Poe Week: Poe's Fashion (sort of...)

In case you've never thought about it, here is a short (tongue-in-cheek) guide to the fashions of Edgar Allan Poe's day.  To create the appropriately flouncy, feminine, helpless look of a woman from the Gothic romances of Poe's mind:

accentuate your sloping shoulders

minimize your waist

bare your shoulders and collarbone at every appropriate opportunity

work the bonnet style

have as many ruffles and flowers on your dress as possible, as this will make you more helpless (and unable to move)

And for the men, here's your guide to evincing the paranoid, perhaps drunk, and hopefully masculine look of Poe's men:

a waist-minimizing vest that accentuates your chest is a must

carry a cane; it makes you dapper

tie your cravat with aplomb so as to cover your whole neck and make it look muscular

if you absolutely must express your personality, wear exciting pants

never be without a hat (especially if you are wearing exciting pants)

Well, I hope that explains everything perfectly...  ;)

Au revoir!
The Lonely Alchemist