Dress Designs for my First Published Novel

If you happen to follow my personal blog, you have probably read that Monday was the release of my first novel. It's a Catholic Urban Fantasy set in Paris, and I had a ton of fun writing it.

Overall I was pretty restrained (for me) in describing the clothing. However, that doesn't mean I haven't thought about what the characters were wearing!!! In honor of announcing the release news here on my sewing blog, I thought I would draw some of the designs in my head.

First off, a non-new picture. This is a watercolor I did awhile back of my heroine, Daphne, wearing the one fancy dress she gets in the book. It is a homage piece to "Enchanted Forests" by Meredith Dillman, which is a gorgeous work of art that I love.

A pivotal character in the book is nightclub owner Amelia Fontaine. I had a lot of fun writing Amelia, and even more fun envisioning what she wears! Hands down, she has the most gorgeous dresses of anyone in the book. Her nightclub has a very art deco vibe, so I envision her wearing a lot of gorgeous evening dresses with influences from the 20's and 30's.

For the rest of the designs, I chose to illustrate the dresses I envision my characters wearing to the opera (an outing which takes place in chapter 24). Daphne's roommate is Madelaine Thibodeau, a spunky southern gal with a strong sense of style. She's definitely the most fashionable character in the book, and she knows how to mix current trends with timeless style.

Abby Woo doesn't have quite the same delusions of grandeur, gravitating towards a more simple and classic style. For her, a gold dress off the rack from Target is perfectly adequate for the occasion.

Kate Alexander, a spunky Scottish girl with a strong side of practicality, was one of my favorite side characters to write (and will be starring in book 2). For her, dressing up is something to be managed with efficiency. With her red hair, she's not one to be daring, so she likes to stick to a basic black dress that serves as the perfect backdrop for her athletic physique and family tartan.

(Fun fact - when I went to Europe, our group included two guys who wore proper tartan kilts to the theatrical performance we attended. It was epic.)

Danielle Grossman is the oldest of the band of friends, and is an English major who appreciates the romance of past style. She's not showy, but picks a look of understated elegance.

For those of you who have read the book... what outfits did I miss that you'd like to see me do?