Ladycrush: Emily Carroll & Vera Bee

Emily Carroll and Vera Brosgo interpret photos of outfits into drawings of outfits. They are lovely and amazing and I really enjoy this collaborative illustration blog of theirs. There's something truly magical about breathing new life into these forgotten or historic garments, and adding a little personality to the characters who may have worn them. This dress I saw last week at the MFA and it has stuck with me, which is why I was so excited when I saw it illustrated by Ms. Carroll. I love the mummy-lady, I love her super casual "who, me?" gesture and how the texture of the dress was rendered.

by emily carroll: http://emcarroll.com/

Beadnet dress, Egyptian Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, reign of Khufu —so neat! (via defunctfashion)

Beadnet dress | Egyptian Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, reign of Khufu |2551–2528 B.C.

Depictions of women in Egyptian art occasionally feature garments decorated with an overall lozenge pattern. This design is believed to represent beadwork, which was either sewn onto a linen dress or worked into a separate net worn over the linen. This beadnet dress is the earliest surviving example of such a garment. It has been painstakingly reassembled from approximately seven thousand beads found in an undisturbed burial of a female contemporary of King Khufu. Although their string had disintegrated, a few beads still lay in their original pattern on and around the mummy, permitting an accurate reconstruction. The color of the beads has faded, but the beadnet was originally blue and blue green in imitation of lapis lazuli and turquoise. (Boston MFA)