of style:

Here it is as I had it sketched some ten years ago (with steampunk gadget action).

And my sketch of Alexia carrying it looked like this:

Here’s an 1875 fashion plate, playing with a similar style.

If you are look for something online for an Alexia cosplay, I feel like this one most closely resembles this original parasol (which she eventually loses) is here for $24.

 

Through the course of the Parasol Protectorate series I realized that I needed to give here something bigger and more exciting. I ran across this style of parasol from the 1890s…

I love the shape, I’m a bit mad for anything approaching sphere shaped. So here is the sketch for Alexia’s second parasol.

The parasol is such an ubiquitous accessory up through the 1920s. One of the rabbit holes my obsession with the parasol has taken me on is how it was carried. There is, of course, the parasol pocket on 1870s dresses. There are a few examples of this but it isn’t particularly common.

It seems to me that’s it’s more likely to have rigged up some kind of belt and chatelaine holder. But then one would expect more parasols to have hooks in them, which we don’t.

I myself have quite the collection of parasols, you can check them all out over on Retro Rack.

My favorite is a vintage Edwardian tilt parasol.

I use this so much for steampunk events that I created a holster for it out of a pair of cargo shorts.

Speaking of parasols, I’ll be offering up this beauty:

In a giveaway to my Chirrup members. Sign up here. Opportunity to enter happens when that issue goes out. 

This Month’s Giveaway!

By popular vote (& personal preference) I’ll be offering the Chirrup a goodie box full of lovely things related to Channing’s forthcoming novella, How To Marry A Werewolf. You need to sign up by Saturday, instructions on how to enter will come in the actual Chirrup on Sunday.

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Coop de Book for April is Robin McKinley’s Beauty. (Discussion here.)

LATEST RELEASE

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Direct

Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella by Gail Carriger is now available (audio will follow).

Gay reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and some unexpected holiday gifts.

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

• How to Marry a Werewolf (In 10 Easy Steps) ~ A Claw & Courtship Novella
  Out May 13, 2018.
  Featuring a certain white wolf we all love to hate (except those of us weirdos who love to love him).
  Add this book on Goodreads.
• Competence ~ Custard Protocol Book 3
  Out July 17, 2018.
  Third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends. Available to preorder in digital & hardcover!
• The Omega Objection ~ The San Andreas Shifters Book 2
  Coming November 2018.
  A werewolf walks into a bar and falls in love with a man who has no smell.
  Add this book on Goodreads.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

A Tiny New York Town With Not One, But 5 Indie Bookstores

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

The Difference Between a Revision, a Rewrite, and a Redraft

Book News:

Quote of the Day:

“This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.”

~ A Nice Cup of Tea (1946)

Tags: behind the scenes, parasol protectorate