reign: queens of beaded bodices

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Remember that post I wrote about Reign a few months back?

Well, get ready, my friends. This show's style has continued to wow me, and I feel inclined to write another post on it. You can't ever have enough castle intrigue, after all.

And by intrigue, I mean, look at this dress. 

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If that doesn't make you rethink your wedding dress, I don't know what will.
Did I say wedding? I meant your everyday dress because who says a floor-length all-over lace stunner has to mean wedding? Go to brunch in that thang! It'll go great with your mimosa.

This show has a lot to its charm, aside from fashion -- like the absolutely phenomenal music selection. Check out my Reign spotify playlist here, I update it every week!
But I think it's a combination of several things that really makes it so addicting. And a big part of that winning combo is the eye candy.
Meaning the clothes, of course.

When I wrote before about how they have completely reinvented style for this period drama, I wasn't kidding. They have taken some serious (and much appreciated, by the way) liberties with the fashion of the day, creating a strange world of bohemian renaissance. A place of crystals and fur and headpieces and beaded bodices; a place that, frankly, I want to live. 

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They have taken big risks. And like they say, the bigger the risk, the greater the reward.
They've done things like plaid and tie dye, completely embracing their creative genius. They make a ton of custom pieces for this show, but they also grab everyday ensemble enhancers from real-people stores like Anthropologie and Free People, as well as incredible fashion designers like Oscar de la Renta.
I'm sure as this show goes on they'll continue to get their hands on truly exquisite pieces from all over the fashion world. They're just too good at what they do.

Going back to plaid and tie dye -- I mean, sure, she is the Queen of Scotland. So maybe plaid is part of the many fashionista requirements for a queen like Mary; but this isn't quite the whip-out-the-bagpipes, rock-the-kilt kind of plaid. It actually kind of reminds me of a Prom dress from the 90's, inspired by the kind of rocker fashion of Hot Topic and Paul Frank.

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I'm not gonna fight it, though. I love plaid enough to give it a thumbs up, even if it pushes back the borders of appropriate attire for 16th century French court. Push the borders all the way to England, for all I care!

And maybe this isn't really tie dye. Go ahead and tell me it's bohemian, or abstract, or tasteful kaleidoscope. Either way, I love it. It brings back memories of dunking anything and everything white in my closet into big tubs of dye in my backyard. Did any of you used to do that? Rubberbands, buckets, tie dye splashes on your hands and legs?

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Ugh, look at that. Tie dye and crimped hair, it's like a perfect royal throwback to the 80s.
Actually, it's a royal flashforward to the 80s, because that's how queen Mary rolls. She develops her fashion tastes from the future. Legit.

PS: could Francis be any feistier? Gotta love him and his wispy hair and ironclad loyalty to France.

Alright: time for some really good news.
If you're wondering if headpieces are still a thing, they are. They're still happening big time.

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I'm fairly certain the lovely ladies-in-waiting have a Mean Girls-esque rule about head sparkle at court. 

Bling it everyday, or you can't sit with us. 

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Anyone remember this pearly beast?

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We should have known she was evil, by her obvious over-attempt at fitting in to the court headgear crowd. It was too much.
Like Zac Efron trying to dress hip in 17 Again. What'd you do, mug K-Fed?

But moving on; let's forget headpieces, because they're old news, amiright?

Let's talk about CAPES.

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The arrival of wintertime meant a lot of good things for Reign.
Snowy scenes, more fur, more sparkle. Cold weather always means more cuddling.
But the best thing was the appearance of scene-stealing capery.

We've known capes are great since the invention of superman, but this brings them to a whole new level. Velvet, embroidery, bold prints. Warmth and style and riches. The feeling of flying, when a strong wind arises. The element of mystery, because no one knows what your arms are up to.
Honestly, you just can't underestimate the grace of a good winter cape.

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Last by not least, this show has brought back my desire to go big or go home in the earring department.

The way of royalty always wins, because they don't do anything half-cocked. If your earlobes aren't drooping with priceless jewels, you aren't living your life right.

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Gosh, I love her. Part of me is thinking what in the sam hill is she wearing in her ear holes? And the other part is just swooning because she's like a dragon goddess wearing crystal weapons in her ears.

When it comes down to it, Mary does what she wants.
And we all love her better for it.

Do you love Reign? Are you finding yourself obsessed with maxi dresses, wishing they had a beaded bodice and a fuller train? Have you been shopping on Etsy for blinged out headpieces and gargantuan golden ear ornaments? 

Join the club. 

(And by that, I mean, leave a comment or send me an email -- I'm here for you!)

p.s. see all reign posts

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Happy Friday!

I've been taking a break from blogging, since we had some family in town last week and then I got a cold and, more honestly, all I've been wearing are skinny jeans and big sweaters. Not super blog-worthy, so I'll just admit to the laziness!

Amidst my comfy cold-weather wear, I have been admiring fashion from other sources. Most notably, Reign, which is a new show on the CW (I know, I know. Guilty pleasure).
I have to confess I've fallen head over heels for the period drama, despite its glaring historical inaccuracies and supernatural whims. (Or maybe that's why I like it...those are pretty standard requirements for guilty pleasure shows, I think).

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If you're completely unaware of the premise of this show, it is loosely based on (but at this point is a completely fictitious account of) the journey of young Mary, Queen of Scots, as she resides in the French court awaiting her eventual marriage to young Prince Francis, heir to the throne of France.
In this version they're all supremely gorgeous people, dealing with politics, power plays, strange ghost figures, castle drama, court drama, love drama, and just so much delicious drama.

Perhaps I'm still devastated by Downton Abbey, and having another Mary in my life is somewhat therapeutic. Whatever the reason, I'm hooked.

For those of you familiar with the show, I think the enchantment comes from a mixture of Francis's wispy facial hair, Mary's full lips, Bash's mystical eyes, Nostradamus's husky voice, Queen Catherine's stern brow and Clarissa's mystery. A few other ingredients, such as the cutesie names of Mary's ladies (Greer, Kenna, Aylee and Lola. Ha) and the absolutely superb soundtrack make for a rather enjoyable show.
Truly, the music is amazing - I hope they come out with an official soundtrack eventually, but for now I've just posted featured songs in a playlist on my Spotify. There are only a few songs missing, including the theme song "Scotland" performed by the Lumineers, which aren't on Spotify.

Also, the costumes. Oh, the costumes.

The costumes are clearly period-inspired, but they've really created an entirely new genre of style, specific to the show. It's a concoction comprised of the Renaissance feel with a modern twist, using touches of bohemian and vintage, custom-made to make me drool and go on Etsy to search for crystal bodychains. 

I often find myself wondering if the secret agenda of this show is to bring headbands back.

If that's the case, they've totally succeeded. I've been shopping online for headbands all day. 

Or shall I say, headpieces. Because these take headbands to a whole new level. 

You could also just pull an Aylee and use your ridiculously braided hair in lieu of a headband. 

I found an excellent tumblr page about the fashion on Reign, and I'll definitely be checking that out every week. If you're interested in seeing some of the specific pieces and how/where to get a hold of them (or just to dream about them, like me) then check that out here. 

In the meantime, let me know if you also watch Reign and find yourself oddly attracted to velvet again, or if you've started looking up local Renaissance festivals so you can take part in all this nonsense for a day or two or five.

If you don't watch, and start to watch, contact me immediately. We'll have a whole new host of things to talk about, including whether or not you think Clarissa is really Scarecrow from the Batman movies.

p.s. see all reign posts