Bernadette Banner (Part 2)

[sporkspeaks]

Looking at the picture she posted on Fb and Insta with that spinning wheel... Someone please tell the poor girl that it will definetly helps making it work, if she actually puts the driveband ON the wheel.

And ruin everyone's fun at laughing at her refusal to study and learn how to actually do a craft? Perish the thought. I hope someone does rescue that poor wheel though. It would have a better life sitting in an antique store waiting to be bought by a clueless interior decorator.

[CuriousAboutThat]

Looking at the picture she posted on Fb and Insta with that spinning wheel... Someone please tell the poor girl that it will definetly helps making it work, if she actually puts the driveband ON the wheel.

And ruin everyone's fun at laughing at her refusal to study and learn how to actually do a craft? Perish the thought. I hope someone does rescue that poor wheel though. It would have a better life sitting in an antique store waiting to be bought by a clueless interior decorator.

"The wheel weaves as the wheel wills."? Nice pun. But, I feel like freaking out like Kermit the Frog. And posting a snarky response about the drive bands. Which hangs to the side. And her feet are most assuredly not positioned for actual spinning.

But I'll restrain my fingers.

[ValkyrieRisen]

Looking at the picture she posted on Fb and Insta with that spinning wheel... Someone please tell the poor girl that it will definetly helps making it work, if she actually puts the driveband ON the wheel.

She probably won't listen cause she is the "expert" afterall, not to mention the flyer would be more useful if it was on the maidens

[gardenofpeonies]

Looking at the picture she posted on Fb and Insta with that spinning wheel... Someone please tell the poor girl that it will definetly helps making it work, if she actually puts the driveband ON the wheel.

She probably won't listen cause she is the "expert" afterall, not to mention the flyer would be more useful if it was on the maidens

That would have been my other remark, but since she mostly covers the motherofall on the will I was not exactly sure it is on or not...
But yes, having a bobbin and a flyer on the wheel also helps.

[Snottebel241]

Has anyone watched the video Vintagebursche has put up on Ms Banner?

I think I like her better when she’s talking about clothes instead of herself…

I lasted about 10 seconds...

[IrishBreakfastTea]

Has anyone watched the video Vintagebursche has put up on Ms Banner?

I think I like her better when she’s talking about clothes instead of herself…

I lasted about 10 seconds...

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.
Ok, one thing I do remember is she said she can't wear straight sizes from most clothing shops, so her alternative was to go to thrift shopping, take things apart and fit them to herself, or just plain make things from scratch. I did like her reasoning that the reason she didn't want to spend all her time altering garments was because it enforced what she was not. I thought she articulated that point quite well and that made total sense. But I do have to question her inability to wear straight sizes - she's a size 0 - that's what it clearly says on her dress form that she shows in so many videos. Christ on a bike, size 0s in the US have nearly unlimited choice of what they can wear! One of my sisters is a size 0 and the sky is the limit for clothing choice when you're the size the designers and stores love to create for. Now, the shops available may not have clothing/styles/colours/fabrics Bernadette likes to wear, but I dare say she could find some size 0 clothing anywhere in the USA. It's not quite the same as being plus size and only having 2 shops in an entire shopping centre have clothing in your size, and usually for an older demographic; or barely ever having thrifted, or heaven forfend, vintage clothing in your size! I don't know why sometimes she makes it sound like the choices she makes are for economic reasons instead of just aesthetic ones. You don't like the clothing currently on offer and want to make your own? Fine, that's a valid reason! Don't fluff it out by saying you can't wear straight sizes when you are literally the size that all the companies make clothing for.

[Notmycup]

I lasted about 10 seconds...

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.
Ok, one thing I do remember is she said she can't wear straight sizes from most clothing shops, so her alternative was to go to thrift shopping, take things apart and fit them to herself, or just plain make things from scratch. I did like her reasoning that the reason she didn't want to spend all her time altering garments was because it enforced what she was not. I thought she articulated that point quite well and that made total sense. But I do have to question her inability to wear straight sizes - she's a size 0 - that's what it clearly says on her dress form that she shows in so many videos. Christ on a bike, size 0s in the US have nearly unlimited choice of what they can wear! One of my sisters is a size 0 and the sky is the limit for clothing choice when you're the size the designers and stores love to create for. Now, the shops available may not have clothing/styles/colours/fabrics Bernadette likes to wear, but I dare say she could find some size 0 clothing anywhere in the USA. It's not quite the same as being plus size and only having 2 shops in an entire shopping centre have clothing in your size, and usually for an older demographic; or barely ever having thrifted, or heaven forfend, vintage clothing in your size! I don't know why sometimes she makes it sound like the choices she makes are for economic reasons instead of just aesthetic ones. You don't like the clothing currently on offer and want to make your own? Fine, that's a valid reason! Don't fluff it out by saying you can't wear straight sizes when you are literally the size that all the companies make clothing for.

I think you misunderstood her and she was talking about her scoliosis and the subsequent body asymmetry. I have a very mild scoliosis and my shoulders are on slightly different heights and one pant leg always ends up a tad higher than other in narrower pants styles. BB, on the other hand, has a very pronounced scoliosis, so I imagine the easiest things for her to shop for are knits. Things like blazers and fitted coats must be adjusted to fit properly.

Sure, it's easier to find clothes in her size or a larger size with extra fabrics for alterations, but the altering process must be a pain in the ass. Or maybe she's one of those people for whom making from scratch is easier than altering.

[IrishBreakfastTea]

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.
Ok, one thing I do remember is she said she can't wear straight sizes from most clothing shops, so her alternative was to go to thrift shopping, take things apart and fit them to herself, or just plain make things from scratch. I did like her reasoning that the reason she didn't want to spend all her time altering garments was because it enforced what she was not. I thought she articulated that point quite well and that made total sense. But I do have to question her inability to wear straight sizes - she's a size 0 - that's what it clearly says on her dress form that she shows in so many videos. Christ on a bike, size 0s in the US have nearly unlimited choice of what they can wear! One of my sisters is a size 0 and the sky is the limit for clothing choice when you're the size the designers and stores love to create for. Now, the shops available may not have clothing/styles/colours/fabrics Bernadette likes to wear, but I dare say she could find some size 0 clothing anywhere in the USA. It's not quite the same as being plus size and only having 2 shops in an entire shopping centre have clothing in your size, and usually for an older demographic; or barely ever having thrifted, or heaven forfend, vintage clothing in your size! I don't know why sometimes she makes it sound like the choices she makes are for economic reasons instead of just aesthetic ones. You don't like the clothing currently on offer and want to make your own? Fine, that's a valid reason! Don't fluff it out by saying you can't wear straight sizes when you are literally the size that all the companies make clothing for.

I think you misunderstood her and she was talking about her scoliosis and the subsequent body asymmetry. I have a very mild scoliosis and my shoulders are on slightly different heights and one pant leg always ends up a tad higher than other in narrower pants styles. BB, on the other hand, has a very pronounced scoliosis, so I imagine the easiest things for her to shop for are knits. Things like blazers and fitted coats must be adjusted to fit properly.

Sure, it's easier to find clothes in her size or a larger size with extra fabrics for alterations, but the altering process must be a pain in the ass. Or maybe she's one of those people for whom making from scratch is easier than altering.

That's probably it, so. I didn't know scoliosis would make shoulders (or hips) different heights. She didn't say it was due to her scoliosis; I did presume that's what she was inferring, but then she's been so open about it in the past, I also thought that if her scoliosis made it difficult to buy clothing she would have just said that. I know a costumer with severe scoliosis (on the level with BBs) who was also rake thin and she didn't seem to have any difficulty buying off the rack clothing when we were shopping together. Now, I know literally every body is different and no two people have the same experience of the same medical condition, but like I said, I thought BB would have just said "Scoliosis makes shopping for clothes difficult, so I make my own" if that were the case.

I agree with her stance on altering clothing, and thought she articulated it supremely well (it's quite uncharitable of me, but I almost wonder if she read it somewhere); it can be detrimental to one's mental health to be constantly reminded that one is not 'the norm', and better just to make clothing from scratch. I guess it just reminded me too much of the 'haircuts are expensive' comment in one of her earlier videos. I kinda just wish she would stand by her choices instead of justifying them from a cost perspective that doesn't actually impact on her. I feel that would be far more of a feminist stance to take - "I chose this because I liked it and wanted it" instead of "I did this because I couldn't afford that" even if she really could (I know I'm conflating two different comments in two different videos here).

[Notmycup]

I think you misunderstood her and she was talking about her scoliosis and the subsequent body asymmetry. I have a very mild scoliosis and my shoulders are on slightly different heights and one pant leg always ends up a tad higher than other in narrower pants styles. BB, on the other hand, has a very pronounced scoliosis, so I imagine the easiest things for her to shop for are knits. Things like blazers and fitted coats must be adjusted to fit properly.

Sure, it's easier to find clothes in her size or a larger size with extra fabrics for alterations, but the altering process must be a pain in the ass. Or maybe she's one of those people for whom making from scratch is easier than altering.

That's probably it, so. I didn't know scoliosis would make shoulders (or hips) different heights. She didn't say it was due to her scoliosis; I did presume that's what she was inferring, but then she's been so open about it in the past, I also thought that if her scoliosis made it difficult to buy clothing she would have just said that. I know a costumer with severe scoliosis (on the level with BBs) who was also rake thin and she didn't seem to have any difficulty buying off the rack clothing when we were shopping together. Now, I know literally every body is different and no two people have the same experience of the same medical condition, but like I said, I thought BB would have just said "Scoliosis makes shopping for clothes difficult, so I make my own" if that were the case.

I agree with her stance on altering clothing, and thought she articulated it supremely well (it's quite uncharitable of me, but I almost wonder if she read it somewhere); it can be detrimental to one's mental health to be constantly reminded that one is not 'the norm', and better just to make clothing from scratch. I guess it just reminded me too much of the 'haircuts are expensive' comment in one of her earlier videos. I kinda just wish she would stand by her choices instead of justifying them from a cost perspective that doesn't actually impact on her. I feel that would be far more of a feminist stance to take - "I chose this because I liked it and wanted it" instead of "I did this because I couldn't afford that" even if she really could (I know I'm conflating two different comments in two different videos here).

Scoliosis doesn't necessarily makes the bones different heights, it's more like putting everything between your neck and knees askew if that makes sense. Something goes up, something down. I'm horrible at explaining, sorry. BB might not said it's due to her scoliosis because it's super obvious for her (it's not like she can forget); you, on the other hand, won't think about it because it's not something you consider daily. We all have different experiences. Another weird thing - there's multiple scoliosis types, some are self-compensating and less obvious. Anyways, I'm not her doctor and I can't know what difficulties she's exactly experiencing, it also varies. Same with tailoring when it comes to concealing the unevenness.

To be honest, I know many able-bodied people who also struggle with off the rack clothes because those "standard" sizes and real bodies don't really match. The struggle is universal. She didn't talk about not being able to afford stuff in the video, did she? I have a theory about the haircut thing, but it might be too offtopic. The interview was made out of cuts, maybe something was omitted. I've got the impression the message was "I chose this because that's what I like and what worked for me in the end".

[Julienne]

I lasted about 10 seconds...

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.
Ok, one thing I do remember is she said she can't wear straight sizes from most clothing shops

She admitted to buying wearing enough off the rack clothing before, even tailored stuff like the red jacket. The lacy blouse she wore to death is H&M and it's basically unalterable. But that no longer fits the narrative. Pack up guys, she isn't making clothes for clicks. But for necessity.

[MillicentF]

I have a theory about the haircut thing, but it might be too offtopic.

Please, do share .

She admitted to buying wearing enough off the rack clothing before, even tailored stuff like the red jacket. The lacy blouse she wore to death is H&M and it's basically unalterable.

Exactly. In that video when she showed off her wardrobe (the clothing she claimed she wears daily), lots, I mean lots of it was off the rack, store bought. All the blouses, all the tops (the red blazer, the knit cardies etc.), most of the skirts and the red cape.
And even now, what of her creations is she wearing: the black skirt, sometimes the Lady Sherlock skirt and vest, the pirate shirt, the black coat she made years ago from one of the "big4"'s patterns and McGonagall's hats. That's it. The rest - it's all H&M this, Zara that. Even in that interview: she did not make the black blouse, nor the knit capelet. So yeah, "I sew clothing for meself, for I cannot possibly buy regular clothing", said Lady Upmost, wearing 3 out of 4 items store-bought (I suppose the skirt in the interview is the one she made, the blouse, capelet and hose are bought).

[Notmycup]

I have a theory about the haircut thing, but it might be too offtopic.

Please, do share .

Like I said, off-topic. I work with this person whose stories about school times give me serious whiplash. Like, they are from a very comfortable background, they were gifted a car and an apartment after finishing high school and turning 18, and yet they struggled to afford food or anything really while getting the degree, all in attempt to be completely independent. I have no reason to distrust them, but it's seriously bizarre. That's the only person I know who managed to be rich and poor at the same time.

Going on that tangent, I can imagine BB experiencing something similar. The key word 'imagine' since I don't know for fact. Maybe she went through something similar, maybe some habits stuck with her. Who knows?

[gardenofpeonies]

I lasted about 10 seconds...

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.
Ok, one thing I do remember is she said she can't wear straight sizes from most clothing shops, so her alternative was to go to thrift shopping, take things apart and fit them to herself, or just plain make things from scratch. I did like her reasoning that the reason she didn't want to spend all her time altering garments was because it enforced what she was not. I thought she articulated that point quite well and that made total sense. But I do have to question her inability to wear straight sizes - she's a size 0 - that's what it clearly says on her dress form that she shows in so many videos. Christ on a bike, size 0s in the US have nearly unlimited choice of what they can wear! One of my sisters is a size 0 and the sky is the limit for clothing choice when you're the size the designers and stores love to create for. Now, the shops available may not have clothing/styles/colours/fabrics Bernadette likes to wear, but I dare say she could find some size 0 clothing anywhere in the USA. It's not quite the same as being plus size and only having 2 shops in an entire shopping centre have clothing in your size, and usually for an older demographic; or barely ever having thrifted, or heaven forfend, vintage clothing in your size! I don't know why sometimes she makes it sound like the choices she makes are for economic reasons instead of just aesthetic ones. You don't like the clothing currently on offer and want to make your own? Fine, that's a valid reason! Don't fluff it out by saying you can't wear straight sizes when you are literally the size that all the companies make clothing for.

She is not only "Willingly accepts" the dress histprian title, bit she starts the interview proclaiming
"I am a dress historian"...
Furthermore, the interview could have been easily clipped together from other bits of videos...
And we all know when she was happily making medieval stuff and 18th century *silk* gown! Good forbid, silk is soo trashy, and a ball gown od all things... who cares about ballgowns, they are so... trivial. Ahh... (was that a dig to CH? for the pracock gown?)

[Westernpeach]

Have we ever seen her alter a pattern to account for the differences in her body caused by the scoliosis?

[popmypopcorn]

I lasted about 10 seconds...

I suffered through the whole thing, but found it godawful. It's a lot of the same stuff she's said elsewhere, so nothing really new. She still willingly accepts the title of Dress Historian despite not even having a BA in History, at the very least. I don't want to watch it again to pick it apart in more particular detail, but I have the overall impression of awkwardness and tooting her own horn.

Not all heros wear cape!

There's something in her manner or carriage what makes her unenjoyable to listen to.

[popmypopcorn]

Exactly. In that video when she showed off her wardrobe (the clothing she claimed she wears daily), lots, I mean lots of it was off the rack, store bought. All the blouses, all the tops (the red blazer, the knit cardies etc.), most of the skirts and the red cape.
And even now, what of her creations is she wearing: the black skirt, sometimes the Lady Sherlock skirt and vest, the pirate shirt, the black coat she made years ago from one of the "big4"'s patterns and McGonagall's hats. That's it. The rest - it's all H&M this, Zara that. Even in that interview: she did not make the black blouse, nor the knit capelet. So yeah, "I sew clothing for meself, for I cannot possibly buy regular clothing", said Lady Upmost, wearing 3 out of 4 items store-bought (I suppose the skirt in the interview is the one she made, the blouse, capelet and hose are bought).

She doesn't need to have a varied wardrobe, if she only plays dress up to the camera. If she had wore these type of garments regularly, no way on earth she had ever made a trained walking skirt! I suggested the same issue, when she made the bicycle pants and she had to borrow a sweater...

And what about the lingery dress, will it be ready by summer? Or she'll pair the skirt with a H&M shirtwaist? Or she must borrow different shirtwaists from her English friends again?

[CuriousAboutThat]

Exactly. In that video when she showed off her wardrobe (the clothing she claimed she wears daily), lots, I mean lots of it was off the rack, store bought. All the blouses, all the tops (the red blazer, the knit cardies etc.), most of the skirts and the red cape.
And even now, what of her creations is she wearing: the black skirt, sometimes the Lady Sherlock skirt and vest, the pirate shirt, the black coat she made years ago from one of the "big4"'s patterns and McGonagall's hats. That's it. The rest - it's all H&M this, Zara that. Even in that interview: she did not make the black blouse, nor the knit capelet. So yeah, "I sew clothing for meself, for I cannot possibly buy regular clothing", said Lady Upmost, wearing 3 out of 4 items store-bought (I suppose the skirt in the interview is the one she made, the blouse, capelet and hose are bought).

She doesn't need to have a varied wardrobe, if she only plays dress up to the camera. If she had wore these type of garments regularly, no way on earth she had ever made a trained walking skirt! I suggested the same issue, when she made the bicycle pants and she had to borrow a sweater...

And what about the lingery dress, will it be ready by summer? Or she'll pair the skirt with a H&M shirtwaist? Or she must borrow different shirtwaists from her English friends again?

She's going to have to make regular use of a skirt-lifter if she wants to get every-day wear out of the trained skirt.

[Snottebel241]

I have a theory about the haircut thing, but it might be too offtopic.

Please, do share .

She admitted to buying wearing enough off the rack clothing before, even tailored stuff like the red jacket. The lacy blouse she wore to death is H&M and it's basically unalterable.

Exactly. In that video when she showed off her wardrobe (the clothing she claimed she wears daily), lots, I mean lots of it was off the rack, store bought. All the blouses, all the tops (the red blazer, the knit cardies etc.), most of the skirts and the red cape.
And even now, what of her creations is she wearing: the black skirt, sometimes the Lady Sherlock skirt and vest, the pirate shirt, the black coat she made years ago from one of the "big4"'s patterns and McGonagall's hats. That's it. The rest - it's all H&M this, Zara that. Even in that interview: she did not make the black blouse, nor the knit capelet. So yeah, "I sew clothing for meself, for I cannot possibly buy regular clothing", said Lady Upmost, wearing 3 out of 4 items store-bought (I suppose the skirt in the interview is the one she made, the blouse, capelet and hose are bought).

How does she make clothes for herself, for years, out of necessity when she doesnt do closures? lololol

[Notmycup]

Have we ever seen her alter a pattern to account for the differences in her body caused by the scoliosis?

The corset pattern? The rest is probably adjusted during fittings. Sorry, I don't really remember her old videos that well.

[SnarkySnax]

I wish she would just say “I make my own clothes because I can’t find anything in the shops that I like wearing”. Much like I wish she would just say “I don’t want to cut my hair because I like it long.” Or “I don’t care if it’s impractical, I just want a long skirt to sweep around in.” Like, take ownership of your decisions! Everything is always framed in such a way that she is implying she’s somehow victimized by the modern world. There’s a very obvious undercurrent of victimhood to her that has never appealed to me.

As for scoliosis, I have moderate curvature and my legs are uneven lengths as a result. It does cause some issues with fit from off the peg clothing, but honestly, 90% of what I wear is stretch knit which is literally one of the most accommodating fabrics for people with physical disabilities and sensory issues. It’s in every store, at every price point, so her justification that she’s simply too small to find off the peg clothing frankly sounds a lot like the pro-Ana shit that glorifies being too small to fit into anything. People have remarked that BB has displayed some subtle pro-Ana dog whistle-y behaviors and statements in the past, so I feel like her “too small for modern clothes” excuse fits here as well.

Side note: there are photos of BB during her Tisch/ Broadway days that show her in modern clothes. She looks really cute, honestly, like she has legitimately good taste. But it does also make the excuse that she’s too small to fit into straight sizes look specious. I go back to just wishing she would take ownership of her decisions. “I don’t find clothes I like wearing in regular stores, so I decided to make my own” sounds empowering.

And the whole dress historian thing… I’ve already gone on at length at how much that infuriates me, so I won’t bore anyone with that rant again.