Dark Academia 2 - the conversation continues..

[highlandcoo]

Hello again to everyone from the last thread and welcome to anyone who enjoys talking about this aesthetic .. and if you have photos to share even better!

We've been discussing woollen jumpers, tweed skirts and jackets (with and without elbow patches), flannel trousers, fair isle tank tops, leather boots, culottes, berets and many other appealing garments, and more recently novels, poetry, libraries in general and even home decor with a DA vibe. Plus tortoiseshell spectacles and lorgnettes. I don't think we've touched on DA hairstyles yet although I've been giving that some thought ..

A DA quote I came across the other day: "I declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library." (P&P of course)

If curling up in a wing-backed armchair in front of a log fire, with candles flickering, sipping tea from a china mug while reading your Jane Austen or Bronte novel sounds appealing, this thread might be for you. Or if you just like the clothes - that works too.

Our first thread below:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/4861009-dark-academia-anyone-who-loves-this-style?page=39&reply=129785046

I like having laces and zips on a boot. You can put them on and get the laces exactly the right level of tightness. Then you take the boots off and put back on using the zip which is quick and they are exactly the right fit without messing with laces.

Oh and thank you all very much for prompting me to get back on to the Bod. They've come up absolutely trumps!

So I am now a happy Dark Antiquarian.

I saw a lady on the train with a long dark cream trench and dark check print, long high neck navy floral dress, black DM shoes and knee high black socks with a tote bag that looked like it was from a museum print. I loved the look and thought of this thread. She may have been in her 50's.

@worstofbothworlds are you waiting for a how long is a piece of string message now?

I'm sure it's coming!

I ordered some corduroy stuff from Joanie and the waistcoat is good but the wide leg trousers literally make me look wider than I am tall and the skirt is almost as bad.
I also got a dress that I think has been seen on Fiona Bruce, which is just gorgeous. I don't need more dresses.

joanieclothing.com/twig-contrast-trim-knitted-dress-green.html

I have been avoiding wide corduroy for fear the wind would take me.

I love that dress @worstofbothworlds it looks so comfortable. I'm too scared of customs charges to order it though.

Ooh @TressiliansStone have they found your document? (was an 18th century wedding cert, iirc?)

They have it, and more importantly are going to let me have a copy. So the story goes...

It was a marriage contract, which can sometimes be very interesting. Contracts might name the father of the woman or the trustees of either party, and give details of property which is being gifted in the marriage or is currently owned or expected to be inherited by one of the parties.

In this case it's a second marriage, so it might detail the children of the previous marriage who may be provided for; and if I'm really lucky, details from the previous marriage contract.

As it happens, I know that there was later a third marriage, and the wicked stepmother ran off with the inheritance of the children of the second marriage. Having been brought up in Cinderella-like poverty, the son ran away to sea, returning when he'd risen to admiral and received a knighthood as a sailor of fortune for a foreign power.

I'm not making a word of this up!

When he returned, our hero took his stepmother to court to retrieve his inheritance for the sake of himself and his sisters, so the whole story is laid out in the legal documents.

To be honest they're a very moving read. You can hear the (now grown) lad's anguish in the dry legal account of what he and his sisters lived through, and his pain at being powerless to do anything for them when he too was just a child.

What an absolutely fascinating tale! I am glad to hear you are getting this piece of the puzzle after all. I doff my beret to you in celebration!

@TressiliansStone oh gosh that is
moving, and very interesting too. I wonder what happened to the family.

Ah, you may be relieved to know that after the first return of their brother to Scotland, at the end of the Seven Years' War, three of the four sisters were able to marry and make good lives for themselves.

Two of the husbands were skilled tradesmen in "that London"; one was a merchant in Scotland and managed the siblings' legal affairs while the admiral brother was unavailable (he never married and died in his 40s).

This is the apprenticeship indenture of one of the London husbands. It's a little unusual in that the no money changed hands, but other documents do suggest Wagner was related by marriage. Wagner came from Coburg and in London became hatmaker to George I; John Deshones sr the distiller was from France. It was quite an international family!

This Indenture Witnesseth, That John Deshones Son of John late of the par[is]h of Southwark Distiller deceased doth put himself Apprentice to Melchior Wagner Citizen and Feltmaker of London to learn his Art and with him (after the manner of an Apprentice) to serve from the Date hereof, unto the full end and term of seven Years from thence next following to be fully Compleat and ended; during which Term the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve his secrets keep, his lawful Commandments everywhere gladly do: He shall not wast the goods of his said Master nor lend them unlawfully to any. He shall not commit Fornication, nor contract Matrimony within the said Term. He shall not play at Cards, Dice, Tables, or any other unlawful Games whereby his said Master may have any loss with his own goods or others during the said Term, Without Licence of his said Master, he shall neither buy nor sell. He shall not haunt Taverns or Play houses nor absent himself from his said Master’s Service day nor night unlawfully: But in all Things, as a faithful Apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said Master and all his durin[paper torn]d Term. And the said Melchior Wagner in Consider[paper torn] the [crossed out: Sum of] Promises [crossed out: of lawfull money of Great Britain to him in hand well and truly paid by _ (The Receipt whereof his hereby acknowledged)] the said Apprentice in the Art or Mystery which he now useth shall teach and instruct or cause to be taught and instructed the best way and manner that he can finding and allowing unto his said Apprentice sufficient Meat Drink Apparel Lodging and all other Necessaries during the said Term according to the Custom of the City of London, during the said Term. And for the true performance of all and every the said Covenants and Agreements, either of the said Parties bind themselves unto the other by these presents. In Witness whereof, the Parties above named to these Indentures interchangeably have put their Hands and Seals, the fourth day of December in the twenty Sixth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George [th]e 2d by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and in the Year of our Lord 1752.
John Deshons [signature]
Witness
[illegible signature]

That's fascinating @TressiliansStone . You're making me want to dig into my family history more.

Oh my goodness @TressiliansStone !!
Thank you for the update.
What a fascinating account.
This is a particularly lovely sentence:
”during which Term the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve his secrets keep, his lawful Commandments everywhere gladly do.”
Also quite interesting that he would not be allowed to commit fornication, or get married for the duration of the seven year apprenticeship!!

Just in case it is at all helpful, if the diameter of the inner opening is 15cm, the circumference of the opening will be about 47cm. But you may have given up by now!

A couple of websites you ladies might like:

https://www.lullilu.com/

https://www.plumo.com/

Oh my word, Mirabai. It's a good job Plumo is so far outside my budget, or I'd be starting to mutter about possibly stretching for one or two items.

This is who I am in my head:
https://www.plumo.com/products/Leonard-Pleat-Skirt.html

(My mirror does not agree, but fie to it!)

Solves the problem for me

Nothing wrong with high end inspo!

I have - I got one from Seasalt.

So true.

And there's always eBay...

You're being very kind about my obsession with long-dead folk. I feared I might have bored the Dark Academic pants off you...

Never have to explain preoccupation with dead people to me.